Birdies for Charity at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic

Story and Photos by Kent Paisley

Richmond, Virginia— While most are focused on the quality of golf at the opening round of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, Birdies for Charity organizes itself to capitalize on that quality of play.

The proceeds from the Dominion Charity Classic went to Virginia Values Veterans Program and Richmond Fisher House, both programs assisting veterans in the Richmond area.

But fans can contribute as well through Birdies for Charity. 

Birdies for Charity was originally conceived at the John Deere Classic, a PGA tour event. 

In 1992, the tournament organizer offered the person closest to guessing the number of birdies converted by the field a free car, in exchange for a donation per birdie made.

The model delivered six times the amount expected to be raised, and has been expanding ever since.   

Birdies for Charity has 122 charities under its umbrella this year. While the charities are primarily based in Richmond, there are charities from out of state as well, such as Saratoga War Horse in New York.

Fans are offered two ways to donate. They can either use a flat fee, or a donation made for every birdie in the tournament. 

The PGA tour matches 10 percent of any donation made to a charity listed.  

Monica Mitchell, the organizer of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic’s Birdies for Charity, explained that participation rose from last year, but that was due to the platform starting operations too late last season.

Shes aid a majority of contributions are flat fee donations, as charities reach out to their donors, recommending using the Birdies for Charity platform to capitalize on the extra 10 percent contribution from the PGA tour.

Currently, they have collected $55,000 in flat fees for various charities. The amount collected from per birdie amounts will be calculated after the conclusion of the tournament. 

There were 584 birdies recorded last year over the three round tournament. The field expanded from 54 players last year to 72 players this year. Through two rounds this year, 526 birdies are posted.

Fans can donate at the tent in the Fan Experience Zone, or online, following this link.