Youth on Course is one of junior golf's great organizations. It helps reduce barriers to entry for kids by working with thousands of golf courses to offer young golfers the opportunity to play a round for $5 or less. Youth on Course is supported by donations (including the opportunity to round up the change from your next round booked through GolfNow) and its modest membership fees, which average $30 per year.
In addition to low-cost rounds of golf, Youth on Course also provides scholarship opportunities for members who are applying to college. They have facilitated more than $3 million in scholarships since the program's inception in 2008. They also run a series of 100 Hole Hike golf events, where participants raise money in support of their playing 100 holes of golf in a single day. GolfPass' Jason Deegan and Drake Dunaway have both hiked 100 holes to support Youth on Course.
One centerpiece event of Youth on Course's calendar is their annual online auction, where generous benefactors donate rounds of golf and other experiences for bid, with proceeds going back to the organization. The 2023 edition of the auction raised more than $640,000 across 88 items, nearly doubling its 2022 total and subsidizing more than 92,000 subsidized rounds of golf for Youth on Course members.
The 2024 edition of the auction runs from the morning of Sunday, November 10 through 11:00 pm ET Wednesday, November 13.
Here are eight notable items - rounds of golf and a few other special experiences - you ought to seriously consider bidding on:
A day of golf for 4 at America's greatest modern course
Opened in 1994, Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw's incredible Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Neb. helped kickstart the ongoing wave of classically-inspired golf course design. The club is difficult to access for non-members, making this auction item particularly valuable for those with a sense of adventure. It includes 36 holes of golf for four in a single day in the summer of 2024, with lunch at Sand Hills' Ben's Porch restaurant in between rounds.
A round at Crystal Downs Country Club
Alister MacKenzie bestowed his genius on only a handful of American golf courses, and Crystal Downs is one of his best - and one of the toughest to access. This item would make a bucket-list add-on to a memorable trip to northern Michigan.
'Almost Impossible' golf trip
This batch of rounds at three California courses includes CordeValle Golf Club, Pasatiempo and The Institute, which is one of the illustrious members of our list of courses you'll never play. Unless, of course, you bid on this item with two of your buddies.
Golf and lodging at one of Europe's most exclusive clubs
Another of the hardest-to-access courses in the world is Vidauban in Provence, France. The Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design is one of the most beautiful on the continent. This all-out experience includes two rounds for four players each and a night on property.
A round at one of America's greatest private golf communities
Martis Camp Club near Lake Tahoe continues to rise up the ranks in California golf. It recently wowed GolfPass managing editor Jason Scott Deegan, too. This item includes golf at the Tom Fazio-designed course and lunch for four.
A year membership to the Dormie Network
This popular and growing family of destination private clubs includes Ballyhack Golf Club in Virginia, Hidden Creek Golf Club in New Jersey, ArborLinks in Nebraska and its namesake Dormie Club in Pinehurst, N.C. This item includes initiation fee, network dues and all golf and cart fees at any of the six courses in the network for the winning bidder, significant other and any children under 23 living with the winner.
Tickets to the 2025 Ryder Cup
If you want to support Team USA at Bethpage Black while supporting a great cause, bid on this pair of tickets (with food included) to Sunday's Singles session.
Dinner at The French Laundry in Napa, Calif.
One of the world's top restaurants is led by world-renowned chef and avid golfer Thomas Keller. Dinner for four here should be unforgettable. Generous golfers have got to eat, right?
Dozens more items are available for bid. Click here to visit Youth on Course's 2024 auction and peruse the full slate of available items.
