Throughout New Jersey in 2004 well over one hundred thousand rounds of golf were played by tens of thousands of golfers that attended thousands of golf tournaments. If you multiply these numbers times the totals from every other state across the nation, the result is a mind-boggling number that rivals the amount of transactions per second performed by a computer.
What possible reason could account for the increasing popularity of these events each year? The answer is simple. Organizing a golf outing fits well in a wide variety of scenarios: They're an easy way for a non-profit organization to raise funds for their favorite cause. Golf outings are an easy way to pay tribute to a friend or loved one who lost their lives, or for old friends to get together for a day of fun and camaraderie. When networking groups need a venue where they can spend several hours together with their customers, suppliers, peers and / or prospects, or when a company wants to show appreciation to their employees and customers, a golf outing is the easy way to bring them together. It might appear easy from the outside, but if it's your job to organize the event or if you're a volunteer who just wants to get involved and help out, you know first hand that there's nothing simple or easy about it.
The subject matter which follows takes you "inside the ropes", giving first hand experiences from a few brave souls that run annual tournaments, the courses that host them and an event management company which provides complete event solutions. It was designed to provide you with a hands on guide in a format that should streamline your efforts, whether you're a first time event planner or a group that needs to improve on a previous year's performance. Highlighted throughout are subtle Do's and Don'ts, to help you create your successful event.
Let's take a step back and define what we mean by a golf tournament and clarify the terminology. Throughout this article the terms tournaments, outings and events all refer to the same thing. Tournaments come in all shapes, sizes and reasons for being organized. They range from small groups of twelve or more golfers celebrating a birthday or holding a bachelor party, to charities or corporations with hundreds of attendees (and everything in-between). "All formats that have a winner are technically considered tournaments", states Tim Kreps, the General Manager at Harbor Pines in Egg Harbor. Golf events are designed to be fun, but the fact is they're a billion-dollar industry which accounts for millions of fundraising dollars each year. The proceeds provide needed scholarships and money that benefits many causes. Golf outings help fuel local economies, the golf courses and their concession businesses, plus the food and beverage industries with a high level of guaranteed business each season, regardless of weather conditions.
When Dave Acolia, a manager with UPS first decided to get involved at his district's annual golf fundraiser for The United Way, he just wanted to help. Eleven years later Acolia has taken charge, heading up the event with a passionate approach. When asked why he takes on this challenge each year, the conviction of his belief was clear. "Once I started volunteering at United Way community work days and saw first hand where the money goes, I was hooked. It's a year round effort organizing sponsors, asking business owners for prize donations and restaurants for gift certificates. I'm constantly asking for contributions and soliciting help from peers to raise awareness internally, but it's well worth all the effort. My time is also spent attending sports memorabilia shows, looking for interesting items to auction off at the dinner awards ceremony. A key to the success of our fundraising efforts is constant email communications, stressing the importance of registering with payment months in advance. Everyone is well informed of the opportunities to win prizes through hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the pin and double your money contests throughout the round. Also, it's a good idea to have special attractions such as a comedian and offer unique food items on certain holes. This assures that everyone is well fed and happy to contribute to the fundraising cause. A detail, which cannot be overstated, is developing a close relationship with the golf course. Mike Beal, club pro at Miry Run in Robbinsville who's hosted the event for several years knows our group well. He worked with us to reschedule last year's September rainout to early October. I can't stress enough the importance of surrounding yourself with people who understand your needs, to assure a successful tournament."
