PGA Head Professional Jim Lusk and team inspire membership through creative fundraising effort
Denver, NC – When Jim Lusk, PGA, set out to support PGA HOPE, he knew traditional volunteer opportunities wouldn’t fit his schedule as a busy head professional, father of four, and husband to a college basketball coach. So he created his own path – a 108-hole golf marathon that rallied his Verdict Ridge membership and raised nearly $10,000 for veterans.
“I don’t have the type of schedule where I can always get away for a PGA HOPE training and consecutive weeks of programming,” Lusk explained. “So I said, rather than do that, why don’t I help raise money for it?”
On a windy December Monday when the semi-private Charlotte-area club was closed for maintenance, Lusk and three staff members teed it up for six rounds of alternate shot golf. Members had two donation options: a flat $100 pledge or “Let it Ride” – tying their donation to the team’s performance at $1 per bogey, $2 per par, and $4 per birdie.
The response was overwhelming. Eighty-three Verdict Ridge members contributed before the team even stepped onto the first tee, with $6,900 already pledged in flat donations. The “Let it Ride” group – 13 members strong – ended up at $158 per person based on the day’s play.
Playing at a quick pace with scores tracked on Golf Genius, the team completed two rounds in under 60 minutes. “We would play the first hole in about 35 seconds,” Lusk said. “By the time the ball was holed, one of our players wouldn’t have gotten past where his tee ball landed.”
Members followed along remotely and in person, with some driving out in personal carts to watch and deliver refreshments. The quick pace came with strategic rules: if the player putting for bogey missed, that was the last putt of the hole – the team took a double and moved to the next tee.
The day meant even more given that three of Verdict Ridge’s golf staff are military veterans: Mike Crum, Jeff Hill, and Jerry Keathley. “If you’ve ever been around somebody that’s had a previous portion of life in the military, there’s just a different way about them,” Lusk said. “They show up on time, they do what they’re supposed to, and they take a great deal of pride in their work.”
Crum donated $100 of his own money to the cause, telling Lusk, “This is for my brothers.”
Lusk’s connection to military service runs deep. Both of his grandfathers fought in World War II, and his nephew currently serves in the Air Force and loves golf. “This is my way of trying to do something for all those that put it on the line for you and I,” he said.
When Lusk shared the preliminary total with members, several added to their donations to push the campaign to over $10,000. The response was so strong that members are already asking to participate next year, with some suggesting multiple foursomes to raise even more.
“This did not take a ton of work,” Lusk said when asked what message he’d share with other clubs considering similar fundraisers. “It was just one day of playing golf. If we can do this, so many other clubs can too. What’s stopping you from doing it?”
Verdict Ridge plans to make the event annual, targeting the first Monday in December for better weather. “Every club’s going to be different, but even if members all just did 25 bucks, that would be something,” Lusk noted. “If one other club does it, it’s worth it.”
The entire donation will be sent to the PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation, with participating members receiving tax-deductible receipts for their 501(c)(3) contributions.
The PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and philanthropic arm of the Carolinas PGA Section, the largest of the 41 sections in the United States of America. Our Carolinas members across North and South Carolina are committed to serving our communities and growing the game of golf through our three pillars- Youth, Military, and Inclusion.
