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WANT TO RUN A MORE SUCCESSFUL
CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT?
Selecting A
Golf Course
By Eric Tracy
erictracy@earthlink.net
Published in LA/OC/SD GOLF Magazine - January 2002
Editor's note: This month, we continue our 3-part series
on running a successful charity golf tournament written by
KFWB Radio Sportscaster Eric Tracy, aka, The Mulligan Man.
Tracy has played, organized and/or served as the Master of
Ceremonies at more than 300 charity golf tournaments. The
information Tracy provides will keep you on course in selecting
the right course for your tournament.
 What's
the first question asked when you tell someone you're playing
in a charity golf tournament? It's usually "where you
playing?" The golf course is the centerpiece of your
event.
If you choose your course wisely, it will pay off for you
in many, many ways. In Southern California, you have plenty
of choices. Whether your golf budget is $75, $100 or $200
per person, you'll have lots of choices from Willowick to
Wilshire, Riviera to Robinson Ranch. To choose wisely, you
need to know what to look for.
The golf professionals participating in this article represent
a golf course cross section. What they all have in common
is a desire to help your event succeed. These tournament pros
have impeccable reputations because they help tournaments
become successful and successful tournaments return to the
same course year after year. So your best interest is in their
best interest, and anytime you find yourself in a win-win
situation, success usually follows.
I asked each of these professionals the same simple questions:
"What should people look for in selecting a golf course
besides the price tag and what questions should they ask?"
Here are their responses:
 
Review of Industry Hills
- Click here
David Youpa, Director of Golf
Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Conference Resort
- Public
City of Industry - 626-810-4653
Website: www.pacificpalmsresort.com
Email: dyoupa@pacificpalmsresort.com
Price Range: $95 - $145 per person including food and beverage
Course available 7 days a week
Find a course willing to customize the event and be flexible.
Find one that won't hinder your success with a strict set
of rules. If your charity gets beverages donated, will the
course let you use them? Look for a place that doesn't restrictive
your plans so you can make more money for the charity.
 
Review of Lost Canyons - Click
here
Marge Chamberlain, Director of Sales and Marketing
Lost Canyons Golf Club - Public
Simi Valley - (805) 522-4653
Website: www.lostcanyonsgolf.com
Email: lostcanyonsgolf@aol.com
Price Range: $100 - $150 per person including food and beverage
Course available 7 days a week
When you visit the course, does the person you are talking
with leave you the impression that they'll treat your event
as if you are inviting people to your home? Is the course
someplace people will want to return to next year? Sometimes
too much emphasis is placed on the banquet facilities. It's
important, but I'm a golfer. Golfers return for the golf.
 
Mel Lewis, Tournament Director
Braemar Country Club - Private
Tarzana - (818) 345-6520
Website: www.braemarclub.com
Email: mel.lewis@ourclub.com
Price Range: $90 -$135 per person including food and beverage
Course available Monday's only
Does the golf course have a good tournament team to really
assist your event? Remember, from cart-barn employees to on-course
marshals, from pro shop personnel to banquet staff, it takes
a lot of people to service a tournament. Find out who will
be responsible to score your tournament? How with those scores
be posted? People like to see how they scored in comparison
to the other teams. Is the tournament staff helpful? Will
they answer all kinds of questions, not just those associated
with the course? Will they lend their professional expertise
to your event?
 
Review of Hidden Valley-
Click here
Jason Wood, General Manager
Darren Bollinger, Tournament Director
Hidden Valley Golf Club - Public
Norco - (909) 737-1010
Website: www.hiddenvalleygolf.com
Email: dbollinger@hiddenvalleygolf.com
Price Range: $75 - $125 per person including food and beverage
Course available 7 days a week
Establish your budget and remember the amenities you provide
are important. Location is important, too. Is the course close
to your clientele base? Booking a course in the off-season
can be less expensive, so consider that. Work with the Tournament
Director to get the best value for the money you have to spend.
A nice golf property makes a huge difference.
 
Review of Talega- Click here
Leslie Chocheles, Tournament Marketing
Talega Golf Course - Public
San Clemente - (949) 369-6226
Website: www.talegagolfclub.com
Email: lchocheles@heritagegolfgroup.com
Price Range: $120 - $200 per person with food and beverage
Course available 7 days a week
Pick a golf facility that will enhance the total experience,
a place that is event-friendly. Make sure the banquet facilities
match the quality of the course. Nothing's worse than a great
round of golf and then having a banquet in a room that's too
cramped or that seats guests in separate rooms. Ask for referrals.
Visit a prospective golf course on the day they run a charity
tournament. Check them out from morning registration to the
evening's banquet. Visit the clubhouse and have a meal and
see their food preparation.
 
Review of Robinson Ranch-
Click here
Larry Atlas, 1st Golf Professional
Robinson Ranch - Public
Santa Clarita - (661) 252-8484
Website: www.robinsonranchgolf.com
Email: latlas@robinsonranchgolf.com
Price Range: $95 - $175 per person including food and beverage
Available 7 days a week
A good golf course can accommodate all skill levels of players.
A course should be designed to be challenging from all tees,
from the reds to the blacks. What you are trying to promote
is having a good time and your guests will spend the better
part of the day on the golf course. It's good to have a course
that's challenging; the key is not making it too tough.
 
Review of Ocean Trails - Click
here
Mike van der Goes, Director of Golf
Ocean Trails Golf Club - Public
Rancho Palos Verdes - (310) 265-5525
Website: www.oceantrails.com
Email: dutchdoc@pga.com
Price Range: $150 - $200 per person including food and beverage
Course available 7 days a week.
Many tournaments draw a large number of casual golfers, those
who don't play golf regularly. Know who your players are and
then make sure to find a course willing to set it up according
to your players' ability. You can gather this kind of information
on your entry form. Take advantage of your surroundings. If
the course has a banquet facility, as our does, on the ocean,
plan your golf play conclusion to coincide with sunset. A
player returns to a tournament not because of any one thing,
but because of the total experience.
 
Review of Eagle Glen - Click
here
Larry Hamilton, Tournament Director
Eagle Glen Golf Club - Public
Corona - (909) 278-2842
Website: www.eagleglengc.com
Email: lhamilton@troongolf.com
Price Range: $75 - $125 per person including food and beverage
Course available 7 days a week.
The golf course you choose has to be one that people have
a desire to play. That way playing in your tournament is a
special treat. Think past your playing field. Charities miss
the boat by not making their banquet a special event for more
than just the golfers who played that day. Make an effort
to get wives and non-golfers to your banquet. The more warm
bodies you have, the more money you can make.
Next Month: Part Three: Fun Formats and Tournament Twists
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