Sixty-four rounds of golf. Nine days of bidding. Nearly a quarter million dollars raised — and that's just the single-round golf lots.*

The First Tee Metropolitan New York 2026 auction closed Sunday, May 18th, and it delivered. Fishers Island shattered its First Tee Metro record. A few lots nobody saw coming blew past every projection we had. And a handful of courses quietly closed at prices that will have bidders kicking themselves for not pulling the trigger.

This was our first-ever auction preview — Issue #1 went out nine days before the close with projected ranges on 37 nationally ranked lots. We told you where we thought the value was, flagged the rare listings, and called out the hidden gems. Now let's see how the market actually moved.

*The ~$245,000 figure reflects only the 64 single-round golf auction lots tracked by Members Market. The full First Tee Metropolitan auction included additional items beyond our coverage and raised significantly more in total.

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We published projected closing ranges on 37 nationally ranked lots in Issue #1. Here's the honest accounting.

Within projected range: 19 of 37 (51%) Within range or close (inside $500): 28 of 37 (76%)

We'll take that for a debut. The model nailed Sleepy Hollow at $6,500 (our exact ceiling), pegged Sebonack #1 at $5,500 (our exact floor), and landed Winged Foot, Liberty National, Baltusrol, both Bayonne lots, both Bridge lots, Caves Valley, and a dozen others right in the pocket.

Where we missed, we missed in an interesting direction — the market ran hotter than we expected on a few lots and softer on a few others. More on that below.

Best calls:

Biggest misses (and why they're the best stories in this recap):

We'll break all of those down below. For now — the projections worked. They gave bidders a real framework heading into the final weekend, and they held up where it mattered most. We'll keep refining the model, and we'll keep being transparent when we whiff.

GD #10 · Projected: $14,000–$18,000 · Per player: $6,250

The crown jewel delivered. Fishers Island blew past its 2025 price of $13,500 to set a new First Tee Metro all-time high at $18,750. That's $750 above our projected ceiling, and honestly, it could've gone higher. The takeaway hasn't changed: First Tee Metro remains the cheapest place to bid on FISH. At ForeBatten — a national charity golf auction platform that runs some of the highest-profile auctions in the country — a Fishers Island lot went for $43,300 earlier this year. Even at nearly $19K, this was still a bargain in relative terms — $6,250 per player versus north of $14,000 on other platforms.

Year-over-year at First Tee Metro: The price has more than doubled since 2023. Every year, it climbs. FISH is the blue-chip stock of charity golf auctions and continues to trade accordingly.

GD #14 · Projected: $10,000–$14,000 (Lot #1) / $10,000–$12,000 (Lot #2)

Lot #1 landed right at our floor at $10,000. Lot #2 came in under range at $8,500. With two lots splitting the bidder pool, the second lot was always going to trail — but $8,500 is a genuine deal for a top-15 course in the country. That's $2,833 per player for lunch and caddies at Friar's Head. Hard to beat.

YoY trend: After roughly doubling from 2023 to 2025, prices leveled off this year. Two lots splitting demand likely played a role — when bidders have options, they spread out.

GD #53 · Projected: $8,000–$11,000 · Per player: $2,250

Our biggest miss on the downside in the Top Tier. Maidstone closed at $6,750, well below our $8,000 floor. After a strong jump from 2023 to 2025, we expected the upward trend to hold. It didn't — though $2,250 per player for a round at one of the most storied clubs in the Hamptons is objectively outstanding. If you got this, congratulations. Caddies not included ($150/bag), and the round must be played by May 2027.

GD #51 · Projected: $5,500–$8,000 per lot

Almost identical closing prices on both lots. Lot #1 nailed our floor at $5,500. Lot #2 came in just $250 under at $5,250. The Nicklaus-Doak collaboration on the Great Peconic Bay is settling into a consistent range at First Tee Metro — roughly the mid-$5,000s when two lots are available.

