As you begin planning your organization’s next golf tournament, consider the following suggestions to take your golf tournament from a ‘good event’ to a ‘great golf experience’:
1. Talk to your biggest event partner – the golf course – about last year’s tournament and how you can work together to improve the event for next year and offer a better experience to your golfers. For example, if the pace of play was too slow this year, review with the golf course staff how you can improve upon that aspect of the tournament next year. Also consider asking the golf course to provide every golfer with a small gift from the golf course – perhaps a gift card that can be redeemed in the pro shop on the day of the tournament.
2. Keep the event fresh and interesting particularly if it is a long running tournament. Consider adding one or two new elements to the event that will enhance the golfer’s experience that day and link their enjoyment with your charity. You might want to add in a pre-tournament golf clinic or a golf club demonstration from a leading manufacturer (e.g. Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade) on the driving range.
3. Recognize your most loyal supporters : at the next tournament publicly acknowledge those golfers and sponsors who have been supporting the tournament for 5, 10 or 15 years (or longer!)
4. Use social media tools to both promote your event in advance and to report on the tournament as it occurs.
5. Golfer gifts : many tournaments provide a significant golfer gift at registration which is a great idea. But you can enhance the experience by thanking your golfers with an additional small golfer gift as they play through a particular hole or as they come off the golf course. Have a senior volunteer or staff person from your organization on hand to personally greet and thank these loyal supporters.
Best of luck to all charity golf tournaments.
Frank MacGrath is the President & CEO of Golf Tournaments Incorporated located in Aurora, Ontario. GTI has been organizing fundraising golf tournaments for a variety of charities, non-profit organizations and corporations since 1993.
You can reach Frank at 905-726-4488 or fmacgrath@gtigolf.com