Paying attention to details is the key for Sally Roslow, a certified fundraising executive for the New Jersey Hospital Association. Talk about pressure, for the past seven years Roslow has run a tournament for CEO's, Board and Trustee members each September at TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton. As you would imagine expectations are high. "From the moment they drive through the gates and are welcomed at the bag drop, the number one goal is for our members to have a day of fun and camaraderie, networking with their peers," says Roslow. "Every detail is taken care of beginning with spelling each participant's name correctly on the master list, then presenting it to the golf course several days in advance of the event. Years ago we made sure we didn't lose money, but now it's become a serious fundraising event for scholarships. As a rule, payment must be received with registration form prior to the event. The entry fee is inclusive of a donation, plus all golf and food expenses, so the only time members need to reach into their pockets is for a golf ball, a tee or ball marker, etc. Each participant receives a quality tee gift and a chance to win prizes for a hole-in-one. One major detail which cannot be overlooked is this; raffles, mulligans and door prizes fall under the gaming laws of the State of New Jersey. They all require a license to be legal. The donation of a car cannot include any additional expense, so it can't be a lease. Be sure to get adequate hole-in-one insurance, competent witnesses and don't forget to send a 1099 to the winner. It's a year round planning process. Knowing your audience is important for a number of reasons, but especially when planning a stroke play format. Pairing foursomes is always a challenge. It's important to make every effort to avoid personality conflicts while assuring that a round of golf is played in the allotted time". With two groups starting on each hole (except on par threes), keeping track of the speed of play and where groups are at all times is just another detail Roslow pays personal attention to. "Never forget to recognize your sponsors, the foundation for supporting your event. Like many things in life vendors change, so expect to always be cultivating new sponsors and be sure to show your appreciation often. You can only control so much," but giving the personal touch is something she takes great pride in providing to all members.
Ask the question, "what makes a good tournament from a bad or mediocre one" and without hesitation Kim Rifici will tell you about the merits of an organized committee. As a veteran of five years coordinating events at Valleybrook Golf Club in Blackwood, Rifici highly recommends committees meet regularly, communicating on a weekly basis. Cooperation between groups and the golf course benefits both parties. How does she measure success? "When a group rebooks immediately, we know that the event was a success and planning next year's event has already begun". She adds, "book well in advance and don't try to do everything yourself. Give as much to participants as possible, like planning a picnic lunch prior and an awards dinner after golf. Because fundraising accounts for the majority of our events, many sponsorship opportunities are part of every event. Examples include tee signage on each hole, prize holes and beverage carts. Remember, the real dollars raised come from prizes, sponsors and extras, not the golf".
As simple as it sounds, "expect the unexpected and set your priorities," says Todd Edelman, Golf Outing Sales Manager at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township since 1998. Edelman, a veteran of many years of personal experience in his current role also acts as the coordinator of his own annual event. He runs a memorial fundraiser for a childhood friend who died in the events of September 11. With more hands on experience than most he suggests that a group first needs to plan ahead and determine what's most important to the success of their tournament. As examples, are they looking for a low price with an ala carte buffet style for lunch or a higher quality complete day with several meals and all the amenities? If this is your first event or if you're looking to improve on a past years, don't be afraid to ask the course for help or work with a Golf Event Management company that does this as a core business.
"When groups come to me I suggest they have a few checklist items prepared, which include:
- Select a preferred date plus an alternative or two, just in case the course is already booked
- Have a budget range already set
- Determine main objectives. Ex: Is it a fundraiser, business appreciation, memorial?
- Organize a committee of dedicated volunteers who have experience with organizing events
- Have more than enough sponsors
- Plan on giving yourself at least six months in advance to prepare. Never think it's too early to start
- Advertise the event several months in advance. It's better to overbook than under subscribe
- Getting registration and money well in advance of your event
- Suggesting a suitable format for the participants. Scramble, stroke play etc."
Thus far there's been no mention of the main obstacle for a successful tournament, the weather. Frost delays are easier to deal with than rain by scheduling starting times after 10:00 before mid May and after Labor Day. Like the expression, "the best way to get out of a Full Nelson is to not get into one in the first place"; it's best not to schedule your event on a day when it's going to rain. All kidding aside, we all know that predicting the weather several months in advance is not a viable option. At Fiddlers Elbow Country Club in Far Hills, they've come up with some creative ways to deal with rainy days. Just in case conditions are absolutely unplayable, their 54-hole facility affords the flexibility to re-schedule later in the season. There's so much planning and effort involved that canceling is not an attractive option for the event's planners. On rainy days, Golf Event Manager Joe Febonio and his staff work with the committee on ideas like adjusting the format or playing nine holes and moving up dinner, to allow the group's main purpose to continue. "With Monday - Thursday designated for tournaments, it's our job to assure that the show can still go on as scheduled".
