To Golf or not to Golf, That is the Question

Stephanie Smith | Lake Tahoe Golf Course

As a seasoned private events and tournament director, I have learned many things over the years about fundraising through golf tournaments; much of it cultured through trial and error. My goal with this article is to share what I've proven to work and to help others to not make the same mistakes.

Golf tournaments are very popular despite the hard work that must go into their organization. Charity golf tournaments often inspire confused emotions among the volunteers and organizers that host them. Like many private events, the answers aren’t always simple. You may be motivated to host a tournament by a few reasons: it's a fun way to include sponsors; fun for the staff; or it’s a great PR tool. There are many reasons for holding a fundraising golf tournament, but the most important one is TO MAKE MONEY!

If everyone understands this upfront, you can make a nice amount of money—and more importantly—have a lot of fun doing it!

MONEY

Start by defining your goals:

1. How much money do you want to raise?
2. Who is your audience?
3. What do you want this tournament to do for your group?
4. Define in detail what would make this event a success.

We all have heard it before. If you don't have a goal, how can you expect to reach it? Decide how much money you want or need. People aren't just paying to play golf; they are donating to your cause. If you approach this as a fundraiser first, you will have much more success. If you are willing to ask anyone for money, this is going to be the perfect resource for your cause.

Now that you decided to go forward with a charity or fundraising golf tournament, you will need to pull together a dream team. A well-connected committee makes all the difference in your fundraising dollars. A successful tournament will have a committee of dedicated people determined to see that it is a success. Ideally, the committee you form will have enough personal contacts for potential sponsorships.

SALES COMMITTEE (I wouldn't suggest the shy type for this role. Responsibilities include...)

• Event Sponsors
• Hole Sponsors
• Raffle Items and Silent Auction Items
• Goody Bags
• Advertising
• Team Sales
• Registration
• Food & Beverage Sponsors

EVENT COMMITTEE (Responsibilities include...)

• Paying Bills
• Procuring Speakers & Celebrities
• Contracts & Program Planning
• Signage & Placement
• Goodie Bag Prep
• Publicity and Volunteers
• Trophies
• Clean-up

DETERMINE THE BUDGET (Including...)

• Expenses
• Cost of the golf course
• Entry Fees, per player and per team
• Food & Beverage
• Prizes for winners & contests
• Signage
• Insurance premium for hole-in-one prize
• Beverage cart

PREDICT INCOME (Sources include...)

• Corporate Sponsorships
• Entry Fees
• Mulligans
• Contests
• Raffle Tickets & Auction items
• Selling photographs of teams and individuals

DETERMINE THE FORMAT

Do you want a one-Day or Multiple-Day Tournament? Shotgun or Modified Start? Early or Afternoon Tee Time?

SELL, SELL, SELL!

Selling sponsorships raises revenue significantly.

Example: Selling five Corporate Foursomes at $1,500 each brings in $7,500. Your cost is twenty golfers at $90. You net $5,700 with only 20 golfers so far.

Sell ten sign sponsorships at $200 each, with a sign cost of $20, and you'll will net $1,800.

Now let's review the math: if you have 20 golfers and 10 signs, your costs are only $2,000, which leaves $7,500 in your pocket, with plenty of more spaces to fill.

So as you can see it grows from there.

It is important to offer other opportunities to make money at the event. Running incidental contests and drawings offer additional revenue at no cost. Mulligans, tickets for drawings, betting holes, and silent and live auctions all make great contributions to your bottom line.

REMEMBER TO FOLLOW UP!

You will not get many sponsors if you do not call or visit them after initial contact. If you simply send out invitations, you will not have great success. You must follow up continually until you have either a commitment or a "No." I personally call four times before I will write the opportunity off. Keep in mind that they may be putting a team together and they might be waiting until they have all the names before they will call back. Don't get discouraged.

After you have sent out the invitations, here is a sample follow-up:

Hi, this is Stephanie from the Lake Tahoe Golf Course. I am following up to see if you received our tournament information?

Yes: Great, did you want me to reserve a foursome for you? It is filling up quickly and I want to ensure we don't miss you.

Yes: Do you know the names of the players?

If they don't have the names yet, just reserve the spot under the company name and set a reminder to follow-up on the player list.

No: If the person says they do not wish to reserve, listen to their reason. If they are unable to play due to a scheduling conflict, ask if they would be interested in purchasing a sign sponsorship, or making a straight donation. Would they be able to offer an item for a door prize or auction item?

Remember, if you don't ask for it, chances are they won't think to offer one. If they still say no, thank them and complete the call.

If they haven't received the invitation, ask if you can fax/email the information again. "It is going to be a fun day and I will follow up with you next week."