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Youth on Course is one of junior golf's great organizations. It helps reduce barriers to entry for kids by working with thousands of golf courses to offer young golfers the opportunity to play a round for $5 or less. Youth on Course is supported by donations (including the opportunity to round up the change from your next round booked through GolfNow) and its modest membership fees, which average $30 per year.
In addition to low-cost rounds of golf, Youth on Course also provides scholarship opportunities for members who are applying to college. They have facilitated more than $3 million in scholarships since the program's inception in 2008. They also run a series of 100 Hole Hike golf events, where participants raise money in support of their playing 100 holes of golf in a single day. GolfPass' Jason Deegan and Drake Dunaway have both hiked 100 holes to support Youth on Course.
One centerpiece event of Youth on Course's calendar is their annual online auction, where generous benefactors donate rounds of golf and other experiences for bid, with proceeds going back to the organization. The 2024 edition of the auction raised more than $640,000 across 108 items, subsidizing more than 91,000 rounds of golf for Youth on Course members.
The 2025 edition of the auction runs from the morning of Sunday, November 9 through 11:00 pm ET Wednesday, November 12.
Here are eight notable items - rounds of golf and a few other special experiences - you ought to seriously consider bidding on:
A day of golf for 4 at America's greatest modern course
Opened in 1994, Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw's incredible Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Neb. helped kick-start the ongoing wave of classically-inspired golf course design. The club is difficult to access for non-members, making this auction item particularly valuable for those with a sense of adventure. It includes 36 holes of golf for four in a single day in the summer of 2025, with lunch at Sand Hills' Ben's Porch restaurant in between rounds.
Bid as of this writing: $15,500
A round at Crystal Downs Country Club
Alister MacKenzie bestowed his genius on only a handful of American golf courses, and Crystal Downs is one of his best - and one of the toughest to access. This item would make a bucket-list add-on to a memorable trip to northern Michigan.
Golf at an all-time-great C.B. Macdonald masterpiece
One of the most sought-after courses in the Hamptons, one of the world's most esteemed areas for golf, the National Golf Links of America is as good as it gets for history and architecture aficionados. This item includes golf for a foursome in the fall of 2026.
Stay and play at one of the world's most mysterious courses
The Institute, located in Silicon Valley, is one of the illustrious members of our list of courses you'll never play. Unless, of course, you bid on this item with two of your buddies. This item also includes golf on The Institute's new 9-hole short course, lunch, dinner and overnight accommodations
Golf and lodging at one of Europe's most exclusive clubs
France is home to some of continental Europe's greatest courses, including the two at Les Bordes, which is offering a weekend of golf at the exclusive club's Old and New courses, plus accommodations and F&B. This all-out experience could be ones foursome's favorite golf memory.
Three rounds at some of Arizona's greatest private golf clubs
The Phoenix/Scottsdale area is a great travel destination, but its private club scene might be even better. This opportunity samples it, unlocking access for a threesome to Desert Forest Golf Club, Superstition Mountain Golf Club and Silverleaf Golf Club.
A year membership to the Dormie Network
This popular and growing family of destination private clubs includes Ballyhack Golf Club in Virginia, Hidden Creek Golf Club in New Jersey, ArborLinks in Nebraska and its namesake Dormie Club in Pinehurst, N.C. This item includes initiation fee, network dues and all golf and cart fees at any of the six courses in the network for the winning bidder, significant other and any children under 23 living with the winner.
Your voicemail message, courtesy of Jim Nantz
Ever wanted your mom and dad to hear "Hello, friends!" when they call to check in on you? Now's your chance to have people actually expect you not to pick up when they call.
Dinner at The French Laundry in Napa, Calif.
One of the world's top restaurants is led by world-renowned chef and avid golfer Thomas Keller. Dinner for four here should be unforgettable. Generous golfers have got to eat, right?
Dozens more items are available for bid. Click here to visit Youth on Course's 2025 auction and peruse the full slate of available items.
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