In early October, the Colorado Golf Foundation visited First Tee – Four Corners in Durango to see firsthand the incredible work happening in the state’s southwest region. The site visit coincided with their 2nd annual “Little Swing” event at Hillcrest Golf Course — a celebration of mentorship, community, and the power of golf to bring people together.
The event was the culmination of a four-week program organized in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado and Fort Lewis College. Over the course of the month, “Bigs” and “Littles” learned the game side by side through First Tee programming. The experience culminated in a six-hole match where each pair teamed up with a collegiate golfer from Fort Lewis, creating an afternoon filled with connection, competition, and shared learning.
The event brought together ten mentor-mentee pairs, along with local donors, community members, and volunteers who filled the course with energy and encouragement. The enthusiasm from everyone involved reflected a community united around youth development, mentorship, and expanding access to golf in the Four Corners region.
Grant funding from the Colorado Golf Foundation helped make this program possible, supporting the growth of First Tee’s Southwest Colorado initiatives and ensuring that more young people have access to life-changing opportunities through golf. As the chapter looks to the future, their focus is on sustainable expansion through strengthening relationships in their Colorado-supported communities while ensuring they have the staff and resources to grow responsibly.
Our Foundation is proud to support programs like this that go beyond the fairways to create spaces where golf becomes a vehicle for personal growth, and community connection. The Four Corners region is full of potential, and we look forward to seeing how these partnerships continue to flourish in the years ahead.
