Charity golf tournaments are still a very significant fundraising activity for many organizations but various factors are making these events more challenging than ever.  What are those specific challenges and how can your organization overcome these obstacles?

1. Sponsorships are getting harder to obtain

Some corporations have reduced their golf tournament sponsorship budgets and as a result obtaining sponsorship support has become more challenging in recent years. However, there are companies out there still willing to sponsor charity golf events. If you are looking to generate new or additional sponsorship support :

• Seek out new sources of sponsorship (e.g. union locals, service clubs and new companies that have moved into your geographic area)
• Promote from within – ask the long time ‘foursome purchaser’ to stretch their budget a little more this year and become a hole sponsor as well
• Contact your existing sponsors to thank them for their previous support and ask them when it is best to approach them regarding next year’s event. You may be surprised at how many companies are willing to commit to renewing (or upgrading) their sponsorship if asked early enough in their corporate budget cycle.

2. Golf tournaments are too expensive as a special event

Some organizations want to host a golf tournament but feel that it is too expensive a special event for their organization. To make your event more profitable, consider the following :

• Golf courses are very eager to host golf tournaments as it gives them guaranteed revenue as well as food and beverage sales. Ask the local courses in your area if there are certain days in their calendar on which they may be more ”price-friendly” to your organization;
• In Kind sponsorships : review your expenditures and analyze where you can reduce costs but not sacrifice the quality of the event by having a supplier “sponsor” that item through an in kind donation (e.g. sponsor signage) 
• Consider a ‘9 hole event’ as an alternative to a full 18 hole tournament. It is less expensive for all involved and a good way to introduce a “fundraising golf event” to your audience.

3. Our tournament is getting stale

Many established charity golf events face the challenge of keeping their tournament  “fresh and interesting” each year. To keep your golfers coming back and to retain their financial support of your organization you can:  

• Change golf courses to give the event “a fresh look”
• If the golf course you currently use is the best venue for your event, then alter the itinerary (e.g. move to a morning shotgun start instead of an afternoon start) or change the scoring format of the event
• Change up the dinner menu from a plated meal to food stations
• Add an element of entertainment (e.g. comedian, musician) or add a “theme” to the tournament that fits your organization
• Use the age of your tournament as an opportunity to celebrate a milestone anniversary and/or recognize long time attendees    

4. Attendance at our tournament is declining

Some tournaments are experiencing a drop off in attendance. Part of the challenge with holding a golf tournament is that it requires a significant time commitment by each attendee. To continue to meet your objectives on golfer participation:

• Offer an incentive to those that register early, either by way of a small price discount or perhaps by giving those golfers an additional benefit (e.g. 2 for 1 green fee at the golf course to golf there another day other than the tournament)
• Consider offering a level of “sponsor recognition” to any company or individual buying multiple foursomes in the event
• If a corporation regularly buys a foursome in your event but struggles to fill it with golfers, invite them to “donate” that foursome back to the organization and offer to fill it for them
• Survey your golfers and get their input on what they would like to see changed at your tournament in order to keep attending.

5. Our tournament takes too long:

The primary complaint from golfers attending  charity golf tournaments is the length of time that some tournaments can take to complete. To overcome this problem, consider:

• Reviewing your current range of on course activities with your host golf course and determine if there are ways to speed up play without detracting from the sorts of activities that your golfers enjoy;
• If your tournament is taking too long to complete, limit the total number of golfers and/or find ways to encourage quicker play (e.g. give each golfer a sleeve of golf balls so they do not spend time looking for lost golf balls; impose a maximum score per hole)
• Get input from your golf committee members and from some regular tournament attendees as to the length of your tournament
• Consider ways to shorten the post-golf reception without sacrificing the quality of your event. For example, give out the golf awards while the golfers are eating; limit the number of speakers and use video presentations in lieu of live speeches.  

Frank MacGrath is the President and Owner of Golf Tournaments Incorporated, a golf event management company based in Aurora, Ontario. Over the past twenty years GTI has helped a wide variety of corporations, charities and not for profit organizations with their fundraising golf events. Frank is also the author of Complete Handbook for Planning & Implementing a Successful Fundraising Golf Tournament published by Civil Sector Press.