Tee Times 4 Turf online auction benefits the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation

Looking for affordable golf?

I've got one better. How about affordable golf for a good cause?

There's a great online golf auction program that benefits turfgrass research at Michigan State University through the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation. The auction is called Tee Times 4 Turf and can be found at www.teetimes4turf.com. The online auction runs May 1-15. You will find more than 200 golf packages from all over the state of Michigan at good prices.

All of the money raised will go directly to Michigan State University for turfgrass research to make the game of golf better and more cost effective. And, because the money goes through the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (a Michigan 501(c)3 foundation specifically raising money for turfgrass research at Michigan State University), there is no overhead or costs taken out. Every penny of your bid price goes directly to research.

Let the bidding begin.

Champions for Change set to air 2 p.m. Saturday on CBS

This weekend is sure to be must-see TV with The Masters.

But be sure to get in front of the tube Saturday before tournament coverage to check out the coverage of the Champions For Change, the cool charity shootout last summer at the Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor. There's a good chance you'll see me lurking in the background at some point, taking pictures and keeping a close eye on this legendary foursome.

The special -- which airs at 2 p.m. Saturday on CBS -- will highlight the friendly shootout between course designer Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller, as well as the transformation underway in the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph communities in Berrien County, spearheaded by the Harbor Shores development.

Collectively, the foursome boasts 199 PGA TOUR wins and 35 major championship victories, teed off together for competitive play.

Following the golf, all four players took part in An Evening for Champions at The Mendel Center Mainstage at Lake Michigan College. The roundtable discussion gave guests the opportunity to interact with the four legends as they discussed their past battles on the golf course, the state of the game of golf and how Harbor Shores will serve to revitalize the Benton Harbor community.

The day of events was a celebration of the transformation and rebirth of Benton Harbor and a true example of how golf is being used as an enabler for social and economic revitalization. The tournament resulted in a $1 million donation to the Benton Harbor Boys & Girls Club and the First Tee, as a part of a capital campaign initiative launched in the summer of 2010.