When Rounds 4 Research launched last summer, we knew its success would depend on the hard work of GCSAA’s affiliated chapters and other organizations dedicated to the cause. Those fundraising partners’ efforts during the pilot launch of the program bodes very well for our first full year in 2013 and beyond.

In just six short months, R4R sold approximately 185 rounds of golf and generated more than $28,000 in funds for turfgrass research.

However, that is is just the beginning. The auction dates are already on the calendar for 2013. The first will be June 6-16 to coincide with the excitement of the U.S. Open, and the second will be Aug. 1-11, just as golfers are turning their attention to the PGA Championship.

We continue to gain additional fundraising partners, including the Indiana GCSA, who is the latest to join us. And, we continue to have donations come in. If you would like to donate, please click on the Donate a Round page.

Keep checking back on rounds4research.com for news, updates on fundraising partners and to see what facilities will be offering rounds to bid on in 2013!

Black Friday is looming, but you can skip the 3 a.m. trip to the mall. Instead, you can shop early for every golfer on your Christmas list. The latest Rounds 4 Research auction, open Nov. 12-26, will feature more than 60 courses in 12 different states. Among the rounds up for auction will be at Laurel Oak Country Club, Sarasota, Fla.; LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, Naples, Fla.; The Standard Club, Duluth, Ga.; Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Conn.; and The Glacier Club, Durango, Colo.

As 2012 winds down, the program is just revving up. Already, bidders have purchased nearly 100 rounds of golf through Bidding for Good. The final auction of the 2012 calendar year will be Dec. 3-17. In addition, our list of fundraising partners continues to grow and additional rounds are donated weekly.

If you would like to donate a round, please visit the Donate a Round page. It’s an easy way for you to be a part of the future of the game and help raise funds for turfgrass research.

Now is the time to decide who your best friends really are. After you score a great deal in the latest Rounds 4 Research auction, you’ll have to make the important choice of who else will be part of your foursome. Starting today at noon (Central) Oct. 22 and continuing through Nov. 5, you’ll have you choice of more than 60 courses for your golfing adventure.

The first auction was a big success, and we appreciate everyone who purchased a round or placed bids in our inaugural auction outing. We have even more in store through the end of the year. In this auction alone, you have the chance to bid on rounds at outstanding facilities like East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, home of the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola; Hacienda Golf Club, California; Secession Golf Club South Carolina; and The Golf Club of Georgia. Plus, two more auctions will take place Nov. 12-26 and Dec. 3-17.

Learn more about Rounds 4 Research and how the program continues to grow »

Thanks to everyone who helped ensure the future of golf by purchasing rounds in the first Rounds 4 Research auction earlier this month.

If you were outbid on your favorite course, don’t worry, the next set of rounds will be available to bid on Oct. 22-Nov. 5. Take a look at the auction preview, which showcases the more than 60 courses with rounds up for bids. And don’t forget, every round you buy not only gives you the chance to play the game you love, but also raises funds for turfgrass research.

Beginning today at noon (Central), you now have access to hundreds of golf courses through online auctions of golf rounds thanks to Rounds 4 Research and the Toro Co.

Accessible through the high-popular online auction site biddingforgood.com, the first auction period will be Oct. 1 – 15, featuring nearly 70 courses in nine different states. Among the rounds up for auction will be at Pine Needles Lodge, Mid Pines, N.C.; TPC Sugarloaf, Atlanta, Ga.; and East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.

Subsequent auctions will be conducted Oct. 22 – Nov. 5, Nov. 12 – 26, and Dec. 3 – 17. At present, 250 rounds, defined as a foursome, are up for auction. Additional rounds are being secured, likely to drive that number considerably higher.

Funds generated by the auctions will be returned to the participating GCSAA-affiliated chapters for research-based activities including applied agronomic research, education, advocacy and scholarships. As the program’s presenting partner, Toro will collaborate on the initiative through a direct contribution to EIFG’s cooperative research efforts.  Toro has been a long-term partner of the EIFG, supporting innovative programs such as GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile Project.

