As the Rounds 4 Research (R4R) auction concluded, I was amazed at the scope and undertaking of the project.

Working with the chapter outreach team for years, our focus had been to promote the event, work with facilities to donate rounds and then do our best to network with avid, influential golfers and get them to bid on the exceptional items we had for purchase.

This year, our team, along with the finance and member solutions department, were assigned a more direct role with the program. It was a tall task. Kudos to the work Mischia Wright, our GCSAA Foundation director, has done throughout the years with R4R surpassing the $3 million mark in earnings.

R4R is a great program benefiting the industry. The funds earned go back directly to improve the game of golf — most of the funds return to local chapters to support needed programs.

A Team Effort

The focus quickly became to hit our indicators of rounds donated, active bidders and funds received.

This success begins at the chapter level. Having built strong relationships with members, our chapter leaders and executives do an excellent job working with facilities to solicit rounds. 1,731 rounds were donated this year, surpassing our goal of 1,625. This is an increase over the 1,529 rounds received in 2023.

Through a team effort, we hit a record of over $679,000 in winning bids in the primary auction, exceeding our 2024 goal of $570,000 and surpassing $525,000 in earnings from 2023. We will continue to process numbers from the secondary auction. 

What happens once a round is received?

This is where the hard work begins. Our FMS team, led by Joey Blackburn, works to process rounds and enter them into our auction platform as soon as possible. There were stretches we were receiving over 70 rounds per day. Joey and his team worked diligently to have the rounds entered as close to real-time as possible. All rounds received on Friday prior to the close of the primary auction Sunday, April 28, were entered and had the opportunity for bids.

During this time, the chapter outreach team served as the point of contact to get rounds printed/produced for FMS, answer questions and requests quickly and communicate with winning bidders eager to receive the certificates for the winning bid.

Our marketing team utilized new tools and technologies to reach out to potential donors and bidders. We had an increased presence on the Golf Channel, targeting golfers directly. Their role was vital!

A big thank you!

I would like to personally thank everyone who participated in making this year a record-breaking success.

GCSAA’s Rounds 4 Research Task Group took an active role, with members working hard to get donations of rounds and leading a webinar to educate and encourage chapters to participate.

Our facilities and chapter leaders also deserve credit — a grassroots campaign to solicit rounds is essential to the program's success.

As we wrap up 2024’s Rounds 4 Research, be aware we are already looking to 2025 to continue the success and to streamline operations. Your assistance is vital to giving back to the game we enjoy.

As always, please reach out with any questions.