As far as association events go, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a conference, board meeting, or educational opportunity for members. Obviously, these are all incredibly important to your organization for a variety of reasons. But what about an event that lets your members take a break from the meeting room and engage in some friendly competition? Many of Capital Association Management (CAM)’s clients hold golf tournaments in conjunction with their annual conferences, and your organization can too. If you don’t know where to start, here’s your guide to planning a golf tournament for your association.
Why Golf?
You may wonder why golf is such a popular option for association events. CAM Vice President Ray Bert says there are three main reasons: recreation, networking, and camaraderie. He says, “Think about it: is there another activity that allows members to spend time outside and get some exercise while still getting to know one another and even conducting business? There is a reason that golf has a long-standing affiliation with business.”
An opportunity to be active outdoors is far preferable to a meeting in a conference room, but it still allows for conversation among colleagues. Association golf tournaments also provide a chance for members to work together, which is beneficial whether they are paired with a long-time friend or a new acquaintance. Any opportunity for members to cooperate and help each other is an opportunity to strengthen the association.
Tournament Format
The first thing to take into consideration when planning a golf tournament is the format. Our clients typically use a scramble format with a shotgun start, which helps to keep things fun, friendly, and moving along. The scramble format involves teams of four players. At each hole, all four players tee off, but instead of each player continuing from where their ball lands after the first stroke, they choose the best shot and all members proceed from the location of that ball. This reduces the pressure on players, allowing them to work together for the benefit of their team and alleviating any stress for players who are not as confident in their golf game.
The shotgun start is helpful so that a tournament with a larger number of players doesn’t take all day. Instead of each team waiting for their turn to start from the first hole on the course, the teams are spread out across the holes and rotate throughout the tournament. So a team might start playing at the fourth hole and proceed through the course from there, ending at the third hole. This way, all of the teams start at the same time and the tournament moves faster.
Location, Location, Location
Depending on the location of your conference, you may need to start planning early, as you have to take factors like course availability and number of players into consideration. If your conference venue does not have an associated golf course, use local resources to find one that will work for your group. The city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau can often provide information about golf courses in the area. Even better, ask your local members for their course recommendations. Members know the area, and they know where they would want to go, so they will give the best local insights.
Once you have an estimate of your number of players, contact local courses to see if they can accommodate your group. This doesn’t just mean group size, though — make sure that the course you want has space on their calendar for the dates of your event, and check whether they can provide for players who will need to rent clubs for the day. Public courses are more likely to have a variety of clubs for both left- and right-handed players available for rental.
Iron Out Details
Another important step in planning a successful golf tournament is knowing your golfers. Gather the following information from participants through your event registration form:
- Their average 18-hole score
- Whether they are left- or right-handed
- Whether they will bring their own clubs or need to rent
Knowing this information is crucial for a few reasons. First, it helps you coordinate resources like rental clubs with the course ahead of time. Second, it is essential information for building your tournament teams. When putting teams together for your tournament, aim for balance — pair players with more experience and better average scores with those who are less experienced so that teams have a range of abilities.
The next details to consider are things that will help the event run smoothly and keep your members happy. Consider whether you will offer any gifts for participants — is there something they might need or want for the occasion, like a hat, sunglasses, or golf balls branded with your organization’s logo? These will need to be designed and ordered. Also think about any awards you will give out — trophies for the winning team and any other awards will need to be ordered ahead of time.
You’ll also need signage for the course. This is a great opportunity to get sponsors involved. If there are companies that your organization works with, whether they already plan to sponsor or exhibit at your meeting or not, ask if they want to sponsor a hole, an award, or food/drinks for the golf tournament. This gives them the chance to get their name and logo in front of your members in a unique way, and even lets them make connections in person if their representatives choose to participate in the tournament.
To the Course!
The logistics of tournament day are extensive, but there are two essential pieces we haven’t covered yet: getting people to the course and making sure they have food and drink. Tournament participants need to know where things are and how they’re getting there. If the course is on hotel property, make sure you have adequate signage directing players to the pro shop or other starting point. If it is off property, make sure that the golfers know where to meet for transportation. When everyone arrives, be ready to share all the information they need about clubs, golf carts, and drink tickets for the day.
The course location and the event start time will have an impact on your food and beverage choices for the day. If the course is farther away, consider providing breakfast first thing for golfers to take with them on the bus. If the course is on property, think about the start time when planning the food. An earlier start time might mean that you provide coffee in the morning and then lunch after the tournament concludes. For refreshments during the tournament, coordinate with the course to have a beverage cart or someone to take drink orders while golfers are playing. Use drink tickets to make the process easier on everyone.
There’s a lot that goes into planning a golf tournament, but the effort is worth it to create an exciting event that allows your members to get outside, have fun together, and network while they’re at it. If you need further advice on planning golf tournaments or other events for your association, reach out to Capital Association Management today!
