How To Organize A Charity Golf Tournament

We all like to support our favourite charity. And we all love golf. If you want to combine the two, all you need to do is learn how to organize a charity golf tournament.

Whether its a charity event, for business purposes or just a friendly challenge, running a golf tournament takes time and planning. But the following tips will help make your charity golf event a rousing success on all fronts.

Tips for Organizing a Charity Tournament

The most important part of planning your tournament is to give yourself enough time to do so properly. There will always be complications, but you’ll be better prepared for them with time on your side.

1. Set Up a Planning Committee – Start by appointing a tournament director responsible for overall tournament coordination. Then, depending on the size and scope of your tourney, you may need to put individuals in charge of one or more of the responsibilities listed below.
2. Pick Date and a Golf Course – These two go hand in hand because you can’t pick one without knowing that the other is possible. To give yourself the time advantage mentioned above, the tournament should be scheduled at least six months in advance. Look for golf clubs that are well located for your anticipated participants, like our Durham Region golf course which is convenient for everyone in the GTA!  The course should also offer help with planning your tournament, organizing tee times, reserving golf carts, arranging for food and beverage services and the “day of” logistics of your golf outing.
3. Determine a Budget – You can plan the greatest tournament ever, but if the costs erode the amount you raise for your charity, it defeats the purpose. You may need a budget for promoting the tournament, greens fees and trophies among other elements of your event.
4. Find Sponsors – Not only are you and your attendees interested in supporting a worthy cause, but many businesses like to have their name connected with charity events too. You can look for straight forward financial support, but also companies who want to donate prizes or gift certificates.
5. Decide on a Tournament Format – You want to get as many golfers involved as possible, playing in a format that suits their abilities. The regular shotgun format, where each group of golfers starts their round on a different hole, is popular for tournaments. But it can be unfair if you have a significant number of inexperienced golfers. In that case, a Scramble of Best Ball tournament can level the playing field and make the event more enjoyable for everyone.
6. Have Separate Contests Throughout the Day – Extra contests beyond just winning the tournament adds yet another level of enjoyment to the event. On the course, closest-to-the-hole and longest drive competitions are popular. But even before and after the round of golf, events like silent auctions and raffle tickets. And don’t forget an awards ceremony to cap off the day.
7. Promote Your Event – With all the other elements in place, you’re ready to promote your event. If the charity you support maintains an email list, that can be a good, inexpensive place to start. Social media (#YourEvent) can also help spread the word for little or no cost.
8. Get Ready for the Day of the Tournament – No amount of planning will help if you’re not fully prepared to run the tournament when it actually takes place. Again, your host golf course should help you with this and it wouldn’t hurt to assign this responsibility to someone on your committee.

If you enjoyed this post, check out our recent article on what is match play in golf.