By: Fred Altvater
If you are one of the 12 million golfers that participated in a charity golf outing, you helped raise a total of $3.9 Billion for donation to thousands of charitable organizations across the country.
Everyone is aware of the $2.4 billion the PGA Tour has raised through its tournaments, since 1938. The 2016 Players Championship alone raised a total contribution of $8.5 million.
The LPGA Tour also creates needed dollars for the communities it visits. In Toledo, the 2017 Marathon Classic distributed $523,000 to 23 area children’s charities.
Together the PGA and LPGA Tours generate over $200 million of the $3.9 billion annually given to charities through golf related events.
Where does the other $3.7 billion come from?
Average golfers participating in every conceivable size and type of golf outing or event make up the difference. Every year more than 12 million participants take part in 143,000 golf events at over 12,700 courses in the United States, and on average each event raises $26,400.
With approximately 20 million golfers in the U.S, over 50% of golfers in the country account for the $3.7 billion of charitable contributions.
If you participated in a golf outing or benefit in 2016 at your local golf course, give yourself a BIG
“ATTA BOY! You DUN Real Good!”
The numbers are Astounding!
Golf annually donates more through its charitable activities than Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball League combined.
Although golf is portrayed as an elitist sport, which limits the ability of less fortunate Americans to participate in the sport. I would argue that Americans with disposable income that play in charitable golf outings, contribute more than their fair share and support their communities.
The gigantic amount, of charitable dollars generated through golf, is unprecedented. The mass media does not address this single fact nearly enough and is missing a great story.