GD #13 · Projected: $5,000–$7,500 · Per player: $2,000

We previewed two Winged Foot lots. Only one appeared in the final results — the West Course threesome at $6,000, right in our range. Not sure what happened with the second lot, but the West Course is the one you want anyway. Six U.S. Opens. $2,000 per player. Lunch and caddies included. That's a hell of a day.

These were the lots we flagged in the preview for having the widest gap between current bid and projected close. Here's how they finished.

GD #52 · Projected: $5,000–$6,500 · Per player: $2,167

Our Issue #1 Course Spotlight delivered. Sleepy Hollow closed at exactly our ceiling — $6,500. The Gil Hanse restoration of the C.B. Macdonald / Seth Raynor design continues to push this course's auction value upward year after year. At Ouimet earlier this year, SLPY hit an all-time high north of $8,700. First Tee Metro at $6,500 remains the cheaper way in.

Projected: $4,000–$5,000 · Per player: $1,500

Deepdale overshot our range by a full thousand dollars. We had the data showing a steady climb over the past few auction cycles at this exact event, and even so, the market ran hotter than the trendline suggested. At $1,500 per player for a foursome at one of Long Island's most exclusive clubs — still excellent value — but the days of getting Deepdale under $5,000 at this auction appear to be over.

GD #88 · Projected: $4,000–$6,000 · Per player: $1,252

One of our wider misses on the downside. Butler National came in just under our floor at $3,755. With only one bid when we wrote the preview, this was always a tricky one to project. The limited bidder interest may reflect the geography — Butler's in suburban Chicago, and this is a New York–centric auction. At $1,252 per player for one of the most private clubs in the Midwest, somebody got a steal.

NY State Ranked · Projected: $5,000–$6,500 · Per player: $1,500

Right in the pocket. Liberty National ran from $2,250 at the time of our preview to $6,000 at close — a $3,750 jump in the final nine days. The Statue of Liberty views and Manhattan skyline do the selling. At $1,500 per player for a foursome, this was one of the best per-player values in the entire auction.

Every auction has a few results that make you sit up in your chair. This one had three.

GD #176 · Projected: $2,500–$3,500 · Actual per player: $2,417

The single biggest surprise of the auction. We projected $2,500–$3,500 based on limited data — Atlantic had never appeared at First Tee Metro before. It closed at more than double our ceiling.

The difference-maker was the accompanied round with Michael Rudin. For those unfamiliar, Rudin is the Co-CEO of Rudin — the New York City real estate dynasty that's been developing and managing some of Manhattan's most iconic properties for a century. Years ago, his grandfather Lewis Rudin helped found First Tee. Today, Rudin sits on the board of First Tee Metropolitan New York. In other words: you're not just getting a round at a Rees Jones design in Bridgehampton — you're getting an afternoon with one of the most connected figures in New York real estate and Hamptons golf, someone whose family is woven into the very charity you're supporting.

That's why this lot doubled our projection. Lesson learned — accompanied rounds with notable figures need their own premium in the model.

GD #196 · Projected: $2,500–$3,500 · Actual per player: $2,867

The biggest absolute overshoot of the auction. Panther National — a relatively new Tiger Woods design in Palm Beach County — closed at nearly 2.5x our ceiling. At $8,600 for a threesome, this was the third-highest lot in the entire auction behind only Fishers Island and Friar's Head Lot #1. The Tiger effect is real, and the demand for new-era elite Florida golf is clearly stronger than historical auction data would suggest. We had this at GD #196 — the market is saying the ranking hasn't caught up to the hype.

GD #162 · Projected: $2,000–$3,000 · Actual per player: $1,213

Rees Jones on Sea Island. We underestimated this one significantly — it closed at $4,850 against a $3,000 ceiling. Ocean Forest benefits from the Sea Island brand and the resort's cachet. At $1,213 per player for a foursome, the per-player number is actually very reasonable — the total just ran higher than the data supported.

