How to Organize a Charity Golf Tournament
Published April 21st, 2021
Charity events nowadays are getting more creative. With a population used to a fast-paced lifestyle, it’s not enough anymore to just ask for donations. You need to create more awareness to drum up support. That’s why fundraiser events nowadays typically incorporate charity in sports and other community gatherings.
One great way of raising funds is by hosting a charity golf tournament. It won’t only provide an avenue for the avid golfers in your community to showcase their skills and engage in friendly competition. It’s also a great way to rally the community together in support of a common cause.
How Do Charity Golf Tournaments Work?
Charity golf tournaments are exactly what its name suggests. It’s a golf competition and a charity event at the same time.
It might sound simple but organizing a fundraiser like this isn’t easy, especially if you’re not familiar with the sport. In planning this type of event, there are six basic factors you need to consider:
- your venue
- your attendees
- the tournament format
- how to raise funds
- how to promote your event
- how to execute the event
If you’ve never done it before, it’s best to get advice from a golfer or your local country club members. They know the sport in and out so they can offer you great insights on what will work best. Or if your budget permits, hire an events manager to ensure that the golf tournament will run smoothly.
Golf Tournament Fundraising Ideas
There are a lot of ways to raise funds for charity during golf tournaments. If you’re lost on where to start, here are some fun ideas that will surely spice up your next annual charity golf tournament:
1. Player Registration Fees
Imposing a registration fee is one of the standard ways you can raise funds from charitable events. Besides, golfing events usually have registration fees to cover the “greens fee” or the cost of playing a session on the golf course. You can offer online and offline registration for both guests and participants. There are a lot of online services that will automate your registration process for a small fee.
You can also offer discounted packages for foursome registrations. This will encourage golfers to invite their friends to join the tournament. The more players you have, the more people will attend the event.
2. Mulligan
Golf can be tricky especially for newbies. An extra stroke, not counted on the scorecards, will surely increase their chances – and their confidence too! This is why many people would pay for mulligans in these types of events.
You can bundle it as part of a package or as a separate offering. Just make sure to include it in your emails and social media posts.
3. Sponsorships
Sponsorships are probably the oldest trick in the book of nonprofit fundraising ideas. Talk to the businesses in your community and offer opportunities for corporate sponsorship. Getting corporate sponsors for these types of events isn’t usually that hard. Most of the time, they’re also eager for their brands to be seen at events like this.
You can also offer sponsorships for every hole. With 18 holes, you can collect a fair amount – especially if the community knows it’s for charity.
4. Merchandise Sales
Big sporting events wouldn’t be complete without merchandise sales. It adds to the enthusiasm of the crowd and makes a great souvenir too.
There’s a wide variety of merchandise you can sell at a charity golf event. Aside from the usual button pins and hats, you can also offer golf-themed items such as:
- golf balls
- golf headcovers
- towels
- ball markers
5. Golf Marathons
Golf marathons or golf-a-thons are becoming increasingly popular in charity golf tournaments. It allows you to raise more funds by involving non-golf enthusiasts.
Instead of collecting registration fees from players, encourage them to do peer-to-peer fundraising. Let them solicit donations from their colleagues, friends, and family through email and social media. They can complete their registration once they’ve completed the minimum donation amount. You can also turn it into a contest to see who can raise the most amount of donations from their peers.
6. Donation Appeal
Aside from making donation appeals on your social media, you can also make an appeal on the golf course. Station a volunteer at every hole and have them ask each golfer to donate on the spot. They’ll be more willing to donate if you educate them about your cause and where the money will go.
7. Fundraising Raffle
If you have donations in kind, you can offer them as prizes for a fundraising raffle. You can sell the raffle tickets on your website or during the event.
8. Cash-bar Golf Cart
It’s inevitable for golfers to go thirsty or hungry on the golf course. You can cash in on this by turning a golf cart into a cash-bar. Fill it up with drinks and small snacks that you think will interest them. You can also offer mobile payment options for hassle-free transactions.
9. Helicopter Drop
Another way to make your golf tournament more interesting is by selling colored, numbered golf balls before and after the event. Then during the tournament, a helicopter will fly around the golf course and drop the ball at designated targets.
10. Rent a Caddie
Some golfers find it bothersome to bring their own bag and golf club. You can offer volunteers as caddies for rent either as part of the registration package or during the event.
11. Charity Dinner and Banquet
A charity dinner and banquet is the perfect way to cap off a successful golf tournament. For golfers, it’s a way to celebrate and socialize. For you, it’s an opportunity to raise money for charity.
Make sure to provide good food, drinks, and a great ambiance so the diners won’t hesitate to attend next year’s tournament. You can also do a charity auction while at it.
Promoting Your Charity Golf Tournament
Putting a face and a story to your fundraising is very essential when promoting the tournament. Pick a cause or a charitable organization beforehand. Feature their story and highlight how the money will help them. People are more generous when they understand where the donations will go. They might even promote your event themselves.
Promote your event online and offline. A winning email marketing strategy helps a lot. Don’t forget to make your event visible on relevant social media platforms. Your charity partner should also promote it on their website or social media pages. The people who already support them are more likely to support the golf tournament too.
If you have a major sponsor, make sure that their company logo is visible in all your marketing collateral. They might be supporting your event for the sake of charity but, of course, they’ll also want to promote their brand. If they’re not satisfied, they might not be as willing to support your next fundraising activity.
Donate To The Poor Online
Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless over 90,000 full and nutritious meals since 1993. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our christian charity online. Visit our homepage to find our online donation form.
About The Author
Judy Ponio is a full time blogger and is devoted to topics about charity, kindness, and Christianity. She is part of Correct Digital, Inc which is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.
