The Ultimate Golf-Event Checklist

Adding a golf tournament to your meeting or event piles on a course-long list of extras. Once the date has been chosen, follow these helpful guidelines to arrange all the details, compiled with help from Roger Caldwell, president of Mission, Kan.-based Great Golf Events.

First steps

Define the event’s objective. Is it a charity event, fun corporate outing, association tournament, sales event?
Give yourself enough time. The larger the group or more exclusive the golf course the farther in advance you should work. At the earliest, start a year out, as soon as this year’s event is done. Most major components of the event should be in the works by about three months out. The last three months should be devoted to fine-tuning.
Set a budget. Add what you’re planning to provide the players to the cost of the facility and the food events surrounding the tournament, and divide the total for the per-player cost. Don't forget administrative costs, such as marketing, salaries, day-of computer rental, everything. With a full field (144 players or more), see if you can book the course for half or the whole day, advises Caldwell. “Then compare the buyout price to the per-player fee,” he adds.

Booking the club

Aim to impress. Before deciding where to go, if this is a recurring event, consider where it was played previously and upgrade a bit, with an eye to making the event better than the year before.
Public or private? Public courses tend to be the biggest bargains. Resorts have large staffs and are used to handling big groups. Private clubs carry prestige but might not be able to handle all of your needs, although they’ll often let you provide services they can’t.
What are you trying to accomplish? For fund-raising events, you’ll want to balance course-rental costs with the amenities available there. For a high-end event, spend more for a comparable, memorable course that will draw more players.
Conduct a site inspection. Look at the course’s attractiveness. For large events, ask if there are any restrictions on full shotgun starts (144 golfers starting off at the same time).
Evaluate staffing. Is the club willing to provide more people if you require them? Sometimes you’ll have to supply the extra help.
Check on rentals. Plan for more club rentals than you’ll need, and make sure the course has an adequate supply.
Ask questions. How difficult is the layout? What is the maintenance schedule? Is there a required minimum of paying golfers? Are there F&B minimums? Will the club provide box lunches? Are the locker-room and shower facilities sufficient? Is there a practice range? What are the dress and behavior codes? Is catering provided? Can the group bring in an outside caterer? Are there facilities for a post-tournament event? If such events typically are held outdoors, is there a backup indoor space? Will the pro shop be open before and after your tournament? (Winners usually redeem pro-shop certificates that day.)

Signing a contract

Cover all your needs in writing.

Who’s paying the bills? Will all expenses go to the group’s master account, or will players cover their own costs?
Define tipping. Will fees include gratuities (generally $2 per golf bag and $150 to $200 for the head pro/tournament coordinator)? You can budget about $5-$10 per person for bag-handling, tournament setup and scoring.
Find hidden costs. Will additional fees apply for any outside services (tents, portable rest rooms, etc.)?
Get preferred access. Specify that you will have the whole course, the date and time you want it. Make sure there are no other event conflicts or maintenance scheduled.
Cover all possibilities. Include clauses spelling out the course’s policies concerning refunds and cancellations.
Fees might not be negotiable. It's important to understand everything you're paying for.
Know when to haggle. Other venues might bend to win your business. Time of year can make a big difference, if it’s not peak season.
Protect the sponsors. If you have a sponsor that makes a product that could be in use on the course, you might be able to use their product for the day, or make sure their competitor's product is out of sight. With a food or beverage sponsor, often you can require that the sponsor’s products be sold on the beverage cart.
Sign separate deals with suppliers. Have solid contracts with any outside help you will be using (transportation companies, third-party golf-planning outfits, caterers, sponsors, celebrities, etc.).

Know your players

Create a registration form with the specific needs of your tournament in mind.

