Charity Golf Tournament: How To
A charity golf tournament is one of the best ways to raise money for good causes. But how do you know which type of tournament is best suited for your organization? There are many factors to consider, including the number of people involved, the amount of space needed, and whether it's better to host a single round or multiple rounds over several days.
Fundraising Goals and Budget
Start simple. What is your fundraising goal? This is the main component, after you have figured out your goals you can plan how you will achieve those goals you have set in place. Find out exactly how much money you need to raise, what your budget is, and whether you can afford to pay for everything yourself. Then, look into the fees associated with each option. For example, you'll likely have to pay a fee to book the golf course, plus another fee to hire a caterer for refreshments. These fees aren't necessarily included in the price of tickets. However, they can easily eat away at your profits.If you want to host a successful tournament and reach your fundraising goal, you'll need to start early. Before you decide to hold a fundraiser, consider how much money you're willing to spend. You might find that you don't actually have enough to cover all your expenses. This is when you need to plan on how you are going to cover the costs, stay within budget and meet your fundraising goal.
Once you have reviewed everything write out how much the tournament will cost, how much money you would like to raise, what your budget is, and what is needed from sponsors. This will give you a clearer idea when planning your event.
Tournament format
Here are some examples of each style of tournament:
• Single Round: Players compete against each other in a set number of holes.• Multiple Rounds: Players compete in a set number of sets. Each player plays every hole once in each set.
• Matchplay: Players compete head-to-head in a match. Whoever wins a hole gets one point, and whoever loses a hole gets zero points. Points are tallied up at the end of the round.
• Scramble: The scramble format involves teams where each player on the team hits a tee shot, and then the players decide which shot they like better. The two players then play from that spot. The person whose shot was not taken picks up their ball and moves it to within one club length of the selected spot. Once the spot is selected, both players then play a shot from that spot, and again pick which one they like better. This continues until the hole out. (Scramble (nextgengolf.org)).
• Best Ball: (also known as fourball in the Ryder Cup) involves 2-person teams in your charity golf tournament where each player on the team plays his or her own golf ball throughout the round. After each hole the player with the lowest score on the hole (or “best ball”) out of the 2-person team serves as the team's score. The higher-scoring player's score is thrown out for that particular hole (Best Ball (nextgengolf.org)) This will speed up the charity golf tournament if you are in a time crunch.
Once you have figured out a plan on what route you are going to take your charity golf tournament it is time to plan the specifics.
Ticketing options
Adding different ticket options is an easy way to earn more money during tournament registration. Different ticket options means a different ticket price. The number of different ticket options that are available for you to create is endless. Here are some examples.Standard tickets: a standard ticket would include one round of golf for one person.
Standard viewing ticket: a ticket made for people who would like to support the tournament but not play golf. This will give them access to the grounds to view.
VIP viewing ticket: this will include access to the grounds and a golf cart for transportation.
4 some tickets: this ticket would include one round of golf for four people.
Vip ticket: this ticket would include one round of golf, a golf cart, and 2 free drinks during the tournament.
Group VIP ticket: the same as a VIP ticket but for a group of 4 people.
Gold ticket: VIP ticket with an add-on of a tournament polo, golf balls, and towel.
Again, these tickets can be whatever you want they don't have to be standard, general, and VIP tickets. Get creative with it! Think about your audience and what they would consider paying more for, then include that in your ticket!
Location
Finding the perfect golf course for a tournament is no easy task. There are many factors to consider, including location, amenities, price, and most importantly, whether or not the golf course offers discounts to charities. If you want to find the best deals, here are some tips to keep in mind.1. Have a Relationship With a Mutual Contact at the Golf Course
If you know someone who works at the golf course, ask him/her about the current availability of courses. This person might be able to give you access to information about what’s available and how much each course costs. He/she could even help you negotiate directly with the owner.
2. Showing Off Your Charity Will Help Get Discounts
Golf courses understand that having a great cause can help them attract customers. For example, if you organize a fundraising event for a local hospital, the golf course may offer discounted rates to make sure that people attend your charity golf tournament.
