Tim Haralson
Tim Haralson has been a fixture on the Chattanooga golf scene for more than three decades. He will now have the opportunity to impact future generations of golf with his recent appointment as program director for Chattanooga’s chapter of the First Tee Tennessee program.
First Tee is a non-profit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA Tour. Its mission is to cultivate youth development and help build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf.
The organization headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and has built a network of 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers while impacting millions of youths. First Tee Tennessee is overseen by the Tennessee Golf Foundation, home of the state’s governing bodies of golf.
“I feel like Tim is going to bring a lot of energy to our programs in the Chattanooga area,” said Shawn Maurer, executive director of First Tee of Tennessee. “Tim brings a wealth of knowledge, whether it be his experience as a rules official or coaching middle and high school golf. With Tim’s passion, he is going to help First Tee grow for years to come and continue to help serve our youth in building game-changers for the future in the Chattanooga area.”
In his new role, Haralson will be responsible for the daily program operations, course access and the safety of all programs of the chapter which includes Hamilton, Bradley and McMinn counties in Tennessee along with Walker and Catoosa counties in Georgia. He will work alongside Tennessee Golf Foundation regional director Lamar Mills, the long-time leader at Cleveland Country Club, in promoting junior golf initiatives in the region.
“I can think of no other way to give back to the game of golf I have loved since my grandfather introduced me to it when I was six-years old than providing opportunities for other kids to have the same experience,” Haralson said. “Whether they pursue playing competitively, or simply for recreation, golf can take them places other sports or extracurriculars could never do.”
Haralson replaces long-time First Tee of Tennessee-Chattanooga program director Kathleen McCarthy, who retired at the end of 2022.
The local First Tee program is headquartered at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Player Development Center on Hickory Valley Road.
Haralson recently retired from his career overseeing a certified residential appraiser business prior to accepting the First Tee position. He has served as president of the Chattanooga Classic Club since 1992, a local organization that coordinates hundreds of volunteers in staging area tournaments by coordinating with the USGA, PGA, NCAA, LPGA and state golf officials.
Haralson has also worked as a rules official for numerous state events, including the Tennessee Golf Association, the Tennessee Section PGA, the Sneds Tour and the TSSAA. He also has coached middle school and high school golf in the area, and he is a member of WindStone Golf Club.
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