Spring 2025

C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 133 excited to see how many more lives we can impact,” she says. As an example of that impact, Nelson recalls one Salinas youngster who got connected with First Tee opportunities while in elementary school. As he continued through the program, the student’s golf game, grades and overall behavior improved. When he was attending Salinas High School, he was selected to repre- sent the local chapter at a national First Tee trustee event in Pebble Beach. He was seated with President George W. Bush, who spoke at the event and chatted with the student. Nelson drove the young man back to Salinas after the gathering. “He turned to me on the way home and said, ‘Nick, I remember you telling me, when I was 7 or 8 years old, that golf would open up doors for me. I didn’t get it then, but I get it now,’” Nelson remembers. First Tee alum and local board member John Louie also appreciates how the program opens doors. As a teenager, he took part in entrepre- neurial challenges and toured a dentist office, law firm, large farming operation, beverage dis- tribution center and other workplaces through First Tee career exploration activities. “When you’re a kid, you don’t really think about having a career someday. But those were very, very eye-opening experiences,” Louie says. First Tee introduced him to golf, of course, which he played in high school and college. He embraced core values and skills that influenced his path through school and into adulthood. Program activities also underscored the impor- tance of community. “It’s this whole circular concept that I learned at the First Tee. It was, ‘Hey, look, you’re receiving things as a young person. Eventually, there will be a great opportunity to give back, as well,’” Louie says. “It’s about the next generation. If we want our community to be strong in the future, we have to invest in the next generation right now.” For more information about First Tee – Monterey County, visit www.firstteemontereycounty.org . Z Gal’s Golf Invitational & Ladies Leadership Luncheon F irst Tee – Monterey County will host the 15th annual Z Gal’s Invitational on April 14. The ladies-only event honors the late Donna Zoller, who supported the nonprofit’s efforts together with her late husband and local First Tee founding chair, John Zoller. To date, the nine-hole scram- ble and leadership luncheon have raised more than $2 million for First Tee pro- grams geared toward girls. First Tee—Monterey County partners with several school districts, many of which are in Salinas and southern Monterey County, to bring age-based daytime, after-school and summer camp activities to approximately 11,500 students a year. Photo: Courtesy of First Tee