The Essential Golfasian Golf Tournament Planning Checklist

Have you ever wanted to host a golf tournament to bring people together or raise money for a good cause? Have you attempted and failed in the past? The typical golf tournament raises $5,000 in funds. It’s worthwhile if you’re familiar with the best practices for golf tournament preparation; otherwise, it might be a difficult task to do. Here’s a quick rundown of the most important duties to get you started on your journey to a successful tournament.

1.   Write Down Your Why

Spend some time thinking about why you’re organizing this tournament and write it down. Include those who will benefit as well. Is it for a good cause? To mark the occasion of a business event? Is it for a members-only club? This will come in handy in a variety of situations, such as when bringing in meet helpers or sponsors. It will also assist you in remaining grounded when things become crazy.

2.   Create a Golf Tournament Planning Work Plan

A tournament is a large enough project to require a work plan to manage the scope, cost, and time. Starting a month ahead of time is ideal. Without diving too far into the weeds, break down what you need into large portions. Once you begin enlisting others’ assistance, they will be able to assist you in determining the work and due dates. This work plan should be evaluated, modified, and disseminated throughout the project to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

3.   Form a Committee

• It’s time to enlist some assistance. Committees can be used to divide up the pieces of your work plan. Find people that are willing to assist, and even better if they are connected to external resources that are aligned with your committee’s goals.
• Ascertain that the membership is well-balanced. Consider the following jobs and committees:
• • Honorary Chairman – this person will be one of the faces of the tournament; there may not be any significant tasks for this role other than to add recognition to the tournament • Marketing Chair – responsible for getting the word out and ensuring maximum participation • Sponsors Chair – this person will seek sponsorship and bring in revenueTournament Chair – this is the main role for the day of the tournament, overseeing and orchestrating the event from beginning to end

Each Chair should oversee their own committee of staff. All major decisions should involve each Chair.

4.   Figure Out the Finances

To make sure the tournament generates more revenue than expenses, understand the average cost per golfer. This should include the golf course fees, food, drinks, awards, and marketing material. Averaging this cost by golfer will help you know how much to charge per golfer. Here are some ideas to plan for revenue:

• Set the registration fee per golfer
• Contests
• Raffles
• Auction
• Advertising on the course, in flyers, and website
• Sponsors and banners for each hole
• Upcharge for premium food and drinks

If the tournament is to raise funds and if you’re able to muster a great deal of income, you should avoid passing too much savings to the players. Players should pay higher than the course’s standard green fee, with excess all going toward the fund raising.

5.   Pick the Format

You’ll want to carefully determine the format to meet the competitive aspect of the event, depending on the nature of the tournament (charity, private club). The most typical format for a Scramble is for a large number of recreational or non-golfers to play. This is a game in which four-person teams hit from the same spot and then determine the best spot to hit from next. Every golfer picks up their ball and hits it from that location. The only stipulation is that everyone’s drive must be used at least once. The Scramble format is a terrific method to bring together people of all skill levels while still keeping things entertaining, especially if there are a lot of beverages involved. Best ball is a little more competitive where all players play their ball as they would in standard golf rules, and the best score is chosen for that hole. This format encourages risk taking and camaraderie. The most competitive would be medal style play where everyone plays their ball and keeps track of their own score. This is great for more experienced golfers. To keep a level playing field, you can employ golfing handicaps.

6.   Choose the Course

In choosing the right golf course, look for one that can not only meet your requirements but you could come back to for multiple years. Put yourself in your participants’ shoes and choose which holes would be enjoyable to play, provide excellent photographic opportunities, or frustrate them. Play a round, speak with the manager, and bounce ideas off anyone who has already played there. What you should know:

• Golf course conditions • Levels of management, staff, and customer service • Food quality • Accessibility and challenge
• Event experience • Overall value • Facilities and equipment (dining, parking, restrooms, carts)

If the golf course is used to hosting competitions, it should be able to meet all of these needs.

7.   Promote Tournament

Whether it’s a corporate, school, or charity event, a good promotion starts with a website that provides all the details about the tournament. Press releases, promotions, and grocery bag stuffers can be effective ways to advertise if the tournament is open to the general public. If it’s for a charity, school, or work event, use your resources to help get the message out.

8.   After the Tournament

Awards are usually something to look forward to at the end of an event, but they may not be as relevant for more casual occasions. It’s all too simple to overpay on a prize. Keeping things lighthearted and awarding a humorous trophy might help you save money while also making the awards presentation memorable. When the show is over, the dinner, banquet, or hang-out is the true show-stopper. Create a relaxed atmosphere where participants can gloat, taunt, and recap the game. The auctions, raffles, and other activities might all come to a close around this time.

9.   Turn the Plan to Reality

Are you ready to put your golf tournament planning into action? Golfasian not only checks off all your boxes, we exceed expectations for your special event.   When you are ready to take the next step, we can work with you and provide our experience with tournament planning to give you an amazing event. Contact us today for and get the ball rolling!