Encinitas Ranch Men’s Golf Club is a shinning example of how golf can give back to communities in need

The motto of the Encinitas Ranch Men’s Golf Club (ERMGC) is comprised of three words: competition, connection and camaraderie. It could use a fourth: charity.

Two recent examples illustrate how this public club, which debuted in 1998, has gone above and beyond with fundraising efforts for those in need. Like numerous other SCGA clubs, the ERMGC heeded the call for help in 2023 after the devastating Maui wildfires in Hawaii.

“We came up fairly quickly with an idea to take one of our weekly sweeps competitions, where the golf course gives us 80 starting times on a Wednesday,” said Richard Beckman, a longtime ERMGC board member and SCGA volunteer. “We took back those starting times from our regular members and allowed our larger membership and the women’s club membership to fill those 80 spots. We charged them $100 to play and had a Hawaii theme all day (including a lunch where a portion of the proceeds were donated as well). We were able to roll it up to just more than $10,000.”

After the horrific LA wildfires this past January, the ERMGC joined fellow SCGA member clubs to raise money for the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund. The effort started with a $2,500 donation from the club’s operating fund, with an overall amount of $3,847 raised. But that amount grew to $11,541 thanks to the SCGA’s double-matching donations program in effect since May this year. Overall, more than $180,000 has been raised so far through that program.

“Well, it’s kind of how we operate right now, and we fully expect to continue doing it,” said Beckman of the club’s charitable efforts. “In the past several years the SCGA has incorporated quite a few programs and initiatives,” said Jeremy Pitt, senior director of membership at the SCGA. “The ERMGC has always been one of the first to adopt those programs, whether it’s been the use of Golf Genius, the online Join and Renew or the Associate Member Network. The club has been a great partner in supporting those efforts and very gracious when it comes to giving back.”

With more than 800 regular members and over 1,100 associate members, the ERMGC stands only behind Costa Mesa Golf Club in terms of participants for SCGA clubs. “Because we have a large membership, we can afford to keep our dues down and still have enough income to operate the club, provide member benefits and even make contributions to the community,” said Beckman.

Those members get to enjoy a layout that was named the 2021 Course of the Year by the California Golf Course Owners Association (CGCOA). “Our members love the golf course,” said Beckman of the Cory Bickler-designed layout. “The location, being in North County (San Diego) and being in proximity to the ocean, makes it a very enjoyable golf course to play.”

Post-COVID, the club has seen an influx of new members from a different age demographic than in the past, according to Beckman. “The younger players that have come into our men’s club have really lifted up the energy, and they’re great participants in our tournaments,” he said. “We have a lot of younger men in their 20s and 30s competing in our events and really enjoying the competition and the friendships that they have formed around golf.”

“We have a natural inclination for charitable giving and we have the means to do it.” -Richard Beckman

Beckman is quick to acknowledge all the support the club has received from the SCGA, especially when it comes to the Associate Member Network (which provides full SCGA member benefits, including a GHIN number and Handicap Index®), a program that’s been a key factor in the ERMGC’s growth.

“We benefit from that, which means that our income from member dues exceeds the requirements for providing member services and conducting our tournaments,” he said. “We have income that is disposable, and since we’re a not-for-profit organization, we’re not inclined to put that in the bank or to spend it on ourselves. We’re inclined to use it for charitable contributions, for community groups and other groups in need, and junior golf. We have a natural inclination for charitable giving, and we have the means to do it.”