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Rookie Mistakes: Planning a Charity Golf Tournament

Charity Golf International • February 21, 2024

As with anything, the more experience you have with a specific task, the less likely you are to make mistakes. This rule certainly pertains to the event planning industry and putting together a successful charity golf tournament. If you’ve been to a professionally managed golf tournament either planned by a tournament agency, or just a well seasoned country club management staff, you can immediately tell. From the moment you drive up to the course everything just flows together seamlessly; from the cart crew taking care of your golf bag, checking in at the front desk, to grabbing a quick snack, and hitting the range to warm-up. A well managed golf tournament takes care of their participants by providing top of the line service and ensuring a fun and seamless experience from beginning to end.


As a golf tournament coordinator it’s your responsibility to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch. This process starts months in advance and doesn't end until the last player leaves the facility. From making sure that your players are getting the most out of their tournament experience to ensuring you're getting the most you can out of your tournament's digital presence, here are a few things to consider before the start of your tournament.


1. Having a player entry fee that doesn’t match your demographic

Tailoring your golf tournament to your target demographic should always be a top priority. While it can be easy to cater certain facets of a golf tournament to a broader audience such as golfers in general, other specifics such as cost to play might need to be more carefully considered. 

Take into consideration who you’re trying to attract to your tournament and who your charity is also trying to target. Setting a high entry fee can not only discourage certain people from signing up but it could also take away from the amount someone might be willing to donate the day of the golf tournament. While participants at a charity golf tournaments are usually prepared to take out their wallets a few times after the shotgun start, make sure to factor in a "total estimated cost" to the player when planning your fundraising efforts. A constant barrage if sale pitches and donation requests can start to feel overwhelming if not properly spread apart.

2. Not keeping your volunteers busy

Putting together a fun and successful charity golf tournament is no easy task and it takes a large team of both golf course staff and dedicated volunteers. A large staff can be enormously helpful for a golf tournament but only when they are well managed, meaning everyone needs to remain occupied throughout the tournament. 

While this seems like a somewhat obvious thing to say, it can easily fall by the wayside if you don’t take a few extra moments to train your volunteers. For the most part, volunteers fill any gaps that might need filling when it comes to fully staffing your tournament. These can be small tasks such as providing players with general direction, handing out gift bags, or serving as hole contest assistants. By giving your staff a few secondary and tertiary tasks to fill down time with can be all it takes to make sure that you’re not only getting the most out of your volunteers but your players are getting the most out of their tournament experience. 

3. Not Using Social Media

At this point in time, what person, place, event, country club, or golf course doesn’t have a social media presence? 


From a marketing standpoint, a social media presence is a must for your charity golf tournament. Not only does it allow you to promote your event in the weeks and months leading up to the tournament but it allows you to show everyone how much fun your tournament is while it is happening. If you’re hosting an annual tournament, showing others what they’re missing out on can be all it takes to get them to pull the trigger and sign up for your tournament next year. Encourage your players to share some of the fun they're having by encouraging the use of a tournament hashtag.

Along with the marketing value, social media adds a layer to your tournament’s charity fundraising efforts and one that can be used year round. Collaborating with sponsors, the golf course, and the charity itself can create a well rounded digital presence that will benefit all parties involved that much more!

If you have any questions or are interested in our sponsorship and support to help raise money at your next charity golf tournament shoot an email to sponsorships@charitygolfintl.com or fill out our contact form here .

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