Dear Twin Hills Member,
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you, but for those I haven’t yet met, I am Taylor Griffith, Head Coach for the Missouri Southern men’s and women’s golf programs. As a graduate of MSSU and a former golfer at Missouri Southern, I’m honored to be back as the Lions coach.
As a member of Twin Hills, you most likely have seen our players practicing more now than in the past. This is because of the MSSU/Twin Hills membership program. The program is funded by private donors who make charitable gifts to the Missouri Southern Foundation. The donations are then turned around to Twin Hills to purchase memberships for all student-athletes on our men’s and women’s teams.
This program is truly a “win-win-win.” Twin Hills benefits from the revenue generated by the membership dues and any initiation fees which are collected. Donors can benefit as their contributions are considered charitable gifts to a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. And, our golf program benefits because being able to call Twin Hills the home of Lions Golf is a true recruiting tool. When we tell players they will have access to the best course and practice facility in our community, it makes a very positive impression on them.
The first goal of this membership program is to generate player sponsorships to support the $1,800 per golf team member that allows MSSU to use Twin Hills’ facilities. This year, we have 24 players on our combined rosters, meaning that our dues sponsorship obligation amounts to $43,000. It is important to note that money generated from the student-athletes memberships will be designated to return the support to Twin Hills for our use of the facilities, as is the case with any typical membership revenue.
In addition to the dues sponsorships that allow our team members to continue to play at Twin Hills, I would also propose that we use a portion of contributed funds to address some concerns we have heard from Twin Hills Members:
- Expanding the driving range: Expansion of the east driving range (area near #9 tee box) so that approximately 10 MSSU players can be on it at a time. By doing this, MSSU golfers would have a full practice area we could access without interrupting other Twin Hills members who would still occupy the west driving range near the clubhouse. Estimated Cost: $15,000
- Purchasing range balls: MSSU would be allotted 7 range buckets for the players each day. Once those balls have been hit, MSSU players would not be allowed to hit on the range. Estimated Cost: $3,000
- Golf cart rental: MSSU players would rent carts while qualifying for events. Having our players in carts means we won’t slow down play on busy days and we can fill divots with sand while on the course. Estimated Cost: $3,000 ($1,500 per team)
For the MSSU/Twin Hills membership program to continue to thrive, we need your support. I would encourage you to consider making a charitable gift in support of this program before the end of the year. Remember, all donations to this program are considered charitable gifts. You can make your gift in one of three ways:
- Online at our secure giving site, www.mssu.edu/giving. In the gift designation drop-down box, select “Other” and type in “Twin Hills Memberships”.
- Gifts of stock can be made by calling the Edward Jones office of Don Swanson at 417-781-2711.
- Checks can be made payable to the Missouri Southern Foundation with “Twin Hills Memberships” in the memo line and mailed to:
Missouri Southern Foundation
3950 E. Newman Road
Joplin, MO 64801
I also think it is important for Twin Hills members to meet our teams. We will be hosting a meet and greet early in the new year. Details on this will be communicated after the holidays. We hope many of you will be able to attend. I will be very proud to introduce you to the fine young men and women who make up our teams.
I want to thank you for allowing me to share my vision for the MSSU/Twin Hills membership program. Twin Hills is a place that I have grown very fond of since my time as an assistant golf professional to now as the Head Golf Coach at MSSU. I’m so proud to call Twin Hills the home of Missouri Southern Golf, and I truly believe this program will benefit all of us for years to come!
Thank you,
Lance Allen, GM & Head Golf Professional
Twin Hills Golf & CC