First Tee – Louisville

First Tee – Louisville is a youth development golf program where participants learn to play golf and practice specific golf skills. The program also includes a life skills curriculum that covers Golf Skills, Life Skills, and Healthy Habits, along with the Five Key Commitments of honoring the game, pursuing goals, growing through challenges, building positive relationships, and serving their community.

• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Schedule: Seven-week sessions with class options on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings

First Tee – Louisville became the 200th facility of First Tee in February 2005 at the organization’s Annual Meeting at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. It was conceived as an umbrella organization for three existing junior golf programs at Shawnee Golf Course: the Urban Youth Golf program, Tee Swingers, and Shawnee Youth Golf Club. The program’s mission is to enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges by integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum. First Tee – Louisville is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The organization has built an office in the clubhouse at its home course, constructed a first-class short game practice facility, and added a pavilion next to the practice green and bunker. It has also built a three-hole par 3 Justin Thomas Foundation Youth Golf Course on the other side of the range. As of 2020, First Tee – Louisville operates the course itself in partnership with the city of Louisville. The chapter’s goal is to inspire as many young people as possible through the Five Key Commitments to Being a Game Changer: Pursuing Goals, Collaborating with Others, Growing through Challenge, Building Positive Self Identity, and Using Good Judgement. Additionally, 25% of all sales from the online shop go back to the chapter to support its work.

Last updated February 24, 2026.