The wildly popular Tin Whistles-First Tee Junior Golf Tour Series will open its fourth season June 21-22, and indications point to a record year of participation, according to officials.

Foxfire Resort and Country Club will host the first event, which is open to boys and girls ages 8-18 who have not yet graduated from high school.

Other events on the calendar are at Seven Lakes Country Club June 29-30; Pinehurst No. 6 July 12-13; Mid Pines Golf Club July 27-28; the Country Club of Whispering Pines Aug. 2-3; and Pinewild Country Club Aug. 15-16.

According to series director Bob Hepner, of the Tin Whistles, the mission of the tour is to provide young golfers with the opportunity to “take the next step” toward becoming accomplished tournament players while displaying the inherent core values of The First Tee and respect for the game as exemplified by the Tin Whistles Club.

Each of the six events is scheduled for 36 holes, and the fields will be limited to 60 players. Entrants who are 11 years of age and younger will play nine holes each day, and players 12 and older will play 18 holes daily. Players will be flighted by age and gender, depending on the size of the field.

Golfers pay a one-time $20 tour membership fee, and the entry fee for individual events is $30 for those playing 18 holes daily and $15 for those playing nine holes.

For information, visit the website at www.TWFTJRTOUR.com.

A unique feature of the TW-First Tee Series is the race for the Tour Championship. Designed much like the PGA Tour’s Fed-Ex Cup competition, players will be awarded points based on their order of finish in each event. The player with the most points will be declared tour champion and will have his or her name inscribed on the Tour Championship trophy, which resides in the Tin Whistles display at the Tufts Archives section of the Givens Memorial Library in Pinehurst.

The champion and his or her family will be invited to attend the Tin Whistles’ annual Christmas gala at which a replica trophy will be presented to the winner.

The First Tee of the Sandhills is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization formed in 2003 as a chapter of the National First Tee program. “The primary mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf,” Hepner said.

More than 3,000 young people have participated in The First Tee program since 2003.

The Tin Whistles, founded in 1904 and based in Pinehurst, is the oldest men’s golfing fraternity in the country. The 300-member organization promotes the traditions and standards of good fellowship through golf.

Contact Howard Ward at howardward@att.net.