First Tee of Mid-Michigan Takes On City's Sycamore Golf Training Center

Due to budget issues, Lansing has had to close several of its golf courses, but thanks to First Tee of Mid-Michigan, the Sycamore Golf Training Center and Driving Range will remain open and save the city more than $65,000.

"The city was going to close it," says John Greenslit, executive director of First Tee Mid-Michigan. "We took it over."

First Tee of Mid-Michigan teaches golf to children age 7 to 17 and Greenslit says they focus on "at-risk kids," but they also "don't deny any youngsters."

Greenslit says that the non-profit's running of the training center and driving range will not involve any expense to the city.

Helping kids learn the game is not the only goal of First Tee of Mid-Michigan. Along with the four other chapters in Michigan, First Tee combines golf :with citizenship and nine core values," says Greenslit. Those values include honesty, sportsmanship and respect. "40 to 50 percent of our kids come back and re-enroll," he adds.

While First Tee of Mid-Michigan is responsible for maintenance and groundskeeping oat Sycamore, Greenslit empahsizes that "no one [with the city] has lost their job."

Both the training center and driving range are now open.

Source: John Greenslit, First Tee of Mid-Michigan

Writer: Daniel J. Hogan 

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie