Tips for Speeding Up Pace of Play in a Scramble Charity Golf Tournament and Raising More Money for Your Cause!

Posted on July 7th, 2014 | Author: | Category: Tournament Tips

Jeff Phillips | Event Sales Manager, The Vineyard at Escondido Golf Course

Pace of play in general is always a priority in golf, but it is even more important when hosting a fundraiser event with a dinner, raffle, and oftentimes an auction to follow play. Throughout my years as a tournament consultant, I have tried many different ways to help increase pace of play while at the same time generating more revenue for the event and creating more enjoyment for participants. I’ve outlined some of my favorite (and most successful) tips for speeding up pace of play in a scramble charity golf tournament. You may not want to incorporate them all into one event, but by incorporating two or three of these ideas I have found that pace of play is greatly increased, players have more fun, and the event earns more money.

Themed Games on the Tee Boxes of the Hardest Holes

Come up with a themed game like horseshoes, football, or baseball toss through a tire, target shooting with paint gun, lawn darts, dunk tank, etc. For a modest donation of $20 per team, golfers can participate in the game instead of teeing off, and—with a win—advance to the middle of the fairway (100-150 yard marker) for an easy approach distance to the green. This works best on the hardest par 4’s or any of the par 5’s where the team could not normally reach the green in two.

Tee It Up

Allow everyone to “tee it up” on every shot. This really helps the beginning golfers and allows all players to get that perfect lie needed to hit the ball. This will also allow for better shot making and provide more enjoyment for groups of all skill levels. You can charge for this feature by team ($20-$50) or implement it at no cost for the entire field, simply to increase pace of play and enjoyment.

Limit Mulligans

Some might argue that limiting mulligans will take away from fundraising opportunities, but I argue that if done properly, it can maximize fundraising and greatly increase the pace of play and enjoyment of the round. Think about it this way: every added shot on the course increases the time it takes to play. In a shotgun tournament, the field can only play as fast as its slowest group. A group that purchases 20 mulligans, for example, can easily add half an hour or more for the entire field. I suggest that you limit the available mulligans but increase what you would typically charge for each one. This creates a greater sense of urgency to buy, saves time on extra shots, and creates a more predictable, pace-friendly, event.

Three Flags on Par 5’s

Place a red, white, and blue flag on the par 5’s and allow groups to putt to the hole that they land closest to on the green. This will increase the likelihood of a one-putt and save time on the greens. Players can purchase this opportunity with a modest donation of $20 per team.

Tiger Drive Hole

Designate the longest hole on the course as a “Tiger Drive” hole. For a donation, players get to advance to where Tiger Woods would have hit the tee shot had he driven the ball for them. This typically allows for teams to reach the green on their second shot and potentially eagle the hole. It also eliminates the need for the team to tee off and gather the errant shots just to hit again to advance.

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