Rounds4Research.com Rocks

The third annual Rounds4Research.com auction recorded another ace.

It recently was announced that more than $80,000 was raised to help fund an array of projects including weed management and water conservation in the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia. That brings the three-year total to approximately $250,000.

"Golf is in the order of a $12 billion economic driver in the four participating states," said John Davis, president of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association. "Investing in the continued health and vitality of our courses is critical to maintaining that economic activity."

The Carolinas GCSA introduced Rounds4Research.com in part to reduce stress on turfgrass researchers who felt the economic pinch in recent years. The idea comes from Tim Kreger, Carolinas GCSA executive director, who got the auction idea from something he saw during his days working as a fundraiser for junior golf programs in South Carolina. He sought a way for the end user, the golfer, to be meshed with turf research. The auction benefits turf research programs at universities such as Clemson and North Carolina State.

"The economy has forced every state to cut back, but we can't afford to lose some of the brilliant people we have in our research departments," Davis said. "People might think it's only one or two jobs here or there that would be cut, but the impact of those  losses would be felt far and wide. It would take only one bad disease outbreak in the middle of the golf season to hurt all kinds of businesses from golf to hotels and restaurants, and so on down the line."

Rounds4Research.com features an auction in which golfers bid on the opportunity to play some spectacular courses, such as Kiawah Island Golf Resort and Sage Valley Golf Club in South Carolina. The successful bids ranged from more than $2,000 to $15 for tee times for foursomes. The golf facilities donated the foursome package for auction, and successful bidders could arrange a tee time of their choice. The high bid was $2,100 to play Sage Valley, according to Kreger. A total of 3,964 unique visitors from 19 different countries checked out the web site during auction week, which concluded April 17.

Kreger credited the board of directors, including superintendents, course owners, club managers and golf professionals, for securing golf courses and tee times to help make all of this possible. Next year's event might even be bigger.

"Several other (golf course superintendents association) chapters want to get involved," Kreger said. 

 

Comments

[Jake Sartar]

Is this held every year? Nice cause.