The golf outing at the New Jersey Chapter of Meeting Professionals International "MPI" represents each year's largest fundraiser and networking event. A long list of responsibilities are delegated to their team of committee members, all hard working professionals with full time careers and families to juggle. Topping this year's list was issuing a request for proposal for selecting a new course to host the event. Along with meeting their budget requirements, a central location weighed heavily into the selection because members are spread throughout the Tri state area. Next, last year's sponsor's are contacted by the entire committee, asking for their continued support. With the financial issues behind them, MPI focuses on their main objective of networking. The golf tournament represents a priceless opportunity to spend a full day in a relaxed setting. Members can make connections and conduct business without cell phones and the typical everyday distractions. With 144 golfers of all skill levels, a five or more hour round is factored into the plans and actually a positive thing. There's time to network with peers, suppliers and friends, plus give their mental batteries a well-needed charge. Overall success is often times measured by a group's ability to master tiny details, that seem minor but aren't. Cathy Reynolds, who heads up all special events for the MPI chapter, reminds us that people often remember the first and last events of the day. That means making sure to have a warm welcoming committee at check-in and don't ever take for granted the importance of the PA system at dinner. This assures that your awards ceremony leaves a positive lasting impression.
When your event needs an experienced hands on partner with industry connections, a Golf Event Management company may be a no brainer solution. For sixteen years, Greg Porcino President of GEM Marketing based in Somerville, has made a business of assisting a diverse group of tournament organizers achieve their goals. Need to do a better job reaching your target market, improving your identity or just freeing up employees to do their real jobs? Working with an event management company will quickly justify the investment by allowing committees to focus on selling the tournament, achieving revenue goals. Maybe your group needs help being recognized or simply more entertaining for guests. If so, you can leverage their relationships with media outlets, entertainers / celebrities, special attractions and product / equipment manufacturers. For first timers, they can eliminate the learning curve, reducing both risk and anxiety. With today's busy lifestyles tournaments are constantly challenged to maintain attendance and profitability. For any or all of these reasons Golf Event Management companies may be the right choice for creating your successful tournament.
When Bill Kennedy, assistant sports editor and golf writer for the Times of Trenton attends an outing, it's usually because he wants to play the course that's hosting it. For the past six years, Kennedy holds his annual reunion for high school alumni (he's in his sixties) and friends, as part of The William Morton Foundation golf tournament. Each year the fundraising effort provides a student athlete with much needed money for college. Kennedy will admit that he breaks most of the rules like doing almost all of the work himself and playing in his own event. He also takes verbal registrations, trusting that his friends will attend and pay him because they said they would. "I play in the event to keep my sanity. At the end of the day, everyone has fun and money was raised for a good cause. That's what running a tournament is all about".
There are no hard and fast rules for creating a successful golf tournament BUT unless you enjoy living life on the edge, follow the Do's and Don'ts (in no particular order of importance) below:
Do's:
1. Organize a strong committee and delegate responsibility
2. Have constant communications with attendees and committees
3. Develop a good relationship with key event sponsors
4. Send a "thank you" to sponsors and attendees
5. Advertise the event aggressively
6. Form a strong partnership with the golf course
7. Provide quality prizes and amenities
8. Insist on early registration and payment
9. Plan next year's event early
10. Keep the awards ceremony short
Don'ts:
1. Try to do all the work yourself
2. Select a site before budget is set
3. Have an alternative date for holding the event
4. Cut corners on food and beverage issues
5. Take verbal registration and payment commitments
6. Under subscribe sponsors
7. Play in your own event
8. Overbook with too many players
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Alan Martin
