When it comes to helping others, golf communities are the first to raise their hands—and money
“With great privilege comes great responsibility.” While that quote has been credited to everyone from Winston Churchill to Spiderman, it certainly applies to members of residential golf communities around the country. Based on the evidence, a principal attraction of community living—along with great golf, a host of amenities, and deep friendships—is the chance to put one’s time, energy, and financial resources into helping improve the lives of others.
Everywhere you look—and live—are examples of community residents engaged in charity work on the local, regional, and national levels: To a person, they’ll say that getting involved helps them as much as it helps the recipients. Countless communities offer proof of the old adage that “charity begins at home.” The following four attest to what fulfilling, hands-on involvement is all about.
BOOT RANCH
This sprawling community in the Hill Country of central Texas has been growing steadily since being founded by major champion Hal Sutton in 2006. A second clubhouse is in the works and only a few homesites remain available. Part of that success follows the caring nature of the club, epitomized by its response to the tragic floods that swept through nearby Kerrville last July, washing away a summer camp and taking more than 135 lives.
Many club members went to Kerrville to help clean up. Another member got involved in a different way, helping organize a fundraising dinner and concert with legendary country singer George Strait just a few weeks after the flooding. They raised more than $6 million that went to the Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund to help families with recovery.
“Our goal is to be good stewards and good neighbors in the community,” says General Manager Emil Hale, “and we look for initiatives that drive participation. Many members live here full-time and they are embedded in the nearby communities. They get involved and move the needle in a lot of ways.”
Just as important as contributing money was offering emotional support. Hale and several club members attended the concert. It was restorative to smile and try to heal through togetherness in reaction to so much grief and destruction.
Boot Ranch also helps the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, an education and historical support group in Fredericksburg, the childhood home of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. The club gives over its course to the annual Nimitz Golf Classic each spring, which has raised millions in support of the foundation and the National Museum of the Pacific War, also in Fredericksburg.
According to Hale, some charitable activities are driven by the club, others by individual members. “Either way, it’s a collaborative process. We work together to host events and drive fundraising efforts. Our individuals want to be involved, they want to meet people, and they have the time and the resources to be active. The club acts as a connector, connecting members with non-profits and each other. We take pride in those relationships.”
BALLENISLES
There’s a similarly symbiotic relationship between club and members at BallenIsles in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The BallenIsles Charities Foundation was formed in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit as an umbrella for its many philanthropic activities throughout North Palm Beach County. The foundation operates independently and boasts a nearly 50 percent contribution rate within the community.
“Philanthropy is part of the lifeblood of the people here,” explains foundation President Mark Freeman, a lifelong fundraiser, now in his 80s, who has been with the group since its early days. “We have passionate people helping others, giving back, and living in paradise. We come here later in life and we want to give back. The idea was to have an organization where we can pool our money, have a grants committee, and go out and find the best organizations. We give those organizations financial backing to run programs, not for overhead.”
Last year, the foundation awarded nearly $1.5 million to 59 organizations in the club’s backyard, bringing its grants total to more than $9.7 million since inception. The foundation maintains a website that explains its mission and lists grant recipients as well as financial reports, videos, grant applications, and an annual “Thank You” booklet of corporate and individual donors.
Among the many charities they’ve contributed to are Feed the Hungry Pantry of Palm Beach County, funding three 30-foot refrigerated trucks that help feed thousands of residents each month. They’ve also bought a rescue boat for Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue and donated to Paws 4 Liberty, which screens, trains, and matches service dogs with disabled veterans to help them regain independence. Other recipients in the past range from Boys & Girls Clubs to local Alzheimer’s charities, and funds for local police, sea turtles, and Habitat for Humanity.
“We are run by volunteers, which allows 97 percent of everything collected to go out the door,” says Freeman. “The BallenIsles administration goes out of their way to help us. Their accounting and membership departments do work for us, they give us space to have meetings, and they give us publicity.” The lobby of the clubhouse proudly features a display from the foundation that posts totals, photos, and contact information. The idea is to make it easy to get involved.
