The Importance of Tournament Director Networking

By Tyson Johnson, Los Angeles and Orange County Regional Tournament Director

As the saying goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and the same applies for golf tournaments. Many Tournament Directors use trial and error to discover new ideas for raising money or creating a successful event, especially if the event is a new annual event.

But what if there was a way to avoid setbacks or trying an idea doomed to fail? Fortunately for new tournament organizers and pros alike, the tools you need for success are easily available to you if you just broaden your networking base. This article will discuss the importance of Tournament Director networking, and why talking to other directors will help you as you plan your next golf tournament.

No two tournaments are ever alike, and every event has details that change each year, based on what worked the previous time, and what did not. As with anything, practice makes perfect—or at least closer-to-perfect. So why not take advantage of lessons learned and knowledge gained?

My advice to you: reach out to as many other Tournament Directors as you can! Connect and ask for advice, or share your story and begin a conversation. Who knows – you might even meet your next tournament partner this way!

Connect on Facebook or LinkedIn

To quickly discover other Tournament Directors, you can search for “golf tournaments,” “fundraising events” or “charity golf.” You’ll find numerous groups and people in the fundraising field, and you can connect with these individuals and seek out advice. Most people involved in charitable work are not hesitant to share their experiences and ideas—in fact quite the opposite! Most are more than willing to help you increase your fundraising efforts.

Attend Other Tournaments

If you hear of another tournament similar to yours, go check it out! You don’t necessarily have to play in the tournament, but contact the Tournament Director and see if you can stop by. After the event has started, the Tournament Director often has a bit of free time, which could be your opportunity to connect and—at the very least—exchange information. You might even get to walk and talk, and see the inner workings of the event.

So how do you figure out which tournaments to attend? Typically, golf courses have a list of upcoming tournaments posted. You can also ask the golf course employees which events would be best to attend.

Regardless of how you reach out and network, do not discount the importance of tournament director networking. Although you may be a little nervous the first time you reach out, you’ll soon see that directors are like you—not only friendly but willing to share their stories and the ideas that have helped make their event successful.

In the end, the goal is to make your event as successful as it can be, and tournament director networking can broaden your connections and provide you with several new ideas that have a proven track record for raising more funds and helping events become (and remain) successful.