The First Tee Miami - Dade Amateur Golf Association

In 1981, the Dade Amateur Golf Association (DAGA) began a year-round program of weekly tournaments for Junior Golfers to be played on a variety of the better Dade County golf courses. At the time this was considered one of the most ambitious Junior Golf programs to be undertaken in the entire United States.

Early in 1982, the DAGA officials approached the owners and management of the world famous Doral Golf Resort & Spa with a proposal that a major Junior Golf tournament be staged annually at Doral during the Christmas school break. Junior Golfers from all over the world would be invited to participate on Doral's famed courses, which in addition to the world-wide publicity generated by the event, would ensure significant room sales at the resort during a normally slack period.

Doral management was most receptive to the idea and, as host, agreed to donate the use of as many of its' golf courses as would be required. Initially, the tournament was 36 hole, stroke-play event that drew more than 200 entries, representing 23 states and 6 foreign nations. However, as a result of its' immediate popularity the 1983 tournament was expanded to the present 54-hole, stroke-play format.

The 2001 tournament attracted over 850 entry applications, with 548 young golfers being accepted into the field. In all, 35 states and 30 foreign countries were represented making this one of the world's largest and most prestigious tournaments in all of Junior Golf. The Dade Amateur Golf Association (DAGA) is internationally recognized as one of Junior golf's strongest and most innovative supporters, raising funds to stage its' many organized events through strong community support and various fund-raising activities. Chief among these is the support given by Publix Super Markets, the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, and the Nat Moore Foundation.