If you happen to be the fortunate one designated to be tournament coordinator for your company event, let me be of service to you by providing this Top 10 list of things to do to prepare for your event.
Did you ever go to a corporate golf event that just wasn't up to par?
The following observations are derived from over 20 years as an on-course PGA golf professional. During that time, the facilities where I’ve been employed, especially Eaglewood Golf Club, have hosted hundreds, if not thousands, of golf tournaments ranging from PGA Tour events to a 24-player neighborhood scramble.
If you happen to be the fortunate one designated to be tournament coordinator for your company event, let me be of service to you by providing this Top 10 list of things to do to prepare for your event.
1. Select The Right Venue
• Find a golf course that is experienced in hosting events such as yours. Customer service is a premium. A friendly venue will help make your job stress-free. Call other tournament coordinators for referrals.
• Location, location, location. Use a golf facility that is located centrally to where your participants are coming from. Picturesque mountain courses can be fabulous for big events, but often require a one- to two-hour commute times each way. Be sure that you and your participants can afford to be away for the entire day.
2. Choose the Date of your event and Reserve it
• The sooner, the better. The tournament market is competitive and dates fill up fast.
• Selecting a date may sound simple, but keep in mind the day of the week and time of year that works best for your invitees. Plan around factors that affect your particular industry.
• Be sure to submit your deposit and contract and get confirmation from the venue.
3. Organize Volunteers or Committee
• Managing a golf event should not be a one-person task. You should have at least two other responsible volunteers to help you with the legwork.
4. Solicit Sponsors
• You may even want to do this before anything else. Get commitments from potential sponsors early in the year, while they still have money available in their budgets.
5. Order Tee Prizes
• This should be done at least two months in advance to allow for production and delivery, especially with custom logos.
6. Order Banners, Sponsor Signs and Hole-in-One Insurance
• Get these ordered and in production at least six weeks prior to your event. You may have a few late sponsors, which are still valuable to your tournament, but a few last-minute signs shouldn’t be hard to get done.
7. Keep in Touch with The Golf Course Representative (Two to three Weeks Prior)
• Go over food and beverage menu.
• Give an updated report on number of participants.
8. Finalize Player Count and Amenities (One Week Prior)
• This may not be the exact number of players, but it can keep you within the guidelines of your contract, in turn, possibly saving you money.
• If you don’t have your own rules sheets, have the golf course representative prepare them for you and also contest hole markers.
9. Submit Final Pairings (Two Days Prior)
• You or others in your organization know best who to pair together in order to be politically or diplomatically expedient.
• Give the golf course staff ample time to prepare your printed material (cart signs, scoreboards, etc.).
• A few last-minute changes are expected and easy to manage.
10. Have Method of Payment Ready
• Since payment is usually due on or before the date of your tournament, make arrangements, if needed, to have a check cut in advance. Most venues prefer — and some may even require — payment by cash or check.
As you may have noticed, the information above isn’t just a Top 10 list, but a step-by-step guide to produce a well-organized and quality-run golf event.
Brent Moyes is the director of golf at Eaglewood Golf Club in North Salt Lake.