An investment of $\$ 44,000$ was made by a business club. The investment was split into three parts and lasted for one year. The first part of the investment earned $8 \%$ interest, the second $6 \%$, and the third $9 \%$. Total interest from the investments was $\$ 3600$. The interest from the first investment was 4 times the interest from the second. Find the amounts of the three parts of the investment. The first part of the investment was $\$ \square$.

Step 1 ：Let's denote the amounts of the three parts of the investment as x, y, and z for the first, second, and third parts respectively.

Step 2 ：We know that the total investment is $44,000, so we have the equation \(x + y + z = 44000\).

Step 3 ：The total interest from the investments was $3600, so we have the equation \(0.08x + 0.06y + 0.09z = 3600\).

Step 4 ：The interest from the first investment was 4 times the interest from the second, so we have the equation \(0.08x = 4 * 0.06y\).

Step 5 ：Solving these three equations, we find that \(x = 18000\), \(y = 6000\), and \(z = 20000\).

Step 6 ：So, the first part of the investment was \(\boxed{\$18,000}\).