DATAW ISLAND
Charities serving veterans receive special attention from the members of Dataw Island near Beaufort, S.C., just north of Hilton Head. Many of the residents are veterans and even those who aren’t can see the impact: 12 percent of the population of surrounding Beaufort County are veterans (throughout South Carolina, it’s about 8.5 percent; across the U.S., slightly more than 6 percent). The community raises more than $80,000 a year for veteran-related causes while also celebrating military service with a week of fundraising and fellowship events.
“It’s amazing to see the streets of Dataw Island usher in our guests with 3,000 flags carefully placed by volunteers,” says Laura Quail, marketing and communications director. “The staff gives generously, too. Former Director of Golf Chris Fearn started a Golf Marathon, which has raised more than $500,000 to help injured service men and women. The torch is carried by staff volunteers, including the club’s general manager, each playing 72 holes in one day for the cause.”
All told, members are involved in more than 100 different charities. A recent survey found that 72 percent of members were “an active volunteer in one or more organizations.”
One that’s close to many hearts is the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center, because, as Quail puts it, “Cancer touches so many. It started 22 years ago with some members seeing a local need for a dedicated cancer pavilion and it blossomed from there.” Residents have been involved from the very beginning, helping get the center going and contributing both their money and time to improve the patient experience.
SOUTHWORTH CLUBS
Most of the six Southworth communities—The Abaco Club (Great Abaco, The Bahamas), Creighton Farms (Aldie, Va.), Machrihanish Dunes (Argyll, Scotland), Meredith Bay (Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H.), Renaissance (Haverhill, Mass.), and Willowbend (Cape Cod, Mass.)—maintain their own philanthropic initiatives, known as “Gives,” as in Renaissance Gives, Willowbend Gives, and so on. Members choose the charities and organize events, and Southworth offers support helping with due diligence, operational logistics, and providing secure ways to handle donations. The company also matches member donations up to $100,000 annually, per property.
“Philanthropy, experience, location, and amenities are the top things that we look at where we can make an impact,” says James Dunn, senior director of member experience, who notes that Southworth has collectively helped raise more than $20 million globally for charitable initiatives. “Philanthropy is one of our values and part of how we operate. It’s about local love and building community in a genuine way. It’s about encouraging the members to get involved.”
Perhaps nothing exhibited member involvement more than the efforts at The Abaco Club after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Abaco Islands in 2019. More than $3 million was raised to help evacuate and house staff members and their families as well as other Abaconians in need of food, shelter, health care, and other critical services. Relief efforts remain ongoing through the Abaco-Winding Bay Relief Fund, which is funded through member donations and provides for scholarships and grants to students, medical assistance, and community outreach programs.
Giving, which strengthens the bonds among members, is so intensely part of what they do that Southworth has already received donations for the philanthropic efforts at a new community that is two years away from being fully developed. As Dunn explains, “We are growing, and philanthropy is a leading factor of integrating ourselves into a place.”
CHARITY DUE DILIGENCE
If you or your community are thinking of getting involved with a charity, do your homework. Organizations such as Charity Navigator, Great Nonprofits, GiveWell, and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance professionally evaluate “good causes”; their websites are especially useful for finding charities and comparing them. When doing your research of a possible recipient of your time and/or money, pay attention to these specific areas:
PURPOSE: Every charity should address a genuine need with messaging connecting how the work being done contributes to the purpose.
LEADERSHIP: Look for leaders who are experienced, responsible, work well with others, and are knowledgeable. A succession plan ensures stability.
OPERATIONS: Resources should be managed appropriately, volunteers should be helpful and well organized, and the staff should enjoy what they do.
FINANCES: Demonstrating fiscal responsibility and total financial transparency helps a charity make a lasting impact and maintain its reputation.