3. Consider the Seasonality of the Golf Courses
Peak season is usually during summertime, while shoulder season is during the fall and winter months. During these times, golf courses often lower their prices due to less competition. Also, if possible try scheduling your events on the weekdays because weekend tournaments tend to fill up quickly.
Sponsors
In order to stay within your budget, you are most likely going to need some outside help. Whether that be through finding volunteers, donations, or sponsors. Do not just limit yourself to donations.Other charities rely heavily on ticket sales. Some use both strategies. But whatever method you choose, it's important to understand that it won't work unless you do some research beforehand.
Picking a sponsor that will benefit you is challenging but once you get one that works for both of you it can be a great addition to your fundraiser. Sponsorships are essential for maximizing your profit and help you with staying within your budget.
Get your sponsor package early:
The best way to ensure you secure sponsorship deals is to get your package together early. This gives sponsors enough time to review your proposal and decide whether or not they want to sign on. If you wait until the day of the event, chances are your sponsor won't be able to commit. Instead, try getting your package together three months prior to the date of the event. That gives you ample time to find sponsors, negotiate contracts, and finalize everything.Make sure the sponsor is happy with their investment:
If your goal is to raise money for your cause, then you shouldn't just take whatever deal a potential sponsor offers you. You need to understand what their goals are and make sure they're happy with their investment. Ask yourself questions like "What does my sponsor care about?" and "How much money am I raising?" Then use that information to determine what type of sponsorship package works best for both parties.
Some items that can get sponsored for your charity golf tournament are hole sponsors, this is when a company essentially buys the hole and is able to advertise there when the tournament is going on or put a special flag on the pole with their logo. Other things that can be sponsored are the refreshments offered, say it would cost you $1,000 for refreshments, add that to the sponsor list and the sponsor will pay for the fee of refreshments but you will keep the profit for the charity for your charity golf tournament without having to take out cost from your total.
Marketing
Now that you know what you need to raise, think about how you'll attract potential donors. Will you promote the event on social media? Will you advertise in the local paper? How will you collect donations? What types of perks will you offer to participants? Once you've answered those questions, you'll be able to figure out the most effective way to sell tickets.Marketing is what will make or break your event. With fundraising events, there are a lot of different ways to market to people. You have to think of what audience you want to reach. Does your charity or cause already have a large following? Do you just want to market to your own following? Will that be enough to raise your goal amount or do you want to try and expand your following to create a larger event?
Once you have figured out who you would like to market to you can start!
If you are keeping your event with your known followers consider, email blasts or letters inviting them to join your event. Keep your marketing simple, you already have a following you do not need to worry about gaining an audience. You just need to ensure you are contacting and letting them know this event is happening.
If you are trying to reach a new audience this is when you need to focus more on marketing. Social media posts, guerrilla marketing, if you are having sponsors partner with them to cross-promote. Think about what is authentic to you are your audience, if it is supporting your local community consider maybe not promoting heavily online and go to your local businesses and promote there. There are so many ways to promote your event don't stress, you know what your goals are so picking the right one will come naturally.
Volunteers
If you feel like you need more help, recruit volunteers! People are happy to help, especially when it is helping out a good cause!Consider looking at local businesses, sometimes employers will offer compensation to their employees for volunteering. Schools are also a great place to look, many high schoolers and even college kids jump at the chance to volunteer. This allows them to add it to their resume and help out their future.
Once you have your volunteers make sure that you have a clear roll for each one, and type out directions for each roll. Keeping things organized is essential when dealing with volunteers.
Set yourself apart!
Add-on for non-golfers
Non-golfers can attend your tournament too. Do you see where we’re going here? Raising more money! By offering something beyond golf, you’ll attract more attendees. More attendees mean bigger profits. Plus, you’ll probably end up with more donors too. After all, there’s no reason why someone who attends your event needs to be a golfer. In fact, many of those people might never play golf again. But they still love spending time with their friends and family. And they’d love to support your cause.So how do you go about doing this? Well, let’s look at some examples.
Here’s one example: Charity recently held a charity golf tournament in New York City. The event raised over $7 million dollars. What did they do differently? First off, they offered a variety of activities. There were cooking demos, fitness classes, and even a scavenger hunt. These activities weren’t just for golfers. They were for anyone who wanted to spend a little extra time together.
