Download the East Lake Foundation 2005 Progress Report


Atlanta, Georgia Community Redevelopment - A National Model for Community Redevelopment - East Lake has been recognized by the Urban Land Institute as a national model for community redevelopment. The new East Lake includes: The Villages of East Lake, a mixed-income apartment community with half market-rate and half government-subsidized apartment homes and on-site resident programs managed by Mercy Housing; Charles R. Drew Charter School, the city of Atlanta’s first public charter school, which is managed by Edison Schools, Inc., now serving grades K-8 and offering a comprehensive curriculum and before and after school programs emphasizing high achievement and character development; the East Lake Family YMCA located adjacent to the school; the Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center for children from birth to kindergarten; and the Charlie Yates Golf Course, a public, mid-length, 18-hole golf course, that is the home of The First Tee?of East Lake, a year-round golf and mentoring program for area youth. Net proceeds from the Charlie Yates Golf Course, the East Lake Golf Club and the PGA Tour’s season-ending TOUR Championship held at East Lake Golf Club every year benefit East Lake community programs. TOUR Championship tickets are available online. As beautiful as the buildings are, it’s what happening inside them that is making all the difference. With adult residents taking advantage of career development, job and life skills training and financial literacy classes and East Lake youth being offered strong educational support from pre-school to high school, the East Lake community is thriving.


This year-round golf instruction and life skills program of the East Lake Foundation helps to enhance the academic achievement of area youth.

Formerly known as the East Lake Junior Golf Academy, The First Tee of East Lake is now part of the World Golf Foundation’s First Tee program. This initiative provides young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship through golf and character education.


The program serves East Lake children and teens (ages 5-18) at the Charlie Yates Golf Course, a public, 18-hole golf course that winds through the East Lake neighborhood.

Students in grades 2-8 who attend East Lake's Drew Charter School learn about golf through physical education classes and other golf-related activities during and after school, summer and Saturday programs and golf outings with corporate executives and professional golfers.

Some junior golfers go on to compete in golf tournaments around the country. Drew graduates who continue with the program quickly learn that golf can help open doors to college, scholarships and jobs.

To be eligible to participate, a child must currently attend or have graduated from Drew Charter School or live in the 30316 or 30317 zip code.  Occasionally, spots may open up for children who do not meet these requirements. However, no such openings are available at this time.

For information, please call 404 373-4351 or visit The First Tee of East Lake website.

 

Special Thanks to
 
The Friends of The First Tee of East Lake

A group of community leaders with an appreciation for golf and a desire 
to make a positive impact on the lives of East Lake children. 
The Friends of The First Tee of East Lake was symbolically created 
March 17, 2004, on legendary golfer Bobby Jones’ birthday.

 Current members include:
John Frazer, Chairman
 
Billy Andrade                Doug Leeson
Lee Birdsong               Valerie Hartman-Levy
Mark Burden                Chris Millard
Rick Burton                  Bert Ponder
Bob Crosby                  Drew Reifenberger
Tony Dozier                  Neil Scaife
Lillian Giornelli            Cary Weems
Ira Jackson                   Michael Woocher
                                Douglas D. James     Comer Yates
                                J. Reese Lanier, Jr.   

 

Photo credit: Jimmy Clemmons
Comer Yates congratulates Martavious Adams of The First Tee of East Lake after learning that this 14-year-old was selected to participate in The First Tee National Academy’s prestigious golf camp.  They were among the community leaders and students who participated in the May 30, 2008, inaugural Charlie Yates Memorial Junior-Senior Foursomes Tournament, which marked the 10th anniversary of Atlanta’s East Lake golf course named after Comer Yates’ late father. The tournament was created as a way to honor the legendary amateur golfer’s ideals, integrity and selflessness and help foster those same qualities within the children of East Lake.