How to Plan your next Golf Tournament - Part 1
How to Plan and Host a Successful Golf Tournament
Thinking about a big corporate or charity fundraising golf tournament? Let us help by providing the guide below to assist you in your organizing and planning:
Who’s in Charge?
When you combine impeccable planning with enough sponsor support, revenue generators and promotional buzz, you’re well on your way to a great success. This guide is provided to help you ensure that’s exactly what happens.
As you get going, be mindful of the five well known hallmarks for organizing a great
event that generates maximum revenue:
- Good leader (tournament director) and crew (volunteers/committees).
- The right course, playing format and inclusions.
- The right entry fee
- Event communication and promotion using today’s digital mediums.
- Revenue generation through sponsorships, donations, auctions raffles and contests.
Start planning 6 to 12 months prior to event!
Tips for Getting People Involved
- Make a plan. Start by looking at the bigger picture and create a document that spells out the event’s goals and initial budget template. The working planner should also spell out all deadlines, benchmarks, roles and responsibilities.
- The number of planning volunteers needed depends on the tournament’s scope, sidebar events, how meals are to be handled and many other things unique to your event. It’s KEY to have volunteers who enjoy people, are always “on”, don’t mind selling (for charity) and are committed to putting in whatever time it takes. Succeed in this and the rest will fall in place!
- Define the roles. Most tournaments can get by using just two committees: one for Sales and one for the Event. The Sales Committee should manage sales, promotion, registrations, prizes/swag, clothing, donations, event/ hole sponsors
and silent auction/raffle items. We suggest a minimum of three people on each committee. Consider fundraising software to help you stay organized and to optimize the revenue generation aspect of the event.
Timetable
One Year Prior to the Event:
Select and reserve a golf course to hold your event. Determine if you
need a director or coordinator for the event.
Nine Months Prior to the Event:
Set a budget for your event. Allocate money for food, beverages,
gifts, prizes, green fees, golf carts and photography. Put together a
guest list email or send out printed invitation. Select the event format
(scramble, stroke play, match play, etc). Find volunteers to help plan
and organize from now until the day of the event.
Six Months Prior to the Event:
Coordinate food and beverage menus and arrange for event sponsor ship. Select any contests you may want; i.e. hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the pin, etc.
Obtain hole-in-one prize coverage if necessary and select prizes for the contests and tournament winners.
Three Months Prior to the Event:
Meet with the golf course staff to finalize arrangements with
course times and banquet facilities. Send out invitations that include directions to the course and specific starting times. Also remember to order tee prizes, awards, hand-outs and tee signs.
Two Months Prior to the Event:
Check the progress of outside vendors providing tee prizes, awards, giveaways, and tee signs. Finalize menus and beverage or snack carts. Follow up with event volunteers. Do a walk-through of the course facilities to familiarize yourself with the location. Tabulate a preliminary number of guests based on invitation responses.
Two Weeks Prior to the Event:
Finalize preparations of all tee prizes, awards, giveaways and tee signs and have them delivered to the tournament director or to the course. Set up a preliminary player list and begin selecting team captains.
Two Days Prior to the Event:
Finalize the player list and send it to the golf course director. Double check any final details with the golf course. Review jobs for volunteer staff and coordinate any possible timing issues to ensure the event runs smoothly. Take into consideration the time for golfing, food, and an awards ceremony.
Day of the Event:
Arrive at least two hours before the guests. Be ready for possible no-shows, cancellations, and last-minute changes. If you’re playing in the event, be sure you are in the first group to finish in order to get back to the clubhouse to check on dinner preparations and the
awards ceremony. Last but not least, don’t forget to have fun!
Stayed tuned for part 2 of this series!
Call or email us for additional information or if you have any questions, we're here to assist you with your event.
1 (877) GTS-0555 or INFO@GTStournaments.com