July 1, 2026
By Maggie Meier
Our team was warmly welcomed by the Tennessee Golf Foundation during our recent visit to First Tee at Vinny Links Golf Course. First Tee – Tennessee is a youth development organization that uses the game of golf as a platform to teach life skills, character, and leadership to children and teens across the state. It was incredibly rewarding to see these kids enjoying the game while building community and learning foundational skills from mentors who truly care about their futures.
The Nashville Predators Foundation is proud to support the Tennessee Golf Foundation and continually honor Mike Kaplan through the Mike Kaplan First Tee of Tennessee Scholarship Fund. Students who graduate from the program's ACE-level certification earn a college tuition grant. Because many of these students are the first in their families to attend college, providing this financial assistance is a powerful way to honor the late Mike Kaplan's legacy. We even had the opportunity to meet one of these remarkable students, Riley, who is now bound for Gulf Coast University. Seeing the real-world impact these scholarships have on students’ lives was truly inspiring.
Whit Turnbow, President of the Tennessee Golf Foundation, shared the organization's plans to continue renovating facilities and creating more spaces across the state for the First Tee program. Turnbow also highlighted the strides the foundation is making to ensure golf is more accessible and welcoming to everyone. After all, anyone who wants to learn the game deserves the opportunity and the resources to do so!
