Welcome to The Opening Tee Shot

Thank you for joining us here with The Opening Tee Shot!

This week marks a first for us as a family. Our son was invited to participate in the AJGA Wyndham Cup, representing the East. It's all the way out in Flagstaff, AZ (a long way from here in Augusta, GA) and unfortunately we couldn't make our schedules work where we could attend and watch him play. As hard as it was, we decided it was time to let him fly out on his own. 

Though highly nerve-racking, it's been a great learning experience for all of us. Not only was this his first time flying solo, it was the first time one of his parents wasn't able to watch him compete. If you have any advice for us on how we can make this easier, please feel free to reply to this email and share!

-Sara and Chili

Hole #4 at The Forest Highlands Golf Club-Canyons Course located in Flagstaff, Arizona

🏌️Making the most of junior golf tournaments

I mentioned above how this week we let our son travel out west alone, but these past 10 years we've had to build our family schedule around his tournaments.

Many of you are in the same boat we are as far as having other children in the family, besides the junior golfer. Since our other two do not play competitively, it can present a challenge getting them interested in watching 18 holes of golf everyday during a tournament.

One of the ways we address this is by making sure we make the most of out-of-town golf tournaments and try turning them into mini-family vacations whenever possible. The result? Our other two now associate competitive play with fun family memories and new travel traditions.

It's easier said than done though, especially when dealing with a budget and keeping different interests in mind.

Here's the latest at Junior Golf Playbook on how you can maximize the tournament experience for the entire family!

🏌️ Junior golf news

• The 2025 Junior Golf World Championship is taking place in San Diego this week. 
• The 2025 Future Masters in Dothan, AL has concluded, marking another successful year of this legacy tournament.
• Applications for the 2026 USNDP Grant opens soon!

🏌️ Junior golf spotlight

This week we're highlighting the junior golf journey of Reese Richardson, a 16-year old from Conway, South Carolina! Reese took up golf during Covid (like so many) and has clearly taken off with it.

Reese tragically lost her sister to breast cancer but I know she's made her proud by working so hard on her golf game (and other goals) in recent years. We've learned this is a major inspiration for Reese when she's on the course. I'm excited to continue watching her growth in the game, so make sure you follow her on Instagram!

How did you start playing golf and at what age?

I started at 11 years old during Covid! 

Who is your swing coach? 

Josh Jackson with SC Junior Golf Academy. He is my cheerleader and a big part of why I love golf 

Who is your favorite social media influencer? 

I love Bryson Deshambeau.  He is so focused but reminds everyone golf is fun.

Do you set goals? 

Absolutely! Every year I set a goal for myself as far as rankings and scoring.  I also pick a skill and try to perfect it every few months.  I try to consider what skill is holding me back and focus on it and set goals for improvement. For me, goals are a big part of making you into the person you are meant to be. I don’t think God meant for us to just exist.  We each have so many years to make our mark and I think golf is my way to do that.

What are some of your goals for this year?  

My biggest two goals for this year are to win the individual state championship for the 5A high school league. Last year I placed third and only missed it by 2 strokes!  I also have a team goal for my high school team to win as well! We have so much talent and a ton of heart!  We are a group of girls to watch! I also want a top 5 finish at the Blade! I think if you can do that at the Thornblade club it says a lot about you as a golfer! It’s one of the most challenging courses I’ve played.  

What are your 5-year goals?

• Play collegiate golf on a team of girls I can be close with on and off the course 
• Be top 5 in SC girls golf 
• Encouraging younger girls to jump in and love this game like I do. Be an example of confidence and determination. My sister died in 2024 and she was special needs. Everything she did was hard but she did it anyway! I want to remind girls you can do hard things and do them well.

What is your biggest achievement in golf?

This year I was the Region 6 player of the year! This was a big accomplishment for me and taught me how good it feels to set a goal and reach it. 

What are you working on now?

My mental game! Being able to leave a hole behind. How to respond to a bogey with a birdie. 

What is your favorite restaurant?

Rollin local in Georgetown! Best sushi ever!

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate! I’m so boring but it’s tough to beat.

Who is your favorite singer?

Megan Maroney. 

What other hobbies do you have?

• Wake-surfing 
• hunting 
• Fishing 
• Snowboarding 
• Singing 

My faith is so important to me. The golf course is where I feel closest to God. Some of my best moments with God were out there on the course. 

Thank you to UP Consulting for your continued support as a sponsor and drop us a line if you're interested in affordable sponsorship opportunities with Junior Golf Playbook.

Do you know another junior golf parent who would like this newsletter? You can send this link.

Don't forget, you can always hit reply to this newsletter or email us at sara@juniorgolfplaybook.com.

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