Software for Golf Tournaments

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Golf Tournament Management Software Company, Event Caddy, Partners With Children’s Miracle Network

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Golf Tournament Gift Ideas – How to keep under budget

Golf Tournament Gift Ideas – How to keep under budget was published on Event Caddy

  When running a golf tournament, it’s very easy to rack up the expenses. Of course, it’s understandable that you’ll want to spoil your guests with great gifts and prizes; however it’s not necessary to break the bank when doing so. Below are a few helpful ti

ps you should consider before purchasing any gifts or prizes:

Donations

Reach out to your sponsors to see if they have anything they can contribute. It’s common for sponsors donate branded promotional items for your participants. Also, consider reaching out to local businesses or restaurants, as many will offer coupons or gift cards.

Player Fees

While sponsors may be willing to help you out a little, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get through your event without purchasing some additional prizes/gifts, so make sure you plan ahead for this. One of the most common mistakes that tournament organizers make is offering too low of a player fee.  You’ll want to ensure that player fees cover both costs of the course and any gifts you plan to provide to the players. When deciding on a player fee, be sure to designate an extra $10 – $40 a head for gift purchases.

Practical Gifts

The best gifts are both memorable and useful to players, so it’s in your best interest to spend your money on some practical items that can be used during the event to enhance the overall player experience. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen gift bags with pens, magnets, and other useless items left behind at the course. While filling a gift bag full of “gifts” is visually appealing, often times offering one or two useful items is much more appreciated by the players.

Items such as; golf balls, hats, ball markers, and even umbrellas can prove to be quite useful throughout the day.  These items tend to be reasonably priced and when branded with the tournament logo or sponsor logos, they can add quite a bit of value to your event.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Another way to reduce the cost of your gift purchases is to offer some sponsorship opportunities that will cover some of these gift items. Some sponsorships you could offer include:

• Ball Sponsor: Sponsor logo on golf balls.

• Hat Sponsor: Sponsor logo on hats

• Tee Sponsor: Company name/logo on golf tees. This is a fairly cheap option so you’ll likely have no issue finding a company to purchase this and your players will definitely appreciate the extra tees.

Quantity Discounts

Remember, promotional items are typically priced based on quantity, so if you run multiple events during the year you may want to purchase items that would work for all of your events.  If you only run one event a year, consider reaching out to other local events to see if there are some items that can be purchased together. This will without a doubt save you some money.

In order to ensure you are in the black, it is crucial that you follow a strict budget!

To help keep track of your expenses you can download our FREE golf tournament budget template.

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Golf Tournament Formats – Which is best for you?

Golf Tournament Formats – Which is best for you? was originally posted on our blog: Event Caddy’s Blog

Golf tournaments traditionally have an element of friendly competition, which is why they are becoming more widespread for their business networking and charity potential. Golf tournaments are taking the business world by storm, but it’s important to remember that for any business function, your chief objective is to make sure your guests have fun and enjoy themselves. You may have heard choosing a venue is crucial in the planning process for a golf tournament, however, choosing the appropriate format is not far behind.

The majority of professional and competitive golf tournaments often fall under the stroke play format, which involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole and totalling them up at the end of the round. The winner would be the player who completed the round (or rounds) in the lowest number of strokes. Stroke play is great for events that are catering to strong golfers or players who are looking for a serious round of golf, however, the key for charity or networking events is to create a fun and engaging game that all players can enjoy.

When deciding your format, you must first take into account the quality of players you expect to have at your event and choose a format that will be enjoyed by all. Here are some of the most common tournament formats: Scramble Golf Tournament

Scramble

The scramble is by far the most popular tournament format for charity fundraisers and corporate events. In a scramble, participants play in teams of two or more – each player hits a tee shot on each hole and selects the best shot. All players now play from that spot and continue this until the hole is completed. This format is a great choice because it relieves the pressure of individual scores and allows everyone to play and socialize while keeping a good pace to the round.

The rules of a scramble are very informal, and can easily be modified by the tournament organizers. If you plan to make changes, however, be sure to make them clear to all participants. Making the rules clear will keep the game fun and easy to follow for all participants. Best Ball Golf Tournament

Best Ball

Best ball (often confused with the scramble) is actually one of the easiest formats to follow. Teams of two or more all play their own ball on each hole as they would traditionally. The catch here is that only one player’s score counts for the team. The lowest number of strokes on each hole is recorded for the team. Again, this can be modified by the tournament organizer if they wish. Often, organizers will specify that each player must record a score twice during the round, which prevents teams from using the same player’s score on every hole. Alternate Shot Golf Tournament

Alternate Shot

Alternate shot is rarely used for charity or networking events, however, it’s another fairly simple format. Participants play in teams of two and alternate shots throughout the day. Player 1 hits a tee shot, Player 2 hits the next shot. This is repeated until the ball is in the cup. However, players must alternate tee shots — If Player 1 tees off on the first hole, Player 2 must tee off on the second. Speed Golf Tournament

Speed Golf

Unless you’re hosting an event for the local gym members, chances are speed golf wouldn’t be a good option for your event. Nonetheless, speed golf has been gaining traction as a format lately. Forget carts and caddies, speed golf takes the leisurely stroll we are so used to and turns it into a race. Players sprint between shots and holes with the final score being the sum of strokes and time.