Now, obviously, none of these events cost a ton of money. But they had the added benefit of attracting people who wouldn’t normally come to a charity golf tournament. As a result, they raised more money and got more donations.
Add-ons for golfers
At many tournaments, you can buy tickets, food, drinks, and merchandise. But what about those little extras? There are plenty of things you can offer to make your event stand out. Some of the most popular include:- Mulligans: A mulligan in golf is effectively a do-over, a second chance after a putt went awry or your tee-off ended up in the sand trap. You can provide mulligans for $10–$30, giving players another opportunity to sink the ball.
- Concession stands: Selling concessions gives you a way to generate additional income while keeping costs down.
- Golf balls: Selling golf balls can be a great way to boost sales. However, it’s important to keep in mind that golf balls aren’t cheap. You might want to partner up with local businesses to ensure you don’t overcharge.
After all, this isn't a PGA tournament a little extra help with your golf game is always a nice add-on.
Auction items
Add auction items or experiences to your event to bring in another reason for people to attend and of course, a bigger profit. Adding a silent auction to your event doesn't need to be difficult, creating it online allows for less work and faster bidding.Need auction items? Consider contacting a local business, they love to donate to a great cause and it will benefit them by getting their name out there as well. If you want to get bigger items or experiences consider a travel or event package that Events.org offers, a trip to Scottsdale for a weekend of golf, or tickets to the PGA finals!
With Events.org you can create a website to not only display your auction items to allow your attendees to bid easily but also promote your event and set up sign-up and registration. It is a one-stop shop for your event!
Signage
Signage is one of those things that doesn’t seem like it needs to matter much. But the truth is, it does. There are many ways to go wrong with sign design, whether you're designing your own signs or hiring someone else to do it.The most important thing to remember when creating your own signs is to keep the details. You don't want to miss anything. You don't want something to be overlooked because it wasn't noticed at first glance. So make sure everything is visible and clear.
Signage goes for both informational signs and decorative signs. A golf course is spread out, you don't want your guests to miss any of the extra add-ons that you created. As well as promotion, many people will be taking photos, and adding a large sign or backdrop for them to have a photo op in front of will encourage people to post at your event raising awareness for your charity. Adding an option for sponsors to create their own signs also is a great way to generate more money raised.
Follow up
Your job doesn't end when the big day arrives. There are still plenty of things to do once the party is over. Here are some ideas to help you out:1. Send thank-you notes to everyone involved. This includes donors, volunteers, vendors, caterers, and anyone else who helped make the event possible. You'll want to follow up with each person individually, thanking them for their support and letting them know how much the contribution meant to you and your organization.
2. Keep track of all expenses. If there are any charges you didn't anticipate, take note now. Then write those off as part of the cost of doing business.
3. Make sure you've got a list of contacts handy. Donors and volunteers often ask about future events, and you don't want to forget someone important.
4. Set aside time to plan the next one. The best fundraisers are planned ahead of time. They're designed to raise money, not just collect donations. So think about what worked well during the event and what could be improved upon next year while it's still fresh in your mind.
5. Check in regularly with your board members, committee members, and others who are responsible for making the event happen. Let them know how the event went, what they did well and where they could improve.
A charity golf tournament is a fun way to earn money for your cause. They are open to a wide variety of people and with our tips, even a larger group can participate in the fun! We hope this article gave you insight on how to plan your perfect charity golf tournament. Golf Outings
Your All-in-One Event Management Platform
Host Events with Ease! Events.org's comprehensive event management platform makes it easy to optimize, automate and maximize your organization's entire charitable event calendar.Events.org Benefits:
✓ Simple, Affordable Pricing for Paid Events: $1 per Transaction!
✓ FREE Events are always FREE
✓ Host & Manage Any Event
✓ Dedicated Customer Support
✓ Branded Event & Donation Pages
✓ Donor and Contacts Management (CRM)
✓ Membership Management
✓ Conference Management
✓ Volunteer Management
BONUS: Free access to the iBid's Mobile Auction AutoPilot™ - This automation tool saves you time & stress while streamlining auction tasks. Manage auction items and payment processing, including express checkout & digital receipts!
