Play Golf with a Purpose: How to Get Involved in Local Events
By John Callahan, Keiser University College of Golf Professor – PGA Professional
Why Play Golf?
Years ago, while trying to make my way in the world of competitive golf, I was traveling between two professional golf tournaments one late afternoon. I passed a golf course with a driving range and decided to stop practicing. As I paid for a bucket of range balls, I inquired about a school composition book entitled Why Play Golf on the sales counter in the golf shop.
“My 8th-grade daughter is doing a school project on golf,” the golf shop attendant explained, “if you have a minute, we’re asking customers to please write a couple of sentences.” My first reaction was, “I play because I love to compete.” However, before I wrote that comment, I read what others had written. Here is a sample of their thoughts: I play for the exercise; I play golf because it is a fun game; I play for the variety—conditions are different every day; I have played golf with the same three friends every Saturday for years and getting together with them is the highlight of my week; I play golf because the game presents such a challenge; I play because it’s an activity I can do now and into my old age; I play because golf is a fun activity I can do it with my wife and kids.
Wow! It stuck with me for the first time all the great, although very different, reasons why people play, and also, although not top-of-mind, that I play for many more reasons than the opportunity to compete. So, I couldn’t just write my first notion about competition. I told the golf shop attendant I would practice until dark, stay in a nearby motel, and return in the morning to put my thoughts in the composition book. The following day, after reflecting the night before, I wrote down many reasons why I play, ranging from most important, such as the love of competition, to less important but significant—such as my footsteps in the dew on the first tee of an early morning round, the long shadows across the fairways in the early evening at the end of a long summer day, the sound of a golf ball dropping into the cup—well, you get the picture. I don’t know how that 8th-grade girl did on her project, but I gave her lots of material!
To read more on this subject, read 10 Reasons You Should Start Playing Golf by PGA Professional Bradley Turner, Executive Director, Keiser University, College of Golf. Here is the link: https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/10-reasons-why-you-should-start-playing-golf/
Play Golf with a Purpose: Charity Golf Events
Besides all the reasons for playing golf above, you can combine one or more of them for a higher purpose—to help your favorite charity. For example, touched by circumstances within my family, for several years in the mid-2000s, I had the opportunity to use my love for golf to help the New York Hudson Valley Alzheimer’s Association with their Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Over that period, we netted over $300,000 for Alzheimer’s research and services.
Helping to raise money for a charity is important and genuinely gratifying, but it is only one of the benefits garnered by participating in a golf charity event as a player or volunteer. Not the least of which is that bringing people together for a common cause fosters community spirit and camaraderie.
How to Get Involved in Local Events
Golf charity events are formatted to encourage all skill levels, including beginners, so they are a great way to get involved in local events.
At Keiser University, our founder and Chancellor, Dr. Arthur Keiser, and his wife, Belinda, are known for their significant involvement with Cystic Fibrosis. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website is a good example of how to check the internet for your favorite charity and look for charity golf tournaments in your area. For Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament Outings, go to https://events.cff.org/ and search ‘golf’ for 2025 scheduled events.
I am writing this during the first week of January. Five tournaments are already scheduled: June 2nd in Seattle, WA; June 12th in Rochester, NY; June 28th in Fishers, IN; August 11th in central Ohio; and September 22nd in Golf Canyon, AZ (see the list below).
Keiser University College of Golf students manage an annual charity golf event:
College of Golf Instructor Frank Logabucco’s Tournament Management class holds an annual golf tournament to benefit Cystic Fibrosis. The students manage every aspect of the event. Their duties include forming a tournament committee, selecting a format, making flyers, promoting the event, handling sign-ups, creating a rules sheet, preparing pairing reports, handling check-ins, monitoring the pace of play, staffing the scoreboard, and hosting an awards presentation.
Conclusion:
A purple rose symbolizes Cystic Fibrosis, and ’65 Roses’ is the widely recognized phrase representing the disease, particularly among children who find it easier to say ‘65 Roses’ than ‘Cystic Fibrosis.’ So, with that in mind, I asked an incoming Keiser freshman in the Cinematic Arts Program to create a logo for the College of Golf fundraising event (see below).
The logo also represents synergy among all the Keiser University Flagship Campus programs.
At Keiser University, College of Golf, our mission is to educate future golf leaders by providing a well-rounded education. To learn more about how to follow your golf passion, click this link.
Learn more!
Want more tips? If you want to take your game to the next level, contact our team at Keiser University’s College of Golf & Sport Management today. With our dedication and experience, we can elevate your game to new heights together. Give us a call today at 888-355-4465.
