How to Organize a Charity Golf Tournament

Your organization has decided to host a charity golf tournament or golf tournament fundraiser and you’ve been asked to help plan it. The content created here is designed to answer the question, “Where do I start to successfully plan a charity golf tournament?” We’ve provided basic guidelines for organizing and planning a golf tournament fundraiser with a focus on the following steps:

• Initial Golf Tournament Planning and Research
• Golf Tournament Committee Formation
• Selecting & Negotiating with a Golf Course
• Recruiting Golfers
• Online Registration for Golfers and Sponsors
• Adding Contests and Additional Revenue Boosters

Charity golf tournaments are known to be one of the most lucrative fundraising events if done right. This information will help keep your tournament planning process on track and make you look like a pro on the day of your golf event. Whether this is your first time planning a golf tournament or you already have an established fundraising event, a GolfRegistrations website can help make it even better.

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Assemble Your Charity Golf Tournament Planning Committee

Successful golf tournament fundraisers hinge on the recruitment and action of a strong leadership team. Ideally, your team should be comprised of individuals with diverse skills and talents that share a common interest in the organization’s success. It is also highly suggested that you get knowledgeable golfers involved in your event planning committee. They may not know about fundraising, but they’ve been to enough golf tournaments to know what works and what doesn’t.

Working smart at this stage of the game requires delegation. Consider assigning a person (or team of people) to the following tournament areas:

• Corporate Sponsorship and Donations: Corporate and business sponsors are an integral part of most charity golf events. This person or team should have experience in sales and building partnerships to create sponsorship packages that outline benefits and obligations. They will then raise money for your organization by soliciting event sponsorships from local businesses. In-kind donations can also be solicited for printed materials, silent auction items, raffle prizes, goody back inclusions, beverages on the course, and more. The sponsorship coordinator or group will want to work closely with the marketing team to ensure all sponsorship obligations are fulfilled (i.e. signage, logo inclusion on printed materials, thank you’s, and more).
• Marketing & Public Relations: It will be beneficial to have someone with a communications background for this role. This person will write press releases and pitch story ideas to the media. They will also create print and promotional materials (i.e. flyers, print ads, event posters) to help spread the word about the event throughout the community.
• Hospitality & Day of Event Operations: He or she organizes Day of Event logistics including table or tent rentals, cash boxes, golf cart rentals, placing event signage, and more. This group also plans breakfast and post-tournament meals and activities and coordinates entertainment.
• Photographer: It may be a nice gesture to have an on-site photographer take pictures at the event. These photos will be great assets for the post-event recap on your website and newsletter. Great pictures will also help in your general fundraising efforts and for next year’s event recruitment.
• Prize Committee: This person or group is responsible for finding items for goody bags that each golfer receives such as golf balls, tees, and other small promotional items. They will also work with the sponsorship coordinator to assist with obtaining donated items for golf tournament contests, fundraising raffles, and possibly a charity auction.
• Volunteer Manager or Committee: This group will organize staff & volunteers for the day of event activities including:
  • Judging Panel – Recruit a few volunteers who know the game of golf well to help keep order on the course, judge on-course contests, manage mulligans, and the like.
  • Welcome Committee – Friendly, outgoing individuals to welcome guests, set up registration tables, prize tables, distribute goody bags, snacks, drink tickets, and sell raffle tickets.

Recruiting Golfers for the Tournament

Now that you have a strong team in place as well as the ideal course, it’s time to find some golfers. There are several reasons why golfers will want to participate in your charity tournament, so be sure to focus on all of these areas in your marketing efforts:

• Your Cause – The best place to start recruiting is with the people that already support your organization and cause. They love or have been personally affected by your cause, and will support you because of that. Even if they don’t golf, they will find golfer friends or come to the banquet afterward.
• The Event – This is where you can draw new people into your circle. There are people who’d like to spend every waking moment playing golf. For them, your tournament is a chance to enjoy some fun with friends and they can feel good about doing it. Fundraising contests and games will add to the allure, as will the after-party with a silent auction and more fun.
• The Course – Hosting a charity golf tournament at a private golf course can be a big draw. Many people that wouldn’t normally be able to golf here would love the opportunity to come for the day. Keep this in mind and advertise the course widely on your tournament website and flyers.
• Your People – Golf tournaments are social events. If your committee members know lots of people, love to play golf and network, then your organization will do just fine recruiting golfers. Another way to do this is by recruiting a local celebrity to golf or emcee at the awards dinner.

Then, make it easy for golfers to get involved. Provide easy, online registration.

Adding Additional Revenue Boosters to the Tournament

When organizing a charity golf tournament, one of the most important considerations will be to look at ways to bring in additional revenue. Even many corporate golf events include a charitable component and include fundraising ideas and contests. Below are some fundraising ideas to consider when organizing a fundraising golf tournament:

• Reach out to the community and local businesses for golf tournament sponsorships. What a great way to start out on the right financial footing and raise money early on in the event planning process. By hosting a charity golf event that draws in businesses and influential community members, promoting cash and in-kind sponsorship packages should be easy. Sponsorship benefits may be outlined and packages sold securely on your golf tournament website.
• Selling golf products, such as mulligan packages (which cost your organization nothing) can really boost revenues
• Host a fundraising raffle and/or silent auction
• Golf tournament contests add excitement to your golf fundraiser by giving golfers an opportunity to win money and prizes. They also provide an opportunity for your organization to raise more money for your cause by collecting wagers and fees for participating. A Hole-in-One contest is one of the most popular formats for charity events.

We offer more great golf fundraising ideas to help your organization earn more money before, on the course, and after your charity golf event.