Woodbury’s Eagle Valley Golf Course Introduces New First Tee Program

A program that looks to introduce young people to the game of golf, and build character along the way, is now available in Woodbury.

Eagle Valley Golf Course for the first time this year is part of the First Tee program.

“It was originally designed as a way to get underprivileged kids in the inner city exposed to the game of golf,” said Nick Hauer, who has helped with the program’s launch in Woodbury.

Eagle Valley is incorporating First Tee into its youth development programs this summer, said Dan Moris, head pro. He credited Rob O’Brien with helping spearhead the initiative in Woodbury.

Beyond the basics of golf, First Tee has curriculum that looks to develop “honestly, integrity and sportsmanship” in young people, Moris said. One of the first lessons is simply on making introductions: looking people in the eye and having a firm handshake, he said.

Moris said the First Tee initiative meshes well with the lessons about etiquette and honesty that come with the game.

“All the things that golf can teach us about how to live and how to act, because it is a gentleman’s game,” he said.

The idea is to eventually get First Tee into local schools, Hauer said.

“That’s the direction,” he said.

There are several different courses available, and people can sign up on the Eagle Valley Golf Course website. Woodbury is under the umbrella of the St. Paul First Tee program.