GD #69 · Projected: $3,500–$5,000 · Per player: $1,000

We called this one out as a rare listing and flagged the zero-bid status in the preview. It closed at $3,000 — below our floor. For a GD top-70 course and a modern reconstruction of C.B. Macdonald's legendary original, $1,000 per player is an absolute gift. The Wisconsin location likely suppresses demand in a New York auction, but if you're willing to make the trip, this was the best architecture-per-dollar lot in the auction.

GD #53 · Projected: $8,000–$11,000 · Per player: $2,250

Already covered above, but worth noting here. Maidstone dropped significantly from its 2025 price at this same auction. At $2,250 per player for a top-tier Hamptons course, the market underpriced this one.

GD #14 · Projected: $10,000–$12,000 · Per player: $2,833

The second of two Friar's Head lots came in 15% below our floor. Two-lot supply continues to be a price suppressor — when bidders have two chances at the same course, the trailing lot consistently closes lower. Still, $2,833 per player for GD #14 with lunch and caddies is one of the best deals in charity golf.

GD #165 · Projected: $4,000–$7,000 (4) / $2,500–$4,000 (3)

Both lots landed within range. The foursome at $5,500 ($1,375/player) continues a strong upward trend over the past several auction cycles. The threesome at $3,000 ($1,000/player) was a solid pick for anyone who wanted Bayonne at a lower total outlay.

GD #111 · Projected: $4,500–$5,500 (4) / $3,500–$5,000 (3)

The foursome landed right in range at $5,250. The threesome came in just under at $3,100. The Creek remains one of the best-kept secrets at this auction — Gold Coast Macdonald/Raynor pedigree, impeccable conditioning, and consistently reasonable closing prices relative to the pedigree.

FL State Ranked · Projected: $3,000–$4,500

Apogee crept above our ceiling at $4,800. The Hobe Sound mega-club is generating real buzz, and the foursome format at $1,200 per player is actually a great deal for what you're getting. Course TBD between the South, West, or North — doesn't matter much when all three are elite.

For every lot we projected in Issue #1, here's how the market actually moved. Please note, a 3 or 4 following the course name indicates if it was a threesome or foursome.

✅ = Within range · 🔺 = Above range · 🔻 = Below range · "Near" = Within $500 of range edge

1. Two-lot supply suppresses prices — but only on the trailing lot. Friar's Head, Sebonack, Bayonne, The Creek, and Inverness all had two lots. In every case, the lead lot closed higher. Bidders anchor to the first lot and the second consistently trails. If you're patient and don't mind the second pick, the trailing lot is where the value lives.

2. New-era elite courses are getting repriced. Panther National at $8,600 and Apogee at $4,800 are signals that the market is placing a premium on the newer generation of high-end private clubs. Tiger Woods designs and the new Florida mega-clubs are commanding auction prices that don't align with their GD ranking — they align with the hype cycle. Our model needs to account for this going forward.

3. Accompanied rounds are a different product. Atlantic at $7,250 was a clear outlier driven by the Michael Rudin hosted round. An accompanied round with a notable figure isn't just a tee time — it's an experience with a built-in premium. Future previews will flag and separately price accompanied lots.

4. Geography matters in regional auctions. Butler National (Chicago), The Lido (Wisconsin), and to some extent Maidstone (eastern Long Island) all closed below projections. When the bidder pool skews New York metro, courses that require travel tend to underperform courses that are a car ride away. This is less true at national auctions like ForeBatten and AJGA.

5. First Tee Metro remains a value auction. Across the board, closing prices here run 30–60% below what the same courses command at ForeBatten, Ouimet, and other national platforms. If you're looking for the best entry point into elite private course access through charity auctions, this is it.

Beyond the newsletter, the big development in the works is a website that will aim to provide a far more in depth analysis than any newsletter could. In junction with our continuously expanding database, the website aims to be a one-stop shop for further browsing and analysis of what it costs to play the best courses in the country.

We’ll have much more for you all on this at a later date, but below is a sneak peek of one of the pages being developed.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you!

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See you at the closing bell.

— Members Market

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