This week, the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund closed its 2026 auction — 95 rounds at some of the most exclusive private clubs in the country. A threesome at Sleepy Hollow Country Club (SLPY) sold for $8,758. Friar's Head (FRHD) closed at $10,597. Kittansett (KTST) hit $7,962. Newport Country Club (NWPT) matched it at $7,962.

These are real prices, paid by real bidders, at a charity auction most golfers don't even know exists. We've been tracking auctions like this one for years, and today we're sharing what we've found.

95 lots closed | ~$225K+ raised for Ouimet Scholarships

Most competitive lot: Essex County Club (ESSX) drew 42 bids. Biggest mover: Sleepy Hollow (SLPY) closed at $8,758, up 72% from last year.

The number that stands out is Sleepy Hollow. A year ago, a threesome there was going for around $5,000. This week it nearly doubled. More on that below.

Members Market exists to unlock value in the private golf auction market — and in doing so, raise more money for the charities that open the gates to America's best courses.

We're a weekly briefing on charity golf auctions at the country's top private clubs. We track what sold, for how much, and whether the price was fair — so that when you see a tee time on here that you want, you know exactly what it's worth before you bid. Every course gets a ticker symbol, just like the stock market. Every auction gets a full recap. And every dollar raised goes to a charity doing meaningful work for the game.

Over the past several months, we've built a database of 2,400+ auction results spanning 6 years and dozens of charities. We know what Oakmont Country Club (OAKM) sold for in 2020 and what it commands today. We know which auctions consistently deliver value and which ones attract the kind of bidding wars that push prices to the ceiling. Each week during auction season, we'll break down what just closed, what's coming up next, and what the historical data says about where prices are headed.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club (SLPY) | Scarborough, NY GD Rank: #41 Greatest | Private Rank: #34 All-Time Auction Range: $1,700 – $8,758

Sleepy Hollow has been climbing steadily for three years — up 72% year over year and nearly five times its 2023 low. This week's result set an all-time high at $2,919 per player, making it one of the more expensive auction tee times in the Northeast.

The course is a C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor collaboration overlooking the Hudson River, about 30 minutes north of Manhattan. Gil Hanse spent the better part of a decade restoring the layout to its original design intent, and the work has put the club firmly back in the national conversation — and back on the USGA's championship rotation.

Fun Facts:

Tournament History: 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur · 2002 U.S. Women's Amateur · 1986–1993 Senior PGA Tour (NYNEX Commemorative)

The most consistent pattern in our data has nothing to do with course quality, location, or time of year. It's the auction itself. Where you bid matters as much as what you bid on.

Take Fishers Island Club (FISH), one of the most sought-after tee times in the country:

Same course, same experience, same island off the Connecticut coast. The difference is who's bidding. Some auctions draw national audiences with serious buying power. Others attract a more regional crowd where the competition is lighter and the closing prices reflect it. That spread — $2,917 per player versus $14,433 — isn't noise. It's the single most important variable in charity golf auction pricing, and understanding which auctions fall on which end of that spectrum is the edge we're building here.

Founded: 1949 Mission: College scholarships for young men and women who have worked at Massachusetts golf courses Total awarded: $50M+ since inception This week: 95 auction lots, ~$225K+ raised

In 1913, a 20-year-old ex-caddie from Brookline named Francis Ouimet beat Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff to win the U.S. Open at The Country Club — one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. He never turned professional. The scholarship fund created in his honor has been sending young people who work in golf to college for 75 years, awarding over $3.5 million last year alone.

There's a nice bit of symmetry in this week's results: The Country Club at Brookline (TCC), the same course where Ouimet made history, sold for $6,580. That money goes directly to scholarships. When you bid at a charity golf auction, you're not just buying access to a private course — you're continuing a tradition of giving back to the people who make the game possible.

Learn more: ouimet.org

As summer gets underway, we'll be previewing some of the incredible rounds hitting the auction block — giving you an early look at what's coming before bidding opens in the fall.

The biggest charity golf auction of the fall features rounds at some of the highest-ranked private courses in the country — courses that rarely surface anywhere else. We'll have full coverage when bidding opens. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.

That's it for Issue #0. Members Market publishes weekly during auction season with pricing recaps, course spotlights, and the data you need to bid smart — all while supporting the charities that make private course access possible.

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See you next week.

— Members Market