As mentioned, you must consider the group of players you will be entertaining for the day. Most fundraisers and networking events seem to run better under the scramble format, as it allows for a fun day of golf with little emphasis on individual performance. It’s important to have a format and some rules in place, however, try and keep them to a minimum and let your golfers have fun.

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Find Us Online!

Thank you for coming to our blog, did you know that Event Caddy is all over the web? We have setup additional branded profiles to help you find us with ease. Below you will find a list of our top 10 profiles this month!

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Hope to hear from you soon!

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How To: Plan a Golf Tournament

See how easy it can be to plan your next golf tournament using Event Caddy’s software:

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Golf Tournament Ideas – Fresh Ideas to Raise More Money

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Anyone who has played a round of golf knows that improving your game requires a great deal of hard work.  Running a charity golf event is no different! Hosting the same old event year after year can result in a decline in both players and revenue. In order to keep players interested, new ideas and improvements must be implemented. Most events will offer their players the option to purchase additional items while onsite in hopes of bringing in some additional revenue. Things like: mulligans (which allow players to redo a bad shot), raffle tickets for a chance to win a prize, and of course, auctions.  While these are known to generate some additional revenue for your event, it is crucial you continue to improve and look for new ideas to help increase revenue and improve the overall player experience.  After all, players are your main source of revenue. Managing a golf event can quickly become very overwhelming, so we’ve put our heads together and listed some of our favourite fundraising ideas that will not only improve the player’s experience, but will help to increase the amount of money raised. Contest Package:

A great way to get some additional cash from your players is to offer a contest package.  This package can include entry to all on-course contests (hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the pin).  To add a bit more value to this package, toss in a couple of mulligans and raffle tickets.  Most players will opt in to this package if done correctly. On Course Contests:

It’s common for tournaments to host a number of contests throughout the day.  Things like: hole-in-one, closest to the pin, and longest drive. If your tournament is full of serious players, these contests are great. But more often than not, a large portion of your participants don’t stand a chance at winning any of these. Try to create a few contests that will give everyone the opportunity to win. Things like coin tosses and putting contests are a great way to give those not-so-skilled players a chance to win.

  Golf Clinic:

Many of your invitees might pass up the opportunity to play in these charity golf events due to a lack of skill.  Check with your host course for Pro Rates and to ensure they can facilitate this, but a good option is to offer a group lesson.  This allows for those who may be a little embarrassed about their game the opportunity to improve and still support your event. With a few helpful tips, they may even end up participating in your event next time around. Set a time that will allow the clinic participants to take part in any refreshments or meals that are planned following your event.

  Tradition is a big part of the game of golf. While innovation and new ideas will definitely help set your event apart, be sure to take advantage of some of those traditional fundraising methods that have been proven to bring in some additional revenue. Things like: Donations:

The option to donate is never going to hurt your event.  Some of your golfers may reach into their pockets and choose to donate some additional money, however their contribution will likely come from golf fees and other activities during the event.  The key here is to offer this option to those who can’t make it to your event.  Having a golf event registration website in place will definitely help with this. Mulligans:

The sale of mulligans are one of the most common fundraising tools used at golf tournaments in order to bring in some additional revenue.  Coupons for mulligans are sold to players, allowing them to retake any shot during tournament play.  These can be sold individually or as a package.

Raffle Tickets:

Raffle tickets are another incentive that are offered at most events.  Raffle tickets are sold for a chance to win either a price or half of the money raised.  You’ll want to ensure you have a great prize for this in order to attract buyers.  Reach out to your host course for foursomes and other gift ideas.  You can also reach out to potential sponsors to donate prizes.

Auctions:

Often I hear people say that golf isn’t about beating your opponent but rather improving your personal score.  However, it’s quite apparent that golfers are always trying to outperform their playing partners.  Typically, this competitive nature will be present itself once again during the auction.  Again, reach out to your host course and potential sponsors for possible gift donations.  You may also want to list your auction items prior to your event to get the excitement and bids rolling.

  These are some of our favourite fundraising tools, however, keep in mind that participants are the main source of revenue for your tournament.  Remember, golfers love to tell others about their round. Ensuring all players have a good time should be you number one priority if you’re looking to grow next year.

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