Danny Auffant took to heart the opportunities of Youth on Course and First Tee programs, and took dead aim

by Roger Sauvage, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

Danny Auffant is a prime example of how important youth golf programs in the state of Washington can be. Danny is currently playing Division I golf at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and after talking with him, it was clear that programs such as First Tee and Youth on Course helped him get there.

Danny spent 12 years with First Tee, and he readily acknowledges that made him a well-rounded individual.

“My parents first signed me up for First Tee of Greater Seattle when I was six years old, and I grew up in the program all the way through high school,” he says. “I spent my last few years in the Ace level program, which was super impactful on helping me develop the leadership and communication skills that I needed to be successful at the Naval Academy.”

In his last few summers, he has also been working with First Tee to help fundraise and teach some of the younger classes as well.

When Danny was in middle school, his dad signed him up for the WA Golf Youth on Course program, and that’s where his opportunity to play golf expanded with only having to pay $5 per round. He and his brother would play Twin Rivers Golf Course in Fall City, Wash. and Bellevue Golf Course all summer.

“It really was an amazing opportunity,” he said. “I played every chance I could. It really helped me with my game, and I also now have great memories of playing with my family.”

He had graduated Summa Cum Laude from Issaquah (Wash.) High School in 2023, where he captained the golf team for three years, and was also named the team MVP for three years. He had been one of the First Tee participants selected to play in the 2022 PGA TOUR Champions First Tee Pro-Am and First Tee National Championship, held each year at Pebble Beach.

Danny has now moved up to the next level, signing up for the U on Course membership, which allows college-age young adults (18-25) to play participating courses at a discount.

In his first year at the Naval Academy, Danny has been making full use of his opportunities. “I loved traveling around the country to compete in tournaments, as well as the special bond shared with my coaches and teammates,” he says. “I was incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to play some of the best courses in the world with my team, such as American Dunes in Michigan, Sebonack on Long Island, as well as Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

“Playing on the golf team also helps me to enjoy my time at the Naval Academy, which is a very difficult school with all of the academic, athletic, and military demands on my time and energy.”

Despite these challenges, Danny’s freshman year was a remarkable success, playing in four events his first season. That’s huge considering only five players make the starting lineup on each team. To underscore the significance of this, only 1.4 percent of high school golfers play Division I college golf. The nine or 10 players on each college team regularly compete against each other for the five spots available for their next tournament.

After Danny’s freshman year concluded last spring, he returned to the Northwest and got the opportunity to play in the Chambers Bay Solstice to raise money for First Tee.

“This year was my third time participating in the fundraiser,” he said. “I wanted to continue supporting my longtime friend and mentor Evan Johnsen, the program director for First Tee of Greater Seattle. I love endurance golf events, a result of my participation in the Golf-a-Thon fundraiser on the Jefferson Park par-3 course in my middle school years. In my final year participating in the Golf-a-Thon, I played 250 holes in a single day, which helped lead to the inaugural Chambers Bay Solstice the following summer.”

Danny had arrived home in Seattle at 11 p.m. the night before the Solstice event, fresh off two months of summer training with the Navy. He had to wake up at three in the morning to get to Chambers Bay in time to tee off at 4:45 a.m., but his group was able to play 72 holes before the course closed at 9 p.m. He walked a little more than 30 miles that day, and raised over $1,000 for First Tee.

This fall, Danny has returned for his sophomore year at the Naval Academy, and will again lend his golfing skills to the Midshipmen. And we will watch for more of his contributions to the game.