Future Citizens Foundation

Our mission is to offer young people of Monterey County opportunities for a better future.  We do this through active involvement in life skills and golf skills that are learned at our campus, in the classroom and in service and mentorship to each other and the community. The Future Citizens Foundation operates three distinct programs in support of this mission; The First Tee of Monterey County, the Pay It Forward Scholarship and Mentoring Program, and the Center for Learning.

THEN AND NOW

John Zoller, a highly regarded golf course designer, learned of The First Tee in New York and approached the Monterey Peninsula Foundation with the idea of a Monterey County chapter. Joining the effort was Ollie Nutt, CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, along with Geoff Couch, Peter Ueberroth, and Clint Eastwood. The National First Tee program, which will be celebrating its 20-year anniversary in 2017, then worked in collaboration with the city of Salinas, who wanted to sell the nine-hole Twin Creeks course, to bring the project to fruition. By 2004 The Future Citizens Foundation was formed and The First Tee of Monterey County Program was in operation due to the generous support of the Monterey County Community that raised 7.4 Million for the Capital Campaign.

Programming Initially began at the Twin Creeks Golf Facility, and operations were expanded to Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in 2005. By December of 2006, The First Tee of Monterey County had 960 enrolled participants with classes in Salinas, Monterey, Marina, and Soledad. With the addition of the Alisal Union School District partnership in Salinas, King City Union School District, and our fledgling partnership with Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, we served over 6,000 children during the last school year.

With the addition of the Pay It Forward Scholarship & Mentoring Program in partnership with California State University, Monterey Bay in 2011, and in 2017 the Taylor Farms Center for Learning we've dramatically expanded the educational efforts of The First Tee of Monterey County, and will increase the depth and impact of the Pay It Forward Scholarship and Mentoring Program.