How Four Backyard Putting Greens Raised $110,000 for Austin Nonprofits
A custom backyard putting green donated by LawnPop sold for $80,000 at the FORE Kids ATX live auction in Austin. Three more greens, at the CCA Texas Austin Chapter banquet, a Dress for Success Austin auction, and a Veterans Day golf tournament, brought the total to $110,000 for four Central Texas nonprofits.
What LawnPop donates
Each of the four donations was a complete residential putting green, the same product we design and install for homeowners across the Austin area, sold to the highest bidder at the event’s live auction. After the event, the winner schedules a design consultation at their home, we lay out a green that fits the yard and the way the family plays, and our SYNLawn GreensMaster™ certified crew installs it. The organization keeps the full winning bid.
A donated green can include multiple cups, a fringe that frames the putting surface, and, when the yard allows it, a course-style bunker like the one in the photo above.
Where the money went
FORE Kids ATX is a golf fundraiser in Austin that brings professional golfers and celebrities together with local business leaders to raise money for children and families in Central Texas. The LawnPop green sold for $80,000, the highest bid any of our donations has drawn.
The CCA Texas Austin Chapter holds an annual banquet to fund conservation of marine habitat and fisheries along the Texas coast. The putting green raised $15,000 at the live auction.
Dress for Success Austin provides professional attire, career development support, and a network for women in Central Texas entering the workforce. A LawnPop green raised $10,000 at its auction.
A Veterans Day golf tournament in the Austin area auctioned the fourth green, which brought in $5,000.
Why a green works as an auction item
A putting green is a one-of-a-kind item that a bidder can picture in their own backyard before the auctioneer finishes describing it. At golf-themed events the room is full of golfers, and at general fundraisers the green stands apart from the trips and restaurant packages because no one else in the room has donated one. The committee has no logistics to handle afterward, since LawnPop works directly with the winner on the design and the install.
Request a green for your event
Nonprofits and event committees planning a live auction in the Austin area can request a putting green donation on our Giving Back page. Tell us who the event benefits, when it is, and how the auction runs, and we will follow up by email or phone.
Homeowners who would rather skip the bidding can see recent installs and request a free design consultation on our putting green page, or call (512) 298-0933.