Business Member Profile

To teach sun protection strategies to the golf community and to provide them with opportunities for the early detection of skin cancer. Our goal is to help golfers enjoy a lifetime of healthy golf.

What We Do:

The Sun SafeTee Program provides sun protection education and skin cancer awareness programs specifically for the golf community. We give educational seminars, distribute sunscreen samples and published literature, provide informational hand-outs for tournament attendees, deliver power point presentations and conduct one to one consultations concerning the effects of over exposure to the sun. By educating individuals on how to protect themselves (and their loved ones) from blistering sunburns, dehydration, and permanently damaging their skin, we help people reduce the risks that can lead to morbidity and mortality.

Products and Services

The Sun SafeTee Program was formed as a result of the increasing rate of skin cancer among the general public. This year over 1,000,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with skin cancer. Approximately 12,000 people will die from the disease. Our goal is to reverse this trend. Since golf is a sport that is not only played outdoors, but often played during the peak of sun intensity, a disproportionate number of golfers are susceptible to sun damage and potentially to skin cancer. Clearly there is a need to provide sun protection education, skin cancer screening services and sunsafe products to the golf community.

In the U.S. over one million cases of skin cancer (basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma) will be diagnosed in 2010. The average American has a 1 in 5 chance of developing skin cancer in their lifetime. Golfers have a higher risk of developing skin cancer than the general population due to the excessive amounts of time they spend in the sun.

The Sun SafeTee ® Program provides sun protection education and skin cancer awareness programs specifically for the golf community. We give educational seminars, distribute sunscreen samples and published literature, provide informational hand-outs for tournament attendees, deliver power point presentations and conduct one to one consultations concerning the effects of over exposure to the sun. By educating individuals on how to protect themselves (and their loved ones) from blistering sunburns, dehydration, and permanently damaging their skin, we help people reduce the risks that can lead to morbidity and mortality.

The Sun SafeTee ® Program has been well received. We have worked with: The San Diego Junior Golf Association (SDJGA) invites us to distribute sun protection education materials at their tournaments. The Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, we provide sun protection education materials to over 1,000 junior golfers from around the globe. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has invited us to do seminars for them . The Southern California Golf Association (SCGA). The SCGA has 160,000 members and at their invitation we did a Sun SafeTee ® presentation at The Tiger Woods Learning Center. Golf Fitness Magazine has published a feature article on us. FORE, The Official Magazine of The Southern California Golf Association has written about our organization. Southland Golf Magazine has written a feature article on our work. Legendary Teaching Professional Jim Hardy, a “PGA Teacher of The Year”, has endorsed The Sun SafeTee ® Program. Sun SafeTee ® Board member Curt Littler MD, is the son of PGA Tour player and U.S. Open Champion Gene Littler. The Golf Coaches Association (GCAA) has agreed to provide Sun SafeTee ® information to their 700 Men’s Collegiate Golf Programs.

The Sun SafeTee ® Program has been featured in Golf Fitness Magazine, Southland Golf Magazine, FORE (The official magazine of the SCGA) and The Program (The PGA Section Magazine).

Key personnel

• Mark Wishner - President

History

The Sun SafeTee Program was started by Mark Wishner, an avid golfer, who himself had skin cancer. He noticed that there was a lack of resources available to golfers about the dangerous effects of the sun. Mark now devotes his time to educating the golf community on the importance of protecting themselves from the sun's UV rays.