Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Kresock

Colorado Class 4A state golf champ Elizabeth Kresock and PGA golfer Craig Stadler are seen here at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach last year. Kresock is a member and volunteer at The First Tee of Denver.

Bored this summer? Spending too much time catching rays poolside?

You could volunteer instead.

That's what Elizabeth Kresock, the reigning Colorado Class 4A state golf champion, has been doing with her summers since 2004.

"Basically I had a lot of time during the summer and I wanted to do something more than sit by the pool with my friends," said Kresock.

The 17-year-old Colorado Academy senior-to-be started volunteering in 2004 for The First Tee of Denver -- a nonprofit organization that aims to provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth both on and off the golf course.

Her experiences with The First Tee have taken both her golf game, and her impact on the community, to new heights. Kresock cut her teeth as a volunteer picking up golf balls and serving as a sort of a taxi service, taking kids to and from the course.

But then Elizabeth got more hands-on with her approach to The First Tee and started teaching kids the game of golf.

From how to swing and putt, to the gentlemanly rules of golf etiquette, Kresock brought more to volunteering than a simple helping hand.

"Now I teach them putting and about the core values and all the life lessons that The First Tee has to offer," said Kresock.

Though she started out just volunteering for The First Tee, Kresock realized how much fun all the members were having and decided to join herself in 2005.

However, even though she was now a member, Kresock says she did not neglect her duties as a volunteer. Membership simply meant that she could participate in the tournaments and one of the tournaments offered to her was the qualifier last year for the annual First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.

Kresock finished second at the qualifier at Kansas State University, allowing her to play in the Open at Pebble Beach, Calif.

Currently, Kresock is attempting to qualify for the First Tee Open this year in New Hampshire and the results will be in July 27.

She is trying to add more hardware to her collection after winning the individual competition at the 4A Colorado state championships -- an experience she called unbelievable.

"I was 5 [strokes] back going into the second day of play and I really didn't think I had a chance. My goal was to shoot a low score to help my team," said Kresock. "I ended up shooting two under. It was low enough, not only to help my team, but to win the individual title."

Though overcoming a deficit like that certainly takes some grit, Kresock's outlook going into the First Tee Open qualifier is not necessarily of a competitive nature.

"I'm trying to focus on having fun," said Kresock, "Hopefully, my chances are good, but my goal is just to have a good time."

With her 4A state title and her 4 handicap, Paul Crossland, the Director of Progams at The First Tee, feels Kresock will be having fun on the course at Pebble Beach.

"She is in the top of her class for sure," said Crossland. "She brings a lot to the table."

Kresock said that she wants to play collegiate golf and the Wal Mart First Tee Open in Pebble Beach may be the place to showcase herself, so that she may continue her golf career in college - a golf career that she says has been strongly influenced by The First Tee.

"It's taught me how to keep my cool on the golf course and how to handle real life situations," said Kresock.

No matter where she chooses to go to college, Kresock is just another example of what happens when The First Tee meets first class.

Contact Eric Peterson about this story at (303) 443-6272 ext. 112 or sports@coloradodaily.com