Houston Chef Don Bowie is taking his talents from the kitchen to the course with the launch of “The Taste of Houston Open”, a golf tournament that is bringing celebrities and competitive players to Houston on April 6, 2024, to compete for cash prizes in support of Houston youth!
The tournament is part of “The Taste of Houston Charity Golf Weekend,” an exciting two-day golf event and competitive tournament that aims to empower local youth through the game of golf by raising funds and awareness for First Tee–Greater Houston and Little Birdies Mobile Golf Academy!
The Taste of Houston Charity Golf Weekend will take place April 5-6, 2024, on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston, located at 5860 Wilson Rd, in Humble, Texas.
The inaugural event, spearheaded by Chef Don Bowie of Taste Kitchen + Bar and the nonprofit Big Chef Bowie Cares, will bring celebrities, recreational, and competitive golfers together to benefit the Greater Houston Chapter of First Tee, a renown nonprofit that makes golf more accessible to youth and teaches young people life skills and character development while learning to play the game, and Little Birdies Mobile Golf Academy, a mobile golf academy that introduces the game of Golf to inner-city kids through character, education, and STEM lessons.
The weekend activities kick off on Friday, April 5, with a fun charitable afternoon of golf. The 18-hole team outing promises an exceptional golfing experience and the opportunity to support Houston youth through First Tee and Little Birdies’ life-changing programs. The event starts with check-in at 12:00pm, followed by a Shotgun Start at 1:30pm. The registration fee for the charity golf event is $1,000 per foursome and includes greens fees, cart, range balls, lunch and an Awards Ceremony and 19th Hole Networking Mixer for all participants!
The highlight of the weekend comes on Saturday, April 6, with the first-ever “Taste of Houston Open” Golf Tournament. Athletes, celebrities, influential personalities, and golfers will be competing in an 18-hole contest for nearly $5,000 in cash prizes and bragging rights, while giving Houston kids and teens the opportunity to grow and thrive through the game of golf! The day begins with check-in and breakfast at 6:30am, with a Shotgun Start at 9:00am, and lunch at 12pm. Registration is $250 per player and includes tournament entry, greens fees, cart, range balls, breakfast, and an Awards Luncheon and Mixer with cash prizes for winning teams and individual golfers immediately following the tournament.
Registration for The Taste of Houston Chairty Golf Weekend events are available exclusively online at www.tasteofhouston.golf. No on-site registration will be available either day of the event.
“We’re thrilled to bring golfers, celebrities, and the community together for a weekend of golf and goodwill to help young people in Houston learn and grow with the game,” said Chef Don Bowie, founder of Big Chef Bowie Cares. “The work that First Tee and Little Birdies do for kids and teens goes way beyond the game and we invite golfers and enthusiasts of every skill level to join us on the course for an exceptional weekend of golf for a great cause.”
Each year, First Tee reaches 3.4 million kids through chapters like First Tee-Greater Houston. Their programs not only provide an introduction to junior golf and skill development for 7–18-year-olds, but they also create a safe, supportive, and empowering environment to help young people develop inner strengths they’ll carry with them everywhere – whether that’s in the classroom, in social situations, or any other field, court, or course they play on.
Little Birdies Mobile Golf Academy is an innovative new program that introduces kids from Pre-K – 12th Grade to the game of golf through a fun, educational curriculum that combines golf, character education and STEM lessons. The program is mobile, travelling to schools, churches, or any safe environment, to bring the game of golf, its positive life lessons, and of the equipment and supplies necessary to inner-city kids.
Big Chef Bowie Cares is hoping to raise $40,000 to benefit First Tee- Greater Houston and Little Birdies Mobile Golf Academy with the inaugural Taste of Houston Charity Golf Weekend. Sponsorship opportunities are available for as little as $200 to make a difference in the lives of Houston kids and teens through golf and the wonderful principles and values it instills.
For more information, registration, and sponsorship opportunities, or to donate to The Taste of Houston Chairty Golf Weekend, visit www.tasteofhouston.golf.
For media inquiries, please contact Sherrie Handrinos at [email protected] or 734-341-6859.
Houston native and restaurateur, Chef Don Bowie, the visionary behind Taste Kitchen + Bar and Sugar Frk Dessert Bar, established the nonprofit Big Chef Bowie Cares in 2022, as the charitable arm of his growing hospitality group, Culinary Matters. The community-based nonprofit supports education initiatives, hunger aid, disaster relief, and second chance citizens.
Over the past two years, Big Chef Bowie Cares has built meaningful partnerships with notable organizations such as Kids Meals Houston, The City of Houston’s Thanksgiving Feast, US Marines Toys for Tots, and the Houston First Organization, among others. Together, they have worked to provide meals and resources to countless families in the Houston area facing food insecurity and other challenges.
