Tee it Up for Golf Tournament Season

NOTE: This article first appeared in AvidGolfer Houston (March-April 2006) and is the first in a three-part series, written by Marianne Lines, on how to plan a successful golf tournament. The first installment focuses on setting the stage for a successful tournament. These and future organizing tips will help you increase attendance at your golf tournament, welcome golfers of all skill levels and ensure sponsors support your cause, year after year. May you have a great tournament!

So you volunteered to organize a golf tournament. Now what do you do? Relax, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you are a first-time organizer or a veteran, planning a golf tournament can be overwhelming. There are endless details to coordinate, timely decisions to be made and volunteers to keep motivated. Using the following tips can ensure that your tournament is fun, successful and profitable.

1. Is a tournament right for you? Just because you are a golfer or have played in a tournament, does not mean every golf tournament is right for you or your organization. While the game is a great fit for bringing people together for worthy causes, ask your team and yourself these crucial questions. Do we know our key supporters? Is there a leader to motivate and guide the group? Can we rely on someone who is highly organized? Do we have a base of golfers to participate? If you can answer YES to all four questions, then it’s time to start planning your golf tournament.

2. Stick to your tournament goals. Whether you are hosting a charity fundraiser, a business networking event or a competitive tournament, make sure everyone understands the golf tournament’s purpose and how you plan to get there. Trying to achieve too many goals or having ever-changing expectations within the group will dilute your team’s energy, disappoint golfers and result in unrealized dreams.

3. How much can our golf tournament make? While estimates of the number of tournaments organized annually in the United States range from 500,000 to one million tournaments, most sources agree that the average “profit” for a first-time charity tournament is about $5,000. So why organize a tournament if six months of hard work nets only $5,000? Because some tournaments have shown – within a few short years – that they can grow to nearly 300 players, compete on two courses and raise more than $100,000. One should think big and ask, “How can we exceed the tournament’s financial goal?” rather than settling for “How much can we make?”

4. A golf tournament is more work than you think. Organizing a golf tournament is some of the most time-consuming work for a group. There are always more details than anticipated; it takes longer to secure sponsorship dollars than you think and, yes, sometimes volunteers’ enthusiasm wanes, leaving a few committee members to carry the extra work.

5. A golf tournament committee means strength in numbers. While it may appear easier to do the work yourself, do not attempt to organize a tournament alone. The saying, “There is strength in numbers” truly applies to golf tournament planning. Even professional tournament planners rely on the strength of working with a committee of four to eight workers. Aside from sharing the detailed work, committee members contribute invaluable ideas, establish and maintain relationships with possible sponsors, golfing foursomes and most importantly, they help support your goals.

6. Get and keep everyone on board. Nothing spells disaster faster than losing the support of committee members, board members or anyone who can cancel or undermine a tournament after months of planning. This can be a very costly and debilitating mistake for your group. Keep the right people informed and engaged, continually.

7. Choose the right golf course. Choosing a golf course is critical to a successful golf tournament. While golfers are interested supporting a worthy charitable cause or networking with their business peers, all golfers just love to play and will appreciate courses that are new and trendy. They want to play on a course known for its optimal conditions and one that they wouldn’t normally be able to play.

8. Facility matters. While a course may get rave reviews, make sure the rest of the facility can handle the post-tournament event you want to plan. Maybe an outdoor pavilion will make it difficult to hear a presentation from a high-profile sponsor. Eighty players will remember being crammed into a clubhouse lounge, possibly not playing next year. Golfers surviving a searing round of summer golf in Texas need an air-conditioned facility.

9. Value tops the price. While every organizer wants to leave more funds in their tournament budget, the lowest-priced course should not be your primary factor in making your decision. Having a helpful course staff with extensive tournament experience is vital, as is obtaining a facility that meets your group’s needs and will attract golfers year after year. Work with a top-notch facility and instead secure the best tournament rate by hosting a tournament off-season or during the week.

10. Confirm details with the golf course. The professional staff at the course will want to know the number of players, date and preferred starting time, the number and type of on-site meals and what kind of post-tournament event you envision. Don’t forget to ask about due dates for deposit, golfer guarantees, cancellation terms and a weather policy. Remember that your date of choice is not secure until you sign the contract and provide the course with a deposit.

After you determine that a golf tournament is right for you, set a realistic financial goal, recruit key supporters and partner with the right course. These essential steps will help you set the stage for a successful golf tournament.

Good luck getting started. Check back in the next issue of AVIDGOLFER to learn how to attract and secure long-term supporters, recruit a full field of golfers, and how to survive the pressures that accompany planning a successful event.