Professional athletes, influencers, and community leaders are teeing off Monday at Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club in Greenacres for Par for the Culture, a celebrity golf tournament built around a cause bigger than birdies and bogeys. Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis is hosting the event, which organizer Darren Wingate put together to raise money and awareness for people experiencing homelessness in Palm Beach County.
The tournament kicks off with opening remarks at 7:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 8 a.m., according to WPTV. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., golfers and guests can take part in on-course activities including long-drive and closest-to-the-pin competitions, celebrity meet-and-greets, and sponsor activations. The event is presented by the Higher Learning Foundation, which partners with local groups to fund emergency shelters and transitional housing programs for youth, families, and individuals across the county.
Big money is on the line for the golfers themselves. A raffle-selected participant will get a shot at a $1,000,000 hole-in-one prize, and every registered golfer gets a crack at $25,000 on a designated Par 3 hole, per details shared on Instagram
. The day's lineup also includes national coverage from REVOLT and live local streaming support, alongside the kind of star power — Willis among them — that organizers hope will draw new audiences to the sport.
VIP Access and a Pitch for the Cause
Beyond the fairways, the tournament builds in time for hospitality and connection. A VIP lounge runs from 2 to 5 p.m., offering exclusive access and athlete interactions for sponsors and top-tier guests, while a 19th Hole Experience from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. features cocktails, entertainment, and networking for attendees winding down their round.
At 3:15 p.m., organizers have scheduled a beneficiary presentation explaining exactly how tournament proceeds support emergency and transitional housing efforts in the county, ahead of an awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Registration and sponsorship opportunities remain open for those who want in on the action, the event notes. Organizers say they hope athletes and community leaders will use their platforms to support housing initiatives not just locally but in communities across the country.
The Nonprofit Behind the Fundraiser
Proceeds benefit The Lord's Place, a Palm Beach County nonprofit that provides housing assistance, supportive services, and programs aimed at helping individuals and families rebuild their lives after homelessness. The organization addresses the crisis through street outreach, housing support, employment training, and programs designed to promote independence.
The nonprofit's roots trace back to 1979, when founder “Brother” Joe Ranieri opened a soup kitchen. Four years later, in 1983, he spent 30 days sleeping on the steps of St. Ann’s church in West Palm Beach to raise public awareness about homelessness, according to the organization's own account of its history. That grassroots effort grew into Palm Beach County's first shelter for unhoused families, opened in 1983, and the nonprofit has continued expanding since — including its recently renovated Fortin Family Campus headquarters in West Palm Beach, which houses an engagement center and the Café Joshua hot meal program.
The scale of that work shows up in recent numbers. Between July 2025 and June 2026, The Lord's Place provided supportive housing to 416 people — including 43 families with 92 children — with 96 percent of clients served successfully exiting homelessness, per the organization's own data on its supportive housing programs. The nonprofit also offers peer support and trauma-informed case management aimed at former offenders, part of an effort that touches the roughly 1,200 people released annually from Florida state prisons into Palm Beach County.
A County Still Grappling With Rising Need
The tournament's fundraising push comes against a complicated backdrop. Palm Beach County's 2025 Point-in-Time Count identified 1,520 people experiencing homelessness, a 28 percent decline from 2024, yet local advocacy leaders tell WLRN that they're seeing rising numbers of first-time unhoused families, seniors, and working residents despite the overall drop in the official count.
The Lord's Place has also stepped into an emergency role beyond its day-to-day case management. Hoodline previously reported on county cold-weather response, noting that facilities the nonprofit operates at 2808 N. Australian Avenue serve as designated daytime warming centers for vulnerable unhoused residents during severe cold snaps.
A Storied Course for a Day of Giving
The setting for Monday's tournament carries its own local history. Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club was designed in 1962 by golf course architect Joe Lee, who went on to design more than 100 courses, including Doral's famed Blue Monster. The Greenacres-area club features classic Florida layouts updated with modern TifEagle greens, giving Monday's celebrity golfers a historic backdrop for a cause organizers say is about far more than a day on the links.
