How to Host a Charity Golf Tournament

One of the most effective ways to raise a large sum of money for charity is by hosting a charity golf tournament. Though effective, pulling it off requires a great deal of hard work and advanced planning. These tips will help you get out of the rough and onto the fairway for a successful fundraising drive.

First, form a committee because you will need help lining up donations, sponsors, and golfers. Assign specific jobs to each committee member and meet on a regular basis to review progress.

Book your tournament at a respectable golf course. Courses regularly work with groups such as yours and are a terrific resource. Don’t expect them to donate the day in the name of charity; this is their business and they are bombarded with similar requests on a daily basis. They will offer you a fair price including cart rental that you will pass on to the players in the form of the entry fee. Some courses can provide onsite catering after the game so be sure to factor that into your entry fee.

Most tournaments are held using a “shotgun start” format. This means that you have eighteen foursomes all starting at the same time - but on different holes. The entire course will be reserved for your group. At starting time, each group tees off and plays their hole before moving on to the next. With this format, everyone starts and (theoretically) ends at the same time. Depending on the course, the entire round takes about four hours.

Let’s take a look at pricing. Let’s say the green fees are $25 and the catering is $20 per person. If you charge a $100 entry fee, a full $55 dollars per person can go to your charity! That’s $220 per foursome and a whopping $3960 for a full set of eighteen foursomes.

In addition to the profits from the entry fees, you can expect to raise additional funds by selling hole sponsorships, raffle tickets, “Mulligans”, beverages, and spots on a 50/50 board.

A hole sponsorship allows local businesses to pay a fee in exchange for signage or a company representative at a particular hole. If you charge $100 per hole, you can raise an additional $1800. Assign a committee member to approach local businesses. If the business is unable or unwilling to sponsor a hole, ask them if they can donate an item to be raffled off. Many businesses are more than willing to do this.

Another committee member can assist in obtaining raffle items by approaching other businesses. Don’t overlook people within your organization when drumming up raffle donations. Many people have unopened goodies that are cluttering their homes and would love to donate them to your cause. Be selective though, you don’t want to raffle off used or junky items.

Use a computer and blank business card stock to print up a bunch of “Mulligans” to sell to the golfers at check-in. These are good for a free shot should they dislike one of their drives or putts. Mulligans are a fun, inexpensive way to squeeze a little extra cash out of your golfers and are incredibly popular.

When approaching businesses for donations, be sure and approach a retailer for donations of soda and water. On the day of the tournament, ice down the beverages in an ice chest, load it onto an available golf cart, and circulate the links offering ice cold drinks for sale. Some golf courses restrict food and beverage sales so be sure to get permission beforehand.

A 50/50 board is a game you can hold during the meal after the game. Create a board with numbered squares on it. Players can buy as many squares as they want. Throughout the meal, draw numbers and slowly eliminate the spots from the board. The owner of the last square wins the pot and splits it 50/50 with the charity. If you sell one hundred squares for $10 each, the pot is worth $1000 which means the winning golfer will get $500 and your charity will get $500. This popular game doesn’t cost a penny to put on and yields terrific results.

You’ll have plenty of additional details you’ll need to work out including invitations, score cards, awards, trophies, goodie bags, check-in procedures, golf carts, hole assignments, contests (such as hole-in-one, closest to the pin, longest drive), determining winners, PA systems, emcees, and safely collecting the money on behalf of your charity. Make sure you have a strong committee who clearly understands each role they must play and review progress regularly. Take advantage of any help the golf pro offers. With advanced planning, team work, and the help of local businesses, your charity golf tournament is sure to be a hit.