The History of Charity Golf: How Tournaments Became a Force for Good

Charity golf tournaments are everywhere today. Nearly every nonprofit, community group, and corporate foundation has hosted one or considered it. But this wasn’t always the case. The marriage of golf and philanthropy has a history worth knowing — because understanding where charity golf came from helps us see where it’s going.

The Early Days

Golf arrived in America in the late 1800s as an exclusive sport for the wealthy. Private clubs were exactly that — private, with membership restricted by class, race, and gender. Charitable giving happened at these clubs, but it was informal: hat-passed collections at club dinners, member-funded scholarships for caddies, and occasional exhibition matches with proceeds going to local causes.

The concept of a structured charity tournament didn’t emerge until the mid-20th century. Celebrity pro-am events in the 1950s and 60s — often tied to entertainment and television — showed that golf events could draw large crowds and generate significant revenue. Bing Crosby’s Clambake, now the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, was one of the first to formalize the connection between golf and charitable giving.

The Boom

By the 1980s and 90s, charity golf had become a staple of nonprofit fundraising across the country. The format was proven: businesses sponsored holes, foursomes paid entry fees, silent auctions added revenue, and the relaxed atmosphere of a golf event made donors more generous than they might be at a black-tie gala. The overhead was manageable, the margins were healthy, and the repeat rate was high — sponsors and players who enjoyed the experience came back year after year.

The PGA Tour’s own charitable giving exploded during this period, with Tour-sanctioned events distributing hundreds of millions of dollars to local nonprofits in host communities. The message was clear: golf was not just a sport. It was a fundraising platform.

The Modern Era

Today, charity golf tournaments raise an estimated $4 billion annually in the United States. The format has evolved — online registration, social media promotion, live-streamed awards ceremonies — but the fundamentals remain the same. People enjoy golf. They enjoy giving. Combining the two in a single day produces results that few other fundraising formats can match.

What has changed is who’s hosting these events. The charity golf space is no longer dominated by large institutions. Community organizations, tribal nations, youth programs, and grassroots nonprofits are all using the format to fund their missions. The barriers to entry have dropped, and the playbook is well-established.

Where It’s Going

The next chapter of charity golf is about inclusion. As organizations like Fore Feathers demonstrate, the sport’s fundraising power is amplified when the events themselves serve the communities they benefit. Our tournaments don’t just raise money for youth and elder golf programs — they are those programs. Participants play alongside the people they’re supporting, creating a direct connection between donor and impact that traditional galas can’t replicate.

The history of charity golf is a story of a sport evolving from exclusion to generosity. We’re proud to be part of the next chapter.

See our upcoming tournaments at /events or contribute to the mission at /donate.

Golf for Good. Drive Change.