Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
TOURN ADVICE, IT UP RESOURCES
and IDEAS for your next event
ANOTHER SCRAMBLE?
How to Keep a Tournament Fresh
Let GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB elevate the experience coloradoavidgolfer.com
95
Spring 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
TEEING UP A GREAT TOURNEY With its big-event pedigree, GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB champions the tournament experience. By Kim D. McHugh
PUTT FOR DOUGH: Contests on the green can add value to Green Valley Ranch tournaments.
AS HOST TO the CoBank Colorado Open, Colorado Women’s Open and Colorado Senior Open championships, there is no question that Green Valley Ranch Golf Club knows how to manage a golf tournament. Putting into play a “start-to-finish process,” your Green Valley Ranch tournament liaison will be your partner from the first phone call or email right up to the day of your event. “We give each client a hands-on experience, help with player and volunteer recruitment and even give you access to event-planning software,” says Matt Bryant, GVR’s PGA General Manager. “We provide tips on getting sponsors, recruiting more players and suggest contests and games that can really make your tournament unique for participants. We have ideas on how to make the most money for your organization, as well.” One of the most popular activities is the Speed Hole, which is played on a short par 4 where golfers can’t easily lose the ball. The minute the group ahead clears the green, Bryant explains, the stopwatch starts. “Teams have to hole the ball in the shortest amount of time. It’s amazing to watch the strategy as different teams poCOLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2020
“We have carts with GPS that can display a company or organization logo, as well as logos of participating sponsors,” added Bryant. “For scrambles, shambles and best-ball tournaments you can use the GPS system to keep score, see how your team is doing, and where you stand in relation to other teams.” Besides having a single point of contact for tournament consultation, and food and beverage, GVR’s all-inclusive tourney packages include the 18-hole green fee, cart with GPS system, driving range balls, golf shop credit, use of the Outdoor Tournament Pavilion, registration and contest hole set up and professional scoring with Golf Genius. Awarded a 4-star rating as a “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest and one of the Top Ten Public Golf Courses in Colorado by The Denver Post, the impeccably maintained championship course, which plays 4,974 yards from the forward tees and 7,084 yards from the tips, certainly introduces challenge to your participants. Another selling point for GVR is its close proximity to Denver International Airport and the year-old Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. The location makes for a convenient venue if you have out-of-town players in the field, and, Bryant says, “having the Gaylord has helped us attract a number of ‘destination’ tournaments from out of state.”
sition the players—who hits the first shot, then the second shot, where do they stand—and ultimately which group plays the fastest.” To make things interesting, GVR puts a 10-foot-diameter circle on the green of one or more of its par-3s. Those players landing their tee shot inside the circle are entered in a closest-to-the-hole chipping contest from 100 yards out on the 18th green, with win- 303-371-3131; gvrgolf.com/tournaments ners receiving a reward of some kind. “The gallery that forms by the green creates a great energy, a great atmosphere,” Bryant says. Acknowledging that delicious food and cold beverages are important to the success of any tournament, Ebert’s Terrace caters all events. Depending on whether your event starts in the morning or early afternoon there will be breakfast or lunch items followed by either a buffet lunch or dinner, all served in the covered Outdoor Tournament Pavilion where the CoBank Colorado Opens stage their awards ceremonies. INTERLOCKING: The field fills GVR’s Outdoor Tournament Pavilion.
96
coloradoavidgolfer.com
Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
AN EVENT-ORIENTED VENUE A striking new clubhouse, personal service and a raft of customizable tournament packages combine to make RACCOON CREEK a slam-dunk choice. By Kim D. McHugh WITH A BEAUTIFULLY maintained Dick Phelps-designed layout that brings water into play on 15 holes and boasts more than 3,000 mature trees and phenomenal Front Range views, it’s no wