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COURES OF ACTION - PART 2
Organizing
a Charity Golf Tournament
By Eric Tracy (aka The Mulligan Man)
erictracy@earthlink.net
FORE Magazine January/February 2003
 So
you’ve been thinking about or have been asked to serve
as the chairperson for a charity golf tournament. Don’t
worry. Basically, here are the things you’ll need to know,
in advance, so you can begin planning.
FORM A COMMITTEE
For a first-year event, you’ll need at least nine months
to a full year to plan and execute.
I advise considering hiring an outside agency, especially
for first year events. Learn how the pros do it and then
if you feel you have the organizational skills and the
people to pull it off, do it yourself.
Once the committee is formed, it needs to establish a
goal: Some tournaments are recreational events for employees.
Some are client entertainment. Some want to increase awareness
to their causes within the community. Conflicts can come
into play when your event tries to be too many things.
Know what you want to accomplish. Then, establish a budget
and a timeline to carry it out.
PICK A COURSE
Most public courses are available any day of the week
for outside events but cost you more Friday-Sunday. Private
courses also cost more, but they also give you a little
more exclusivity which can attract more participants.
Location is key, find somewhere that’s centrally located
to people who you’re trying to attract. Pick a course
that’s flexible in their rules. If you get your beverages
donated, will the course let you use them? A golf course
has to have the proper facilities to host the kind of
banquet you envision, this is also very important.
Finally, when you get down to a short list of potential
golf courses, visit each one on a day when a tournament
is being held. Does the golf course help or hinder an
event with too much or two little involvement.
OBTAIN SPONSORS
 Most
sponsors come directly from the Rolodex of committee members.
Forget about cold calling. It just won’t happen. Instead
of looking for one major sponsor to underwrite your entire
event, break down the costs of everything, from breakfast
to the driving range, from the cost of the carts to hosting
the cocktail hour. Then try and find sponsors for as many
of these line item expenses as you can. No amount of money
a sponsor might contribute is too little. And remember,
tee sponsors have very little cost, sell as many as you
can, they’re almost pure profit.
CONTACT GOLFERS
Filling the field for your event just doesn’t happen,
it takes work. Sending out pretty invitations isn’t a
guarantee, either. The key to success? Make sure you follow
up your mailings. First send a “Save the Date” post card.
A month or two later, send out your invitations, but not
too far ahead of your event. 6-8 weeks is fine. Then 4
weeks before your event, follow up those invitations with
phone calls. The latter is very important.
Don’t be afraid to e-mail both invitation and to follow
up on those invitations you sent. Advertising and marketing,
especially within your company, can be very helpful. That’s
where a majority of your players will come from. But get
publicity anyway you can.
FORE Magazine prints a listing of numerous charity events
taken directly from Charity Golf Online which is an internet
clearinghouse of charity golf tournaments. When you register
your event with Charity Golf Online you get a free web
page. The internet is a great tool for marketing your
tournament, use it. Just visit www.CharityGolfOnline.com
PICK A FORMAT
 Most
golf courses and tournament professionals will tell you
a modified scramble, otherwise called a ‘shamble’, works
best and gets people around the course in 4 ½ to
5 ½ hours. Everyone in the group tees off, the
best drive is selected as the spot for the next shot,
but after that, everyone plays their own ball into the
hole. But keep the play of your tournament under 5 ½
hours or golfers won’t come back.
PLAY THE TOURNAMENT
If everything has gone right to this point, this could
be the easiest part. If you planned properly, put your
plan in action, then tournament day everything comes off
as planned and you have created a memorable event.”
Any more questions?
Eric Tracy is a sportscaster on KFWB NEWS 980. To find
out more about The Mulligan Man visit www.TheMulliganMan.com
or send email to Eric@TheMulliganMan.com
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