Best Golf Tournament Formats for Charity Outings
Have an upcoming charity outing? Make sure you pick the best golf tournament format for maximum efficiency. This article provides an overview of the most popular types of fundraising and charity golf tournament formats. We typically see these golf tournament formats in the thousands of charity golf tournaments we help organizations plan and manage.
Choosing the right golf tournament format can make or break your charity golf event. We suggest talking to people on your golf organizing committee and golf pros at the hosting course for suggestions and recommendations about popular formats in your area. You will want to consider your audience, as some formats are fun and more laid back, while others are more formal and serious. Your best bet will be to choose a tournament format players are familiar with, so they will thoroughly enjoy your charity golf tournament or fundraising golf event.
The Scramble – The Most Popular Golf Tournament Format
The most common golf tournament format used with fundraising events and corporate golf tournaments alike is called a scramble. It’s often called the four-man scramble or Florida scramble as well. This popular tournament allows a team of four to select the best shot in each individual series of hits. Then the entire foursome will take their next shot from this location. This pattern continues to the end of each hole. Remember that when playing a scramble, you can drop your ball within one club length from where the chosen ball lies but no closer to the hole. The advantage of a scramble golf tournament format is that each team will get its best possible score while wasting no time trying to locate balls hit into trees, sand traps, creeks, or lakes. A Scramble is usually played with teams of four but can be played with more team members or as few as two golfers per team.
Online registration for a golf scramble is easy for individual golfers and golf foursomes with our Golf Pro golf tournament software.
Best Ball
This popular golf tournament format is popular with more advanced golfers who like to play their own ball. This format is also called Four Ball Format and 1-2-3 Best Ball Format. Just like a scramble, Best Ball is usually played with four-person teams. Each player on the team plays his or her ball for each hole, just as you would in a typical game of golf. However, at the end of each hole, the lowest score among the four players counts as the team score. There can be two best ball formats, where you must count two balls on each hole. The more balls that count helps keep all of the players involved in the fate of the team.
Golf Marathons (Golf-a-Thons)
A golf marathon, 100 holes of golf tournament, or golf-a-thon has become a very popular fundraiser for charity golf events. A golf marathon is organized so the golfers play 100 holes of golf or a similar feat worthy of the marathon title. This format generally means that there are fewer golfers on the course for a longer period of time.
The key to a successful golf-a-thon is getting each player to collect pledges and donations for a charitable cause. With our crowdfunding platform for golf marathons, participating golfers register and create a personal fundraising page. They then contact friends, colleagues, and family members via email or social media and solicit donations for participating in the golf marathon. With this golf tournament format, the golfer is often not charged to play if they meet the minimum donation standards (which can be quite high). Free golf – that will really give golfers an incentive to raise funds for the hosting organization! Pledges and donations can be made easily and securely online using our golf fundraising software.
Alternate Shot
This golf tournament format (also called Foursomes) involves two-person teams and is a competition where the team alternates who hits each shot while playing the same ball. The first player hits the drive, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on, until the ball is holed. The team also alternates who tees off on each hole, so the same player doesn’t hit every drive. Other variations of this format are Odds and Evens and Scotch Foursomes.
Modified Stableford
A Modified Stableford golf competition can be played by individuals or as a team tournament. In this golf tournament format, the score on each hole is worth a certain amount of points. The idea is to have the highest score. Typical scores are outlined below. The International, played on the PGA Tour every year, is a Modified Stableford.
Points are won or lost based on the following:
- Double eagle = 8 points
- Eagle = 5 points
- Birdie = 2 points
- Par = 0 points
- Bogey = Minus 1 point
- Double bogey or worse = Minus 3 points
Chapman (Pinehurst) Foursome
When the Chapman (or Pinehurst) System is chosen as the format for a charity golf tournament, it means that 2-person teams will be competing against one another. Chapman is really a melding of several formats into one. In a Chapman event, both golfers tee off and then switch balls for their second shot. Teammates then select the one best ball after their second shots, and continue to play alternate shots until the ball ends up in the hole.
Bingo-Bango-Bongo Golf Tournament Format
This golf tournament format is one of the most popular choices for golf associations and league tournaments. Bingo Bango Bongo rewards players for three things on each hole:
- The first player in the group to get onto the green = 1 point
- The closest player to the pin once all group members are on the green = 1 point
- The first player to hit the ball in the cup (or hole out) = 1 point
All shots are taken in the order of who is away or furthest from the pin.
Looking for Powerful Golf Tournament Management Software?
GolfRegistrations is the industry’s leading golf tournament management system for coordinating your fundraising golf tournament’s full event life cycle. Our golf tournament software packages manage the following:
- individual and team registration,
- sponsorship sales, which may include registrations,
- golf product sales,
- sponsorship promotion,
- event promotion via an email communications system,
- team pairing and hole assignments,
- as well as many other administrative golf tournament management and financial reporting functions.
More Golf Tournament Resources
As part of our commitment to helping organizations better plan and manage charity golf tournaments, GolfRegistrations offers many free tools and resources. Our Golf Tournament Planning section includes a tournament planner and checklist, a customizable tournament budget, standard letter templates, and event flyers. We offer information on golf tournament contests and charity auctions to help you raise more money at your next tournament.
Looking for other fun golf fundraising ideas and detailed steps on how to organize a golf tournament? We offer plenty of golf tournament resources to help you plan and manage your charity golf event.
