County Opens Its 2nd 'First Tee' Location At Golf Course In Belleville

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A youth golfing program that sees more than 600 participants every year in Newark has officially expanded to Belleville.

On Wednesday, officials and community members gathered at the Essex County Hendricks Field Golf Course in Belleville to celebrate the opening of a new First Tee learning center.

The First Tee is a nationally recognized youth development program that uses the game of golf to help youth develop leadership skills, learn life lessons and prepare players academically for higher education.

A First Tee location at Essex County Weequahic Golf Course in Newark opened in 2005; it now enrolls more than 600 youth annually.

“The First Tee has been a tremendous asset at Weequahic Park, teaching the game of golf to new generations of young people and preparing them for higher education and life’s challenges,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Expanding our partnership to Hendricks Field is a wonderful opportunity to provide enriching recreational alternatives to another area of our county and enable more young people to take advantage of it,” DiVincenzo added.

The project also got a big thumbs-up from retired Major League Baseball player Rick Cerone.

“I was at Weequahic when the county executive opened the First Tee program there, and I’m proud that I’m able to be here at Hendricks Field for this opening too,” Cerone said. “This is really special because this program is more than just golf. It’s really about preparing children for life.”

Here are some of the specs behind the Belleville location, county officials said:

“The First Tee Learning Center at Hendricks Field will have a 4,000-square-foot building that has indoor and outdoor practice areas, a classroom for STEM instruction, offices, restrooms and storage space. Two golf training rooms have garage doors that can be opened so students can stand indoors and hit balls out of the building during inclement or cold weather. There is a third outdoor training area that has a covered hitting area. This also allows programs to be offered year-round. The classroom space will enable a STEM Summer Academy, tutoring and SAT prep activities to be offered. There is also a three-hole short course that includes three practice holes ranging in length from 50 to 160 yards. One of the holes is designed in the shape of a Biarritz, which has a larger green area in line the classical design of the Hendricks course. This green will be an excellent teaching area where 10 to 12 students can be lined up for chipping practice.”

In addition, a new entry point for the First Tee program has been created on Joralemon Street in Belleville, a short distance from the Belleville Recreation Department Building. A small parking lot to accommodate First Tee participants and their parents will be able to fit about 15 cars, officials said.

The First Tee hired Rogers McCagg, a Connecticut-based architectural firm that specializes in golf course facilities, to design the facility. APS Contracting Inc. from Paterson was awarded a publicly bid contract for $1.98 million to build the learning facility. The county funded the construction of the clubhouse with a grant received from the NJ Department of Community Affairs, officials said.

County officials noted that Hendricks Field underwent a "comprehensive" renovation and modernization project that was finished in 2021. Improvements to the greens, bunkers and drainage and irrigation systems throughout the entire golf course were included in the project, as well as the modernization of restroom facilities in the main clubhouse on Franklin Avenue.

• See related article: $5.2M Upgrade At Hendricks Field Golf Course Hits Finish Line

Interest in the Belleville facility is growing. According to Tom Grant, director of the First Tee program at Hendricks Field, there are already more than 150 children enrolled.

“We are elated about what you are doing here,” Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said, adding that the new facility is a “special” investment in the town’s children.

Other support for the project came from:

NJ Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz – “We all know that recreation programs save lives and the more we engage children in programs like these the greater the outcomes will be. This is about inclusivity and it’s wonderful that we have this here in public space.”

NJ Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin – “This facility and the First Tee program give children access to a sport they otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate in. This is wonderful as a recreation program, but it’s something our children will be able to benefit from personally.”

Gene Bernstein, chair of the First Tee of Metropolitan New Jersey – “This facility has really exceeded all my expectations. First Tee teaches children about the game of golf, but it does a lot more in preparing them for their future.”

NJ State Golf Association Executive Director Michael McFadden – “This is a tremendous opportunity for youth. It’s a perfect day.”

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