Why You Shouldn’t Cancel Your Golf Tournament After Its Inaugural Year

Written by Jack Duty, Regional Tournament Director – Los Angeles / Orange County

Golf tournaments are one of the most fun and efficient ways to raise funds for your cause, yet generally the first year of a golf tournament can be the most difficult. But that doesn’t mean you should get discouraged or cancel your event after its inaugural year. The first annual golf tournament you host will most likely not sell out, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t host it again the next year. A small golf tournament is better than no golf tournament, and you should always continue your tournament year after year, regardless of how many players commit and play. An established tournament is a long-term commitment, and everyone must start somewhere! Continuing your golf tournament after its first year is the first step to establishing a well-known, fun fundraising event that helps your organization raise much-needed money.

For first-year golf tournament planners, don’t forget some of the vital responsibilities that come with starting your first golf tournament:

• Forming a committee of volunteers
• Delegating each volunteer curtain responsibilities
• Scheduling the agenda for the golf tournament
• Finding a course that fits your needs
• Marketing and advertising for players
• Obtaining sponsorship
• Organizing the day-of event volunteers

Something to keep in mind: Many small golf tournaments run the risk of reaching or exceeding their revenue goals, regardless of the amount of players they recruit. Keep in mind that sponsorships are the main source of generating funds for your cause. If you start early enough, you can secure sponsorships which can guarantee another golf tournament in the coming years, regardless of how many players sign up. Sponsorships can cover a number of costs incurred with any golf event, including the Green Fees, Cart Fees, food & beverage, prizes for the auction, raffle, and any other miscellaneous items you might need for your specific event. A “rookie mistake” that some first-time tournament planners make is focusing too much on trying to make revenue off the sign-ups and player entry fees. This can drive down interest in your tournament, and discourage players from signing up. Instead, focus on obtaining more sponsors to reach your fundraising goal, and keep the entry fee per player as low as you can.

So what other ways can you raise money for your tournament? Even for the smallest golf tournaments, there are several fun and creative options. Helicopter ball drops are a great way to raise money, and can be done for even small events. Golf balls for the drop can be sold by everyone involved in your tournament, long before the day of the event. And they can be sold to non-golfers as well, expanding the potential amount of money raised. If you sell each ball for $10, and you sell 500 balls, that’s $5,000! You can cap your prize/winnings for the ball that lands in the hole (or closest to the hole) to 50% of the sales, or cap the prize to a certain dollar amount.

The most important thing to remember as you plan your first golf tournament is to keep it fun! Include fun games and contests, good prizes, creative goodie bags, and perhaps an event such as the helicopter ball drop. These add-ons will keep your players happy, and happy players tell their friends and colleagues about the tournament, which increases next year’s player count, and keeps players returning year after year to your event.

Also, during registration, make sure one of your volunteers collects all the contact information from each player so that you can send out thank you letters and invitations to the next year’s event. And remember, even a small golf tournament is better (and raises more money!) than no golf tournament!