Rebecca Corvese
Jim Nantz on the tee of his back-yard replica of Pebble Beach’s storied seventh hole, with Ken Venturi’s cart in the driveway.

By E. Michael Johnson
A number of equipment manufacturers and other stakeholders in the game have stepped up with charitable efforts in the age of COVID-19. Among them is Titleist, which has one of the more impressive fundraising efforts with its auction that ends Thursday at 9 p.m.

The highlight of the auction is the Jim Nantz Pebble Beach Experience. The Experience starts with Nantz joining your foursome for breakfast at The Gallery, close by the first tee, before moving to a pre-round putting contest with Nantz. Once on the first tee at Pebble Beach, Nantz will announce (and record for posterity) your appearance. After the round at Pebble, your foursome will head to Nantz’s home for a cocktail hour that will include a special “Our Tribute” bottle of wine from Nantz’s wine cellar, as well as the ability to take a few swings on Nantz’s back-yard par 3, which replicates Pebble’s seventh hole.

Ace the hole and get your name added to the “Rock of Fame” where the previous 16 acers are enshrined. No ace? The one hitting it closest to the pin receives a custom set of Titleist clubs. As of now the high bid is $42,000.

Though the Nantz Experience is perhaps the most notable, there are plenty of other enticing auctions (current bid in parens). Golf for three at Lake Nona with Ian Poulter ($20,000); Golf for two with Justin Thomas and his father, Mike at Medalist Golf Club with a pre-round lesson from Mike, who is a PGA professional ($35,000).

If you’re an equipment geek, perhaps the Scotty Cameron Experience ($19,250) or Bob Vokey Experience ($10,000) will appeal to you. There are instruction packages from Butch Harmon and Michael Breed as well, among many other auctions. You can make a bid on any of these by clicking here.

If you don’t have that kind of scratch lying around, you’re not out of luck. There is also a sweepstakes component that gives you and two friends a chance to play with Webb Simpson at Pinehurst No. 2, along with a post-round lunch with Simpson; a one-night stay for each at the Carolina Hotel; a round at The Cradle, Pinehurst’s nine-hole short course designed by the Gil Hanse, and a gift certificate for dinner at the Pinehurst Brewing Company. Four other winners will receive gift packages. Ticket purchases start at $25 for 10 tickets up to 60 tickets for $100. You can enter the sweepstakes by clicking here.

Already, the auction and sweepstakes have raised more than $200,000. All of the proceeds will benefit three relief efforts: the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund; The United Way chapters of Greater New Bedford and San Diego County (to support the local communities where the majority of the Titleist and FootJoy U.S. employees work) and the Golf Emergency Relief Fund. Click here for more.