A whole lot of business is done on a golf course! If you are hosting a golf outing or just sponsoring a hole, you are out there to gain exposure, build relationships and drive your business or association forward.  Let’s face it, golf outings can be a lot of time, money and work. You only get one day so of course you want it to be perfect.  If you are planning and working the golf outing, it can be completely exhausting. To maximize your time with potential clients and network you will want an event planner and coordinator to manage the event.  

A few things to consider for your golf event:

Fundamentals:

What are we trying to accomplish here?  Is this a fund raiser for a charity or political campaign?  Is it a company sponsored event for employee appreciation or to influence potential customers?  Is this an association event to bring potential business partners together? Regardless of the purpose, beginning with the end in mind will ensure the plan is designed to maximize the purpose and budget.  

Manage the High-Level Logistics:

Picking a date and location are just the beginning.

Number of golfers:

Do you need to find a venue with multiple courses to accommodate the number of golfers?  Not everyone is up to 4 hours and 18 holes.  Often people who are participating,are not real golfers, they are just out to network and have fun so 9 holes is more than enough.

Start:

Will it be a shotgun start with hopes that everyone will finish up around the same time for a reception and dinner.  Will there be a morning and afternoon start time to accommodate people’s work schedules?  Will it be a two-person scramble, best ball,traditional play?  

Goal:

Is the goal to get the foursomes through the course as quickly as possible to provide more time for networking with the larger group?  How do people register and pay?  Will there be sponsors?  

Communications:

How are communications managed?  There are a lot of people involved in this event from the golfers, sponsors, course staff and donors and you want to make sure everyone has a great experience and wants to come back next year.

Preparation:

This is where a planner or day of coordinator can really help.  So much work needs to be done in advance from registration, breakfast, gifts, hole set-up, prizes and awards, reception food and drinks, hole sponsors, tents, refreshments on the course, signage, transportation on the course, marketing materials and so on.

Day of Coordination:

Maybe your team can take care of all of the planning, but on the day of the event will they be working the event or networking with clients and colleagues?  A Day of Coordinator will be the Director who handles all of the logistics, including the unexpected events and perpetual questions.  After all of the work of planning an event, the most important thing is perfect execution of the plan.

Have a Contingency Plan:

What happens if it rains?  You have to be prepared for the worse case scenario.  

Tip:

Plan to talk with the course coordinator several times prior to the event and review your written detailed plan so everyone is on the same page.  It is essential to have very clear communication with the course staff regarding the schedule, budget and all logistics.  Often times the person booking your event is not the same person who is working your event and a lot can be lost in translation.  

A planner and coordinator are vital.  Your business reputation is too important to leave it to chance.  There are a million details with every golf outing and we love handling all of them.   Perfect Events by Jan offers professional planning and execution for safe and successful events. 

Happiness and joy, 
Jan 
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