Before you start bidding on Monday, you can take a look at which courses will be a part of the first Rounds 4 Research action that will take place Oct. 1-15.

The auction preview lets you see details on the more than 60 offerings in the first in a series of 4 auctions that will take place through December. If you have ever dreamed of playing at some of the country’s premier courses, then this first auction is for you. Place your bid on rounds on courses such as Pine Needles Lodge, Mid Pines, N.C.; TPC Sugarloaf, Atlanta; and East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, home of the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola.

Before you bid, check out the terms and conditions of the auction, and happy bidding.

Support for Rounds 4 Research continues to grow. With the 13 new additions, the total number of fundraising partners is now 30 organizations. In the last month, the following groups signed on to be R4R fundraising partners:

• California Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of Central California
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of Southern California
• Gulf Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Hi-Lo Desert Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Miami Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Northwest Ohio Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Oregon Turfgrass Foundation
• San Diego Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Seven Rivers Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Suncoast Golf Course Superintendents Association
• South Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association

For the latest news on R4R, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Get ready to get great deals on great golf when the first Rounds 4 Research auction will be held from Oct.1 to Oct. 15. Then a series of additional auctions will continue through the fall, with new courses added each time. The first auction will feature facilities throughout the country.  The opportunities abound for the chance to play at facility that meets your skill level and budget. But whether you choose to bid on courses that have challenged the greatest players in golf like Eastlake GC or whether you just want a great deal on a local gem, you are supporting the future of the game by funding turfgrass research programs.

Check back for more information about the rounds that will be up for bid on Oct. 1. For a complete list of courses that have donated to Rounds 4 Research to date, check the Donors page. Check back periodically as new rounds are being added weekly.

The auctions will take place on www.BiddingforGood.com. More information about the bidding process will be available soon.

It has been only a month since the enrollment phase of Rounds 4 Research began, but GCSAA-affiliated chapters and other organizations are already signing up and working to raise money for local research. So far, 17 groups have signed their participation pledges. The organizations run the gambit from GCSAA’s largest chapter to one of its oldest, and from Florida to the California, which means golf enthusiasts from coast to coast will have great opportunities to support research while playing the game they love. The fundraising partners as of Aug. 17, include:

• California Turfgrass and Landscape Foundation
• Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Everglades Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Florida West Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents
• North Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association
• North Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Palm Beach Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Rio Grande Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Texas Gulf Coast Superintendents Association
• Treasure Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association
• Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association

For the latest update on who has joined our efforts, visit the “Fundraising Partners” page.

The partners have already solicited donations from more than 50 golf courses in 12 different states. That number is expected to grow even more by the time the first online auctions for donations take place later this fall.

GCSAA-affiliated chapters and turf organizations are one step closer to having a platform to raise funds for research-based activities through the Rounds 4 Research program.

A guide to the program and pledge forms have been sent to chapter presidents and executives to start the chapter enrollment process. To participate in the program, chapters need only to return the pledge form indicating the years they plan to participate and an estimate of the number of rounds they plan to secure. Once they’re enrolled in the program, chapters will receive additional materials to support their activation efforts.

Participating organizations will receive a minimum of 80 percent of the proceeds from each donation, with the EIFG retaining 20 percent. The EIFG’s share will help offset administrative costs. Chapters are required to invest funds that support the research-based purposes of the EIFG, including the advancement of education and research in the field of turfgrass improvement and management, the collection and dissemination of information, environmental protection, and the promotion of public awareness and safety.

“GCSAA members are well-aware of the importance of research and that funding for it has decreased in recent years,” GCSAA President Sandy Queen, CGCS, said. “Rounds 4 Research is a proven mechanism for facilities and golfers to invest in the game that provides communities significant environmental, economic and recreational benefits. I strongly encourage GCSAA chapters and our shared members to support this program.”

For more information about Rounds 4 Research, contact Mark Johnson, senior manager of environmental programs, at 800-472-7878, ext. 5161, or see the news release announcing the expanded Rounds 4 Research program.