From the Fairway to the Community
What started with a box of donated golf equipment in Atlanta became a summer service project with a lasting impact in Tampa Bay.
For Jude Hassen ’27, a longtime golfer and Tampa Prep student, the idea was simple: collect golf equipment that might otherwise go unused and get it into the hands of young people who could benefit from it.
The inspiration came during a service trip with the Ryan Nece Foundation, a student service program in which Jude participates. As part of the program, students complete monthly service projects and take an annual out-of-state service trip. During his junior year, Jude traveled to Atlanta to work with Level the Playing Field, an organization that collects sports equipment and distributes it to families and youth teams.
While sorting through approximately $10,000 worth of donated sports equipment, Jude noticed something. “There was a lot of golf equipment,” he said.
As someone who has played golf for years, Jude immediately saw an opportunity to bring the idea home to Tampa. “I’m really into golf and have played for a long time,” Jude said. “I saw that there was a lot of golf equipment and got the idea to do this in Tampa.”
Putting the Plan Into Action
From June through August, Jude partnered with four golf courses throughout the Tampa Bay area, placing collection boxes in their pro shops. He reached out directly to pro shop managers, explained his project and asked them to participate. Every two weeks, Jude returned to collect the donations.
The result was far beyond what he had hoped for.
By the end of the summer, Jude had collected approximately 140 golf clubs and 900 golf balls and raised nearly $2,200 — exceeding his original goal.
Some of the donated clubs were valuable enough to be sold through Play It Again Sports and Global Golf. Jude donated the proceeds directly to First Tee. Other clubs were donated directly to the organization.
First Tee was a natural partner for Jude. Its headquarters are located at Rogers Park, a course Jude regularly plays, and its mission aligns closely with the purpose behind his project: giving young people greater access to golf. First Tee reaches children as young as five and has programs that introduce students to golf at approximately 40 middle schools — including children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the sport.
For Jude, the project was about more than golf equipment. It was about creating an opportunity for someone else.
A Higher Purpose
Jude has attended Tampa Prep since sixth grade and has found other opportunities to serve his community through his involvement in student council.
That experience, along with Tampa Prep’s culture of service, helped shape his approach to the project. “Being on student council at Prep, I’ve learned that I can do things to help the community,” Jude said. “I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help others. This project is just another way to do that.”
His project is a tangible example of Tampa Prep’s “Higher Purpose than Self” philosophy — putting talents, passions and opportunities to work for the benefit of others.
For Jude, that meant taking something he already loved — golf — and finding a way to share it with others.
The result: more than $2,000 raised, hundreds of pieces of equipment collected and, most importantly, new opportunities for young people to discover a sport they might not otherwise have had the chance to play.
