A: When a member scores an eagle, he/she reports it to the Pro Shop or First Tee…much like a Hole-in-One. Accounting is notified and, like the Hole-in-One software, each member’s bill is automatically billed.

The club accumulates the collections from eagles through the golf season and remits funds collected to EFC on a monthly basis via ACH. At the end of the year, the club’s EFC committee determines how the cumulative total raised is to be distributed among charity applicants.

A: Typically, the Ambassador for each club invites fellow members that show an interest, passion, and excitement about the program. It is suggested that the committee consist of men and women representing a cross section of membership. Typically, committee size is 3-8 people, and it is recommended that the committee be an odd number in size…for voting purposes. Optionally, some clubs may choose to include an employee of the club if there are individuals that are interested in participating.

A: 100% of all funds collected for “Eagles” scored on the course will be donated to children’s charities of the club’s choosing. The cost of operating and administering the program is absorbed by private donations so there will be NO diversion of the funds raised at each club to cover administrative expenses.

A: Typically, it will be limited to members and their immediate families only. That said, each club has the latitude to define which eagles are counted.

A: No, “Eagles” must be scored at the member’s home club. The exception to this is when a club may have their course under renovation or closed for a period of time due to extraordinary circumstances. In such instances, clubs have adopted an “Eagles Everywhere” program … the program continues and it is entertaining to see where the eagles come from.

A: Funds raised each golf season will be given to a number of charities in each club’s community that serve the needs of disadvantaged children that will be selected by each club. Starting July 1st (for midwestern clubs) of each year, applications will be available for any local children’s charity to apply for the proceeds collected through the program.

The Eagles for Children Committee at each club evaluates grant requests, vets each charity making a request, and determines how the available funds are allocated among requests.

A: The members account will be charged each month based on the number of eagles scored. This will appear on their normal monthly bill. As an alternative, there are some members who choose to have a single ‘season charge’ for the program. Our member clubs have latitude in establishing what works best for their club and their members.

A: No, but when a club joins as a member of EFC, it is done on an OPT-OUT basis. This means that all members are automatically part of the program based on each individual club’s established minimum. If a member does NOT want to be involved in EFC, they simply notify the accounting department and OPT-OUT—they will not be billed.

While opt-outs are rare, as the program evolves at clubs, it is more common for members to elect to pledge more than the minimum prescribed by their club. Many opt to become part of the GOLDEN EAGLE program—for anyone pledging $5/more per eagle. It is also common for pledges to reach the $10, $20, $50 per eagle level. Going into 2024, there are also 10 ‘Platinum’ level participants with a pledge of $100/Eagle!

A: Gross Eagles, although some higher handicappers have suggested “Birdies for Boys and Girls” as a subsidiary to our program!

A: This question is always important in the inaugural year of a club’s participation. It is not a metric that is typically tracked.

The number of eagles scored will be a function of the number of holes at each club, the number of rounds played, the relative difficulty of the course(s), and the general skill level of membership. That said, historically we have learned that a club can expect 30-50 Eagles per each 18 holes during the golf season.

Since it is an unknown in first year, the common practice is to limit the number of eagles for that first year to 50 eagles. This offers protection against the fear of the unknown and this limit can be adjusted or eliminated after results from the inaugural year are known.

A: Evans Scholars and Scholarship Trust initiatives typically found at clubs are tremendous programs and we urge all members to fully support each of these tremendous charities on an ongoing basis.

That said, many traditional club charitable initiatives are focused ‘INSIDE the gates’ and are geared towards helping those who serve members throughout the season. EFC looks OUTSIDE the gates to positively contribute to their communities and build a bridge between the club and charitable organizations.

Clubs and members that recognize that they are incredibly blessed, will also recognize that with this comes a responsibility for the club to play a meaningful role in positively impacting their community and offer support to those less fortunate outside of the club gates.

A: This is an important tangential benefit of Eagles for Children. It is a fun, golf-centric platform to raise money for charities serving children that, in many cases, are already being supported by club members. Members seek to utilize limited club facilities to raise funding for their favored causes and most requests cannot be honored given the practical limitations of dates and facility availability.

With Eagles for Children, requests can be met with great … “No, the club is not available for the date you requested, but since we have Eagles for Children, you merely need to apply for the grant and, assuming your organization qualifies, you simply receive funding at the end of the golf season without having to stage an event.” EFC allows a ‘yes’ in place of what is frequently disappointment.

A: Each club has an established minimum pledge per eagle (typically $2.00 or $5.00) but many members, after experiencing the impact of EFC, individually elect to commit an amount greater than this minimum. Any member pledging more than their club’s established minimum is considered to be a “Golden Eagle.”

Further, in clubs that have participated in EFC for years, more and more members recognize that EFC is a smart way to direct their giving. EFC assesses need in their communities, vets charities and their requests, and allocates resources more diligently than individual members might do on their own. For this reason, at each club there are many members committing to a per-eagle pledge of $10, $20, $50, or more.

In addition, there are several participants at different clubs that commit $100 per eagle, and these individuals are recognized as “Platinum Eagle” members.

A: When the leaders of a prospective club take the time to understand the program and ultimately make the decision to join this journey, they often ask “Why doesn’t every Club do this?”

Good question!