Can you think of a better way to spend a glorious summer day than on the golf course?  That is exactly what corporate and charity golf is all about.  How about a great day on the links, combined with doing a little business, or perhaps helping a worthwhile cause while you are at it?  Fifteen million of us play in these types of events each year.

Usually, there is not much to do except show up and be ready for a great day of golf, food, entertainment, and in the case of the charity events, be prepared to bid on raffles and auctions where the proceeds benefit charities.

What goes on behind the scenes for running a tournament is anything but simple, and the work does not end when the event is over.  If it is a business outing, there is probably a future event to be planned?  There are letters of thanks to go out and recommendation or testimonial letters to get from your tournament customers.  In charity tournaments, there is much to do after the event too.  Namely, sending the proceeds to the proper people, and making sure the event was a success with sponsors and guests.  Many companies and associations specialize in facilitating golf event planning.

One company that helps tournament directors plan successful tournaments is the Golf Tournament Association of America (www.gtaaweb.org).  Their effort to educate tournament directors from around the country is noteworthy.  They go beyond simple planning, to detailed information on how to raise maximum revenues with minimal effort, as well as how to grow tournaments…year after year.

There is a free preparation tool on the Internet from a company called Golfregistrations (www.golfregistrations.com) that may help if you are planning an event.  They also have software that is detailed for a variety of tournament related tasks.

Powers Events (www.powersevents.com) is another company that provides tournament and banquet service software that is powerful, web based, and user-friendly.

Here is a list of things that may be helpful for planning and executing golf tournaments.  This list is not all-inclusive but will point you in the right direction in your quest to provide the best tournament possible.

The first thing to do whether you are planning a corporate or charity outing is to define the purpose of the event.  Is it a “thank you” to your best customers, or an all-out attempt to break donations records for a local chapter of a worthy cause, or a social, or competitive get-together for friends?

Who are your guests?  Do they fall into a certain category (vendor, customer, prospect, size) that may help you with your advertising the event, or assist in your invitations planning?

1. For corporate tournaments, you may want to break the list down to groups that you are sure would not be competitors with each other or at least ensure that synergistic business individuals are paired up in the same foursomes.  I.e., if you are in the grocery business and you have multiple soft drink vendors, it might be a good idea to pair them up with other types of vendors.  You could also plan the event around a trade show to attract participation from companies that will be in the area for the show and could extend their trip by a day.
   
   
2. For charity events, you might want to send out blanket invitations to attract golfers in the area and use other public advertising.  Target your donors, and sponsors, and contact them prior to public advertising to for their contributions or participation so that they can be featured in the public ads and invitations.  Those who love golf AND have given in the past are good prospects.  A little prep-work can go a long way to preventing rejection.  In addition, knowing how the money you plan on raising will affect your local area and potential guests will help you determine the best way to ask for help from either sponsors or golf guests.  If the charity is a registered 501(c)3, you may be entitled to free public service radio or TV announcements of the event.  Don’t forget to lean on word-of-mouth.  Selecting a local or national celebrity can be a good way to increase participation of both sponsors and guests.
   
   
3. Remember the golden rule in both of these types of events is to keep it fun and keep it moving.  You want everything ready to go (see the link to The Ultimate Golf Tournament Planner).  From the people selected on the committee and volunteers, all the way to the closing ceremonies, you want a good flow of measurable activity.
   
   
4. Games can add a little flare to the day can be effective, like a hole-in-one contest, longest drive, or closest to the pin work well.  Realize that the flight of golfers may include people of varying skill levels.  You could also add a prize for last place, or funkiest swing on a designated par-3.
   
   
5. Choose the right course.  The beauty of a secluded private course may attract those who always wanted to play it.  What if it rains?  Did you remember to look into whether rain insurance is available for your event?  There is such a thing.  What is the course policy?
   
   
6. Make sure your guests will remember the event.  This includes scrutinizing everything from the type of food that you serve, the entertainment, and the types of prizes and giveaways you provide.  We received a nice testimonial from the Director of the Colorado Open saying she received many compliments on our Gotta-Grip product because it was unique.  The combination of unique and useful are always good for golf.  If you have testimonials from past players and sponsors, put them prominently in your literature promoting your event.
   
   
7. Photography and video can be a good thing.  Finding a company that specializes in these services for golf events can pay off so you do not hold up play.
   
   
8. Play us a song!  Music after the day of golf is a good way to set your event apart.  A live band is becoming rare at golf events, but there is a wealth of talent in almost any city.  I attended a software industry event that included golf and a dinner that afterwards featured a former member of the Eagles.  That was impressive (and I’ll bet expensive), so you have to gauge whether the expense will bring in the response and donations you’re seeking.  DJ’s and canned music are good as well, and help with setting the tone.
   
   
9. Always try to learn from your event.  What went right and what went wrong?  The best companies and non-profits in the world have horror stories to tell.  The fact that they learned from them is, in part, why they are now the best.
   
   
10. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!  One of the new paradigms in golf is for public course pro-shops to try to get e-mail addresses from people who play at their courses.  Why?  So they can then send newsletters, and thank the guests for patronizing their facility.  Wouldn’t it make sense to do so for a tournament?  That way you can easily send out a thank you note and perhaps a remembrance of the day (pictures, score totals, money raised, etc).  This makes sense to me.

So there you have it…My top-ten list of things you can do to make your next golf outing a success.

Practice, practice, practice…Enjoy Golf!

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