Go beyond basics. Aside from each player’s name, address, phone and e-mail, ask for emergency contact information, handicaps, whether they will need to rent equipment and with whom they want to play (if applicable). For giveaways, ask for sizes and color preferences.
Cover the unforeseen. Include a standard release that attendees must sign. Jonathan Howe, a meetings liability expert and partner with Howe and Hutton in Chicago, suggests the following verbiage: In consideration of being permitted to participate in this tournament (event), I, on my own behalf and anyone claiming through me, hereby assume the risks inherent in this event and release and discharge the sponsor and its officers, directors, employees, agents, members, staff and all organizations and individuals assisting in promoting, conducting or otherwise affiliated with the program from and against any and all liability arising from my participation in the program.
Plan the game. From details gathered, determine the total number of golfers, gender ratio and skill levels. Then, says Caldwell, enlist an expert from the club to suggest an appropriate tournament format or arrange foursomes.

Gathering results

After choosing the event’s format (see “Keeping Score,” below), determine who will be responsible for tallying the results. Many courses use Golf Genius, which provides live scoring to track their tournaments.

Establish a collection point. Set up a table, overseen by someone from the pro shop, where people can drop their scorecards where they bring their carts back.
Determine who will do the tallying. Will the golf pro take care of scoring, tabulating and posting the results? If yes, is there an additional charge? How does the golf course usually handle this?
Determine how the results will be displayed. Will there be live scoring? Will the results be displayed at the after-event? Will there be an awards ceremony?
Keep the scorecards nearby. Make sure the scorecards are on hand when the results are announced, so discrepancies can be settled quickly.

Extra items to arrange

How will ancillary purchases be handled? Caldwell notes that his company now uses event software at check-in that captures credit-card details, simplifying guests' ability to make ancillary purchases. Look for similar systems if your group tends to spend on the course throughout the day.
Select contests and events. Options include longest drive, closest to the pin, longest putt. For a hole-in-one competition, select an appropriate prize and purchase hole-in-one insurance. If you have hired a celebrity golf pro, you can set him or her up at one hole so attendees can play “beat the pro,” giving prizes to those who hit their drive farther and straighter than the celebrity. Remember, however, the pro will need a handler, preferably a fellow golfer, to keep him company all day.
Arrange peripheral events (and reserve space for them). Many golf outings are followed by a barbecue, a cocktail hour or a gala dinner to announce winners. If foursomes are being determined by the host organization and not the players, or if celebrities or professional golfers will be joining the group, you also can hold a pairing party the night before the outing to introduce partners to each other, describe the rules and set the tone for the event.
Select giveaways. Tee prizes, which are given to all players as they arrive, often include a sleeve of balls, some tees and a golf shirt or hat. Awards for winners of the tournament and any contests can be golf-related or geared to the host organization. Gift cards and merchandise from brand names such as Callaway, Footjoy, Nike and Titleist hold a lot of cachet for the experienced golfer.
Plan the welcome. Before play begins, select someone to welcome the group and make formal announcements. This could be the golf pro, someone from the host organization, or even you.
Don’t forget the beverage cart. Particular food and drinks can be provided on the beverage cart. You can add items such sunscreen and lip gloss for golfers to purchase. Also, you can place a representative from the host organization or the sponsor in the cart to interact with the group throughout the day.
Provide transportation. Choose what types of buses to use, depending on your budget, your group and the golf course. Motorcoaches might not be allowed at the course you've chosen, so determine that before making arrangements.

Branding your event

Whether your golf event is a corporate, charity or association outing, opportunities abound for branding or giving ample visibility to sponsors’ names.

Put a logo on the cart signs, which also display the names of the two players riding in the cart. Have your staff wear shirts bearing the organization’s or sponsor’s logo.
Brand the scorecards and the rules sheets sporting the day’s instructions. Customized stickers can emblazon lunch boxes.
Put logos on the pin flags on the course, put signs on the beverage carts (you also can ask the attendant to wear a logoed shirt or cap) and place signs at each tee box.
Discuss your branding needs with the course officials at the start of negotiations, in case they have any limitations.

Since the abilities of players joining in a corporate or association outing tend to run the gamut from beginner to great, the following scoring systems help level the field.

Keeping Score