Golfing has certainly built a reputable fan base over the years. It is for that reason that many individuals, charities, and organizations are opting to use the sport to generate an interest for their cause. In most cases though, awareness isn’t the only thing being generated; these events also usually bring in a substantial portion of revenue to further support. Furthermore, while most charitable events are generally set up to target a specific demographic or niche, a golf tournament, on the other hand, attracts everyone ranging from professionals sporting years of experience, to rookies whose only golf experience comes from video games.
If you’re looking for a superb way to actively engage the entire community, while at the same time support a wonderful cause, then a local golf tournament is the way to go. As most events go though, there are a number of steps involved in the planning, organizing, and successful execution of a golf tournament.
First and foremost, you need to determine what type of tournament in particular you would like to hold. There are several types of golf tournaments that, but a few of the more common types include an open tournament in which anyone—regardless of experience—is welcome. Aside from an open tournament, you also have the option of holding a tournament that features celebrity players. Keep in mind that attracting Brad Pitt to play golf may prove to be quite difficult. An easier option would be to enlist the participation of local celebrities in your community and the surrounding area (mayor, business owners, etc.).
The next step in your quest to establish a golf tournament would be to figure just where exactly you’re going to host the tournament. If you are lucky enough to have the backing of a charity, then finding a venue should not be too terribly difficult. The reason for this is because charities are able to offer an above-adequate tax write-off to the venue, which is usually enough to get the support of a golf course or two. If you are not in coordination with a reputable charity, then you may find yourself having a much more difficult time securing a venue. If this is the case, you will need to unleash your inner salesman, pitching your ideas to golf course officials.
Once you have a set venue established, you can now start marketing the tournament. Hopefully, you have already started getting the word out about the tournament; now it is time to really amp up your marketing game. Considering that most folks love getting free stuff, the use of customized promotional products is one of the best promotional routes you can take. When it comes to the use of promotional products, the key to success is relevancy. For example, since folks will be out in the dry sun and humidity during the event, perhaps you could hand out something like branded lip balm or logoed baseball caps. You can generally purchase these items in bulk fairly inexpensively, and once they arrive, all you have to do is distribute them to whoever will take them.
With every step, your tournament is coming together more and more; there isn’t much left to do now. However, the day of the tournament can be quite hectic if you are not diligent ahead of time. In other words, you may want to enact a pre-registration process in order to assess just how many participants you will need to account for. This also presents you with the opportunity to collect any fees or contributions before the tournament as well. Furthermore, with a registration list in hand, you will know how many people you have competing, and can therefore determine who will play when, and in what order.
It is getting close to the big day now; however, there are still a couple more things you can do to optimize the event. While a golf tournament is generally fun for everyone involved, having a little extra entertainment armed and ready never hurts. In fact, this is where you can literally involve the entire community by making the golf tournament a social gathering, rather than just a sporting event. For instance, you could have face-painters, balloonists, clowns, and other forms of quirky acts to entertain the younger tournament attendees. You could also have professional caterers set up on the last hole of the tournament, ready with decadent finger foods for all the players and attendees.
Lastly, no tournament would be complete without winners. Whether you want to announce one grand-prize winner or a first, second and third place winner, be ready with recognition and some form of prize to award. In true “good sport” fashion, you could offer everyone some form of small prize just for participating in the tournament. After all, in the end, everyone is a winner because they are supporting a good cause.
