Billed as the world’s largest one-day charity golf and dining event, the ClubCorp Charity Classic raises more than $1.6 million for several good causes while celebrating 50 years of pride in belonging.
It was a day of fun, to be sure. There were golf and tennis tournaments, lots of food and live music, auctions and parties. But mostly it was a chance for ClubCorp’s more than 150 private clubs to come together to give back to communities across the country by supporting several charitable causes. On Oct. 19, many of these clubs opened their doors to the public (for the first time in the company’s 50-year history) for the ClubCorp Charity Classic, the world’s largest one-day charity golf and dining event. Although some clubs had to hold their events on different days, the clubs united in spirit. The charitable organizations — Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Augie’s Quest, The PGA Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and ClubCorp’s Employee Partners Care Foundation — may have been the recipients of the more than $1.6 million raised over the course of the events, but the more than 10,500 members and guests who participated received their own rewards — good will, a new tradition, and one heck of a good time. Here are just a few highlights from the ClubCorp Charity Classic.
OASIS IN THE DESERT. The three clubs in California’s Coachella Valley joined forces for a tag-team event — golf at Mission Hills, a culinary Taste of the Valley event at Indian Wells, and a winemakers dinner at Desert Falls — to raise $116,300. BACK IN TIME. In recognition of ClubCorp’s 50th anniversary, members and guests at Chicago’s Metropolitan Club recreated the 1950s for its dining event, complete with red carpet, big band music, and Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin look-alikes. Several clubs featured ’50s throwbacks Bananas Foster and Robert’s Rum Punch (named for ClubCorp founder Robert H. Dedman) on their menus. BULL’S-EYE! It was raining tennis balls at Gleneagles in Texas, when more than 450 of them were dropped from a helicopter hovering over the tennis courts. Members and guests paid $10 each to have their name written on a ball. The 10 that came to rest closest to the center of a 6-foot bull’s-eye on the court surface received prizes and $10 worth of “brownie bucks” to be used in the tennis shop. CELEBRITY CONNECTION. California, naturally, was a hub for high-profile participants. At Coto de Caza, where a total of $135,000 was raised, PGA Tour player Paul Goydos provided a golf clinic, Anaheim Ducks’ Teemu Selanne played golf and donated his NHL hockey stick for auction (snapped up for $4,000), and guest of honor Augie Nieto, the inspiration for MDA’s Augie’s Quest (which seeks a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease), brought the day into perspective with a moving speech. Making the rounds at Braemar, where a Scottish bagpiper set the tone of golf’s rich heritage, actress/artist Elke Sommer brought a touch of glamour to the event. BEHIND THE MASK. Black ties, gowns, and masks (of course) were the desired attire for a masquerade ball, dinner, and auction at Seattle’s Columbia Tower Club. A total of $32,000 was raised. FIRED UP. Members and guests at Ohio’s Firestone came out in full force, selling out the tournament field with 273 golfers and raising $47,700. TOP BIDS. Many clubs included live and silent auctions as part of their festivities, but it was the companywide online auction that attracted the largest bids. Top draw was $7,100 for a one-week stay at a $3 million home on the Mission Hills golf course, including several days of complimentary golf, lessons, and spa treatments. The real steal was a 2008 U.S. Open package, valued at $11,900, which went for $5,600. CREATIVE THINKING. Employee partners in Houston found unique ways to help the cause. Six Hearthstone staffers played 101 holes of golf in one day with members sponsoring them for anything from a quarter to $5 per hole, while members sponsored an employee at Houston City Club in a bench press competition of his own body weight, donating $1-$10 per repetition.
Photography by: Frank Dorosy and Steve Alfano of Quad/Photo, Robin Kelley, and numerous ClubCorp employee partners.