$420,000 Winning Bid for Six Hours of Golf Instruction at Charity Auction

In support of The Vintage Club Employees’ Scholarship Fund, members of The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California donate stays at their homes in exotic locations, time on their jets and yachts, a five-year country club membership, a Mercedes, a Presidential Golf Cart, and much more to a Grand Auction event in which Vintage Club members bid on the items in silent and live auctions.

[USPRwire, Tue Mar 20 2007] In support of The Vintage Club Employees’ Scholarship Fund, members of The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California donate stays at their homes in exotic locations, time on their jets and yachts, a five-year country club membership, a Mercedes, a Presidential Golf Cart, and much more to a Grand Auction event in which Vintage Club members bid on the items in silent and live auctions. But, it was six hours of golf instruction with The Vintage Club’s Director of Golf and P.G.A. Golf Professional, Paul Lemke that brought in the highest bid at the Grand Auction on Saturday, March 17, 2007. Locked in a bidding war, two members of The Vintage Club, who requested anonymity, quickly elevated the starting bid of $1,000 to a staggering $420,000 final bid. That equates to $70,000 per hour of golf instruction.

The Vintage Club’s General Manager, Thomas M. Murphy, C.C.M. commented, “In my management career, I have never seen such extraordinary generosity from a membership in benefit of their employees. When we ask our members what they love the best about their club, the first thing is the wonderful and truly unique membership that is The Vintage Club, and the second is the dedicated service given by driven employees who love their members. I never thought in my lifetime I would see a club experience a 100% return of their hospitality workers year after year. It is a program such as the scholarship fund, coupled with great benefits and a wonderful environment that provides for this dramatic employee loyalty.”

The Vintage Club’s first Employees’ Scholarship Fund Auction was held in 2003 and raised $1,600,000. That record was broken on Saturday, March 17, 2007 with Vintage Club members raising $1,950,000 to benefit this fund. All of the proceeds from the auction benefit Vintage Club employees and their children, providing scholarships for college or technical programs. The gracious bid for the golf lessons will enable approximately 40 students to further their education. Over 60 employees have completed further education through use of the scholarship program, and 30 are presently enrolled in school.

The Vintage Club is an exclusive country club community located in Indian Wells, California – approximately 15 miles from Palm Springs. One of the original desert communities, The Vintage Club celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. The Club Managers Association of America bestowed the coveted “Platinum Club” award upon The Vintage Club in 2006, naming it a “5-Star Private Club in the Top 100 in America.” Additionally, The Club Managers Association awarded The Vintage Club with the “Platinum Gated Residential Golf Community Award” in 2006, naming it a “5-Star Residential Community in the Top 25 in America.” Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine ranked The Vintage Club at number 20 in their 2006 listing of “America’s Top 100 Golf Communities” in their January/February 2007 issue. Visit www.vintageclubsales.com for more information about The Vintage Club.

The Scholarship Fund is managed by The Desert Community Foundation www.desertfoundation.org, and it is nearly self-perpetuating, with the principle invested in conservative funds to enable the interest generated to be used indefinitely.