Gary Player - The Legend

The Player Group Hosts The First Tee

Oct 22, 2009 | Filed Under: The Player Foundation | Comments: 1   

Impacting the lives of young people is a shared mission of The Player Foundation and The First Tee.  It was a natural fit to pair the two, and became the impetus for what both organizations hope to be an annual Career Day event. 

With design projects in 35 countries throughout the world, Gary Player Design recently took some time out to partner with The Player Foundation to host kids from The First Tee of Greenville (South Carolina) with the goal of educating them about the many aspects of the golf industry.  “This event was a wonderful way for us to once again give back to the community where our staff live, work and play,” stated Marc Player, CEO of The Player Group.

Youth involved in The First Tee program arrived at Black Knight International’s offices in Travelers Rest, South Carolina eager to learn about golf great Gary Player, and the golf business.  “There is so much more to the game of golf outside of playing professionally.  Exposing children to the many facets of the golf industry such as marketing, brand management, golf course design and our global business ventures helps to expand their vision from a myopic view to a wide range of future opportunities,” added Player.

Upon arrival the children were greeted by Design Divisional President Scott Ferrell and taken on a tour of the African inspired office.  With the myriad of trophies, memorabilia and photos, it wasn’t much of a challenge for the group to learn about the life and victories of The Black Knight, while also experiencing the philanthropic side of the organization. 

One of the highlights of the “Career Day” according to participant James Wiley was, “we got the chance to design and draw a fairway of our own golf hole.”  Groups of children rotated between designing a hole, to learning about the development and branding of our products to viewing the areas of the world where Gary Player Design is currently working on projects. 

After lunch, The First Tee kids walked away with a goody bag, their own press kit and a new perspective on the world of golf.  Was it a success?  If you ask Wiley it was, “I had a really awesome time.” As for The Player Group and Foundation, Ferrell summed it up aptly, “We really had an enjoyable day with these kids.  They were so interested in how we conduct our business, and I very much hope we opened their eyes to a different side of the game.  Educating kids is one of Mr. Player’s great passions, and we were pleased to support the First Tee of Greenville.”

For more information on The Player Foundation or Gary Player Design, visit http://www.theplayerfoundation.org and http://www.garyplayer.com.

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