Golf Tournament Ideas
Planning a golf tournament is an extensive undertaking. Even a simple tournament will take months of planning. It can turn a profit anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000 for your fundraising efforts. Before you commit, see what's involved. These Golf Tournament ideas will help get you started.
Planning a Golf Tournament
Large non-profit organizations host charitable fundraisers all the time and make enormous profits ($25,000, $50,0000, $75,000, etc.). We admit that their sponsorships and giveaways are on a much higher level. Here, we are providing you with information for a golf tournament geared toward a school. You will find that the size of the tournament may be different than that of a large corporate event, but the concept and preparation are essentially the same. And remember golf courses have course representatives that will work with you and walk you through the planning and execution of your tournament.
FORM A COMMITTEE:
Form a committee of volunteers that can assist you with the planning and execution of the golf tournament. You will need assistance contacting potential sponsors, collecting prizes and donations, and other planning details. On the day of the event you will need volunteers located at check-in, on the course, and in the dining area to ensure the day runs smoothly. Although not necessary, it's a good idea to have all of your staff wear similar clothing to make them easily identifiable on the day of the event. Golf shirts, perhaps in your school color, can be donated by a sponsor or purchased.
SET A FUNDRAISING GOAL:
By setting a goal, you will be better able to put together a program that helps you reach it. Considering the planning time involved, a reasonable minimum profit for a school is likely to be in the range of $5,000.
RESERVE THE GOLF COURSE:
Contact a local golf course and tell them of your plans. Remember that public & private courses vary dramatically in difficulty and price. Because you want to attract all skill levels (beginner to experienced) you do not need a difficult course. Remember your audience. You will be attracting players from the local community (school parents, local business people, etc.) and your primary goal is fundraising so you want to try and keep costs down.
Meet with the course representative in person to discuss a date and fees. Negotiate to keep the green & cart fees as low as possible. Since the town generally sponsors public courses, you are more likely get the tee or cart fees waived for a school fundraiser. Also, the event would bring business and profits to the course in other areas (food, beverages, etc.) on a day where the golf course normally would be much slower. If you do need to pay for tees and carts, you'll need to work that into your costs. Assuming tee, cart, and dinner fees total $50 per person, plan to charge ticket prices $15-25 above that for your fundraiser (i.e Tickets $75 per person).
RESERVE THE DINING FACILITY & CATERER:
When you pick a course, consider not only how many people can golf at a time, but also how many people you can sit for dinner at the end of the tournament. You will need a dining facility that can accommodate at least the number of people the golf course can accommodate. If the course does not offer a dining area, you will need to look into other options such as reserving another local function hall. Check with nonprofit organizations in the area (Elks, Rotary, or Lions clubs).
 
As part of the fee to play in the tournament, it's customary to have a well-prepared dinner at the end of the day. This will also be a time to give out awards & prizes and to draw the raffles. If the course also has a function hall, chances are they cater or work with a caterer on a regular basis. If you need to hire a caterer, ask the function hall for recommendations and interview them. Take advantage of the caterer's expertise and work with them to plan the food and beverages.
ADVERTISING:
The success of your tournament will depend upon the number of people you can draw to your event. A school's event is relatively small as compared to some national tournaments so we will focus our attention on reaching the local townspeople and businesses. See our sample Registration Form to make advertising easier. Advertising suggestions include:
- Flyers: Distribute flyers to parents of your own school or parents of all local schools. Be sure to contact the principal or PTO president for prior approval and request that they hand the flyers out to the students for you.
- Newsletter: Publish an advertisement in the school's newsletter.
- Newspaper: Place advertisements in the local newspaper.
- Letters: Contact local businesses. See Sponsorhips.
- Signs: Display an A-frame sign at the school's entrance or in a location visible during drop-off and pick-up hours as a constant reminder to families.
- Email: Send periodic email reminders. See our Increase Participation page for information on emailing.
- Website: Post an advertisement on the school's website.
For more information on advertising, Sign up and receive immediate access to Fundraising: Success is in the Details, a Free online guide from PTO Ideas featuring 8 essential steps to creating successful fundraisers. Click here.
SPONSORSHIPS:
In addition to registrations, sponsors are a key element in reaching your fundraising goal. Sponsors are businesses and individuals that donate money, products, or services to help offset the cost of the tournament.
- As a school, you automatically have a vast network of parents available to you. Utilize these contacts and have them ask their companies to sponsor the tournament in some way. If a parent works for a sporting goods store, ask them to donate golf products and equipment to give as prizes. If a parent works for a beverage company, ask them to donate water, soda, wine or beer.
- Send letters to local businesses, from small merchants to large corporations, requesting sponsorship.
- Follow-up all requests with phone calls.
Set up different levels of sponsorship and clearly identify in your brochure what the sponsor will receive for their participation. Following is one example.
- Platinum Sponsorship - $1,000: Platinum sponsors will be highlighted with a promotional display at the country club. They will also receive entry for one 4-player team in the tournament and dinner for the four players.
- Gold Sponsorship - $500: Gold sponsors will be acknowledged with a promotional display at a tee.
- Silver Sponsorship - $250: Silver sponsors will be acknowledged with a promotional display at a tee.
- Other appreciated sponsorships include Prize Sponsor, Raffle Sponsor, Hole-In-One Sponsor, and Practice Ball Sponsor.
SPONSOR SIGNS
Sponsor signs need to be printed to recognize the sponsor's generous donation to your fundraising event. Be sure to print a sign for every sponsor. This small gesture will go a long way. These signs are placed at the tees, along the course, at the clubhouse, or at the dining facility.
You can opt to negotiate with a local printer, perhaps they will be willing to donate to your event or offer a discounted rate. Order your signs early. Collect logos and exact spelling of corporate sponsor names. By working with a local printer, they may be able to help you collect logos electronically. Always obtain a printer's proof of all signage and forward a copy to the sponsor for approval prior to printing.
Or, order tee signs online at GolfTournamentSupplies.com. Golf Tournament Supplies offers kits for you to print your own full-color sponsor signs. Their Tee Sign System
comes with the posters and backing to make custom signs that you can put on
the stakes you already have or order a kit that includes the stakes. A key benefit to this is that you can print sponsor signs right up until the last minute, meaning you can continue to solicit sponsors right up until the last minute.
REGISTRATION:
Have players register using a Registration Form. The sample we've provided includes all necessary information (name, telephone, address, e-mail address, date, time, directions, and schedule of events). Set a registration deadline at several weeks prior to the event in order to give the course and caterer a final count. The registration form should specifically state that no refunds are allowed after the registration deadline. You will need to pay for players whether or not they show up. By setting an early deadline, this also gives you extra time to obtain additional sponsorships or plan additional raffles and contests if you need them to reach your fundraising goal.
Two to three weeks prior to the event, send each player a confirmation notice detailing the date, starting times, format of play, directions, food & beverage arrangements, and any specific information from the golf course itself. It's best to send this via e-mail since there is no mailing cost involved.
FOOD & BEVERAGE:
Your tournament will be a long day for all, generally beginning at 7:00/8:00am and running until mid-afternoon, so you'll want to provide snacks and drinks throughout the day. Consider providing a simple continental breakfast (coffee, juice, bagels, muffins) or a breakfast snack bar to take along. Lunch or dinner will be served at the end of the tournament. A buffet dinner is a good idea as players may stagger in from the golf course at different times. For an indoor function, a full steak dinner is one option. For an outdoor function, a barbecue would work well. Again, the golf course manager and caterer will give you ideas as to what they've done in the past.
To keep your players well hydrated on the course, you can offer a floating beverage cart. This is golf cart stocked with cold beverages and snacks that drives around the course during the day and offers beverages to the players. These can be sold for a small fee.
 
COMPLIMENTARY GIFTS:
Complimentary gifts are items that are given to each player just for participating in the tournament. They are usually handed out when players check in at the registration table. Gifts can consist of a goodie bag filled with snack foods, golf balls, tees, ball markers, pen, towel, glove, cap, golf shirt, tee shirt, or any other related promotional item. A good idea is to have companies sponsor these giveaways and include printed promotional items from their businesses right in the bags. This will save you time and money from having to print a separate sign.
Online stores like GigaGolf, Inc. offer all types of golf-related gifts.
Get exclusive offers and GigaGolf Coupons here.
PRIZES:
Prizes are given away to contest winners. These can either be a sponsored purchase, a donated item, or half the money collected from a contest. And remember, no donation should be turned away. Even small items can be given away as door prizes (random drawings) which do not warrant a raffle ticket purchase. It's not necessarily what you win, but winning something.
We recommend getting creative when seeking prize donations. Contact all types of businesses and ask for gift certificates or products. Some large resorts will donate overnight stays to nonprofit fundraisers if you write to them well in advance. Ask parents to donate as well. A chef may donate a night of cooking. A landscaper may donate a day of residential landscaping. A season ticket holder may donate their tickets to a professional game. Be creative!
CONTESTS:
Contests attract players to your tournament, provide added revenue above and beyond green fees, and make the day fun! Plan to have a staff member located at the tee where the contest is taking place to collect a fee (generally ranging from $5 to $20) from any player wanting to participate in the contest. Prizes can be given for just first place; or first, second, and third place; or two first place winners (one for men, one for women). The golf course management can help you designate at which hole each contest should be played. Plan to have several contests. Here are some examples:
- Closest to the Pin - This contest is played on a par three hole during the tournament. Leave a pen, notebook, and tape measure near the hole for players to measure the distance of their ball from the pin. The player with the tee shot closest to the pin wins. This can be run on more than one par three if available.
- Longest Drive - This contest is played on a par four or five hole with a straight fairway. The player with the longest tee shot in the fairway wins. Have a pen, notebook, and tape measure available.
- Straightest Drive - This contest is played on a par four or five hole with a straight fairway. The player with the straightest drive closest to the center of the fairway wins.
- Hole-In-One - This contest is played on a par three hole. A large prize is offered for the player who hits a hole-in-one. A corporate sponsor usually provides this prize. Hole-in-one insurance can be purchased (search "hole-in-one insurance" on the internet).
Don't forget to award prizes to the teams that win the overall tournament (first, second, and third place). Award equal prizes to all four players on a single team.
RAFFLES & SILENT AUCTION:
Selling raffle tickets and running a silent auction are two additional ways to make extra money toward your fundraising goal. Raffle prizes and auction items can be sponsored purchases and donated items (gift certificates, products, and services). Or, for a raffle, you can plan to set the prize at a monetary percentage of the money collected from the raffle. For example, first prize wins 25%, second place wins 15%, and third place wind 10%. Fifty percent of the collected funds will go to the school fundraiser. See Raffles and Auctions.
GOLFING STARTS & COMPETITION:
The tournament will begin using a shotgun start. This allows for two teams of four to begin playing at each hole at exactly the same time. If your team starts on hole 8, you would play 18 holes and end on hole 7. On an 18-hole course, that's 144 players beginning at the same time (18 holes x 8 players at each hole = 144 total). If you are playing on a 9-hole course you may want to have an early morning start and a noon-time start so you can accommodate the full 144 people. The golf course representative should help organize the start for you.
A Best Ball competition will keep the game moving at a steady pace. In a Best Ball competition, also known as a Scramble, each player of the four-person team hits from the tee. The team then makes their next set of shots from the spot where the best ball landed. This process continues until the ball is in the hole.
ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT:
The golf course representative will likely have most of these items already organized for you, but it's a good idea to work with the representative to ensure all is ready:
- Set up a registration table and a bag drop area.
- Set up sponsor signs in visible locations (registration area, clubhouse, dining area) and at the tees.
- Set out the pens, notebooks, and tape measures at contest tees.
- Confirm that golf carts are readily available and positioned in a convenient location to start.
- Scorecard, rules sheet, and goodie bags (if applicable) should be placed at the registration table and handed out to players upon arrival. Upon registration, remind players of special contests during the tournament and where to return their scorecards at the end of the tournament.
- Post a scoreboard that can be filled in as the scorecards are collected at the end of play.
- As the tournament organizer, you should designate all jobs to your volunteers ahead of time so that you are available to roam the golf course and dining facility throughout the day, monitor supplies, and attend to any major issues that arise. If possible, have radios to communicate.
THANK YOUR SPONSORS & GUESTS
Please remember to always send a thank you note to any company that sponsored the tournament or contributed a product or service. Specify the value of their donation and that they did not receive anything in return for their charitable contribution for their tax records. A thank you note can also be sent to your guests. Let them know how much money you were able to raise for your school due to their support. If this is an annual event, reserve the course immediately and you can also let them know the date of next year's event.
A letter can also be written to your local newspaper, along with photos, thanking your sponsors and guests for a successful fundraiser. This will serve as additional publicity for your corporate sponsors as well as publicity for your tournament. Remember to take pictures throughout the day.
7 DEADLY SINS OF RUNNING CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENTS
Tad Griffin of GolfTournamentSupplies.com takes the information we have provided you one step further. He has made available to PTO Ideas readers his
7 DEADLY SINS OF RUNNING CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENTS. Don't miss this information on the 7 critical mistakes that tournament coordinators must avoid making to have a successful event! He's included some DISCOUNTS for you too!
ONLINE STORES
Following are a few online stores that offer golf products, gifts, and sponsor signs:
Contact Tad Griffin direct at Golf Tournament Supplies to order tee & sponsor sign kits.
 
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SAMPLE REGISTRATION FORM
The following sample form is a two-sided, tri-fold brochure.
SAMPLE SPONSORSHIP REQUEST LETTER
Date
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Company Name:
The (school name) of (city, state) will be hosting a benefit golf tournament on (date). We are working toward raising funds for a new, state-of-the-art playground that will consist of swings, slides, monkey bars and other amenities for our children.
The state of the current playground area is in disrepair, as it is now 26 years old. Our fundraising goal to purchase new equipment is $45,000. This includes equipment, installation, and playground mulch, a requirement for a safe play environment. This golf tournament will bring us one step closer to providing a safe environment for our children. We are asking for the assistance of our community to make this happen. We are asking for your help by becoming a sponsor. Your generosity would be greatly appreciated and acknowledged at our event.
- Platinum Sponsorship - $1,000: Platinum sponsors will be highlighted with a promotional display at the country club. They will also receive entry for one 4-player team in the tournament and dinner for the four players.
- Gold Sponsorship - $500: Gold sponsors will be acknowledged with a promotional display at a tee.
- Silver Sponsorship - $250: Silver sponsors will be acknowledged with a promotional display at a tee.
We are also asking for donations in the form of gift certificates, products, and services. Anything that your company can contribute would be greatly appreciated. At this time we hope to have over 120 participants of all skill levels, both men and women. We would love to make this a fun, successful event by offering contests, prizes, and giveaways to our participants, but we need your help to make this happen and ultimately raise the funds for our school.
Please return the attached Sponsorship form to the School Name, Street, City, State, Zip, Attn: Tournament Coordinator Name, Tournament Coordinator. If you have any questions, I can be reached by phone at (phone) or by email at (email). Thank you, in advance, for your support.
Very Truly Yours,
Your Name
Tournament Coordinator
SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTER
Date
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Company Name Here:
We would like to express our sincere thanks for your generous support of the (School Name) School's golf tournament that took place on (date). This event was a huge success. We were able to raise over $12,000 toward our overall goal of $45,000 to purchase a new playground for our children.
The commitment and generosity of our community continue to amaze me. We hope to make this an annual event.
Please let this letter serve as a receipt for your donation for which you did not receive anything in return:
__________________(state donation here)___________________
Thank you again for your generous support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (phone) or (email).
Sincerely,
Your Name
Tournament Coordinator
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
PTO Ideas has provided you with ideas for planning a golf tournament. This information should not be used as a legal reference and may not be all-inclusive. We suggest consulting with the head of your school or any other essential professional.
Promotional codes to be redeemed through the individual vendors. Please present promotional code at time of purchase. One coupon per customer. Not valid for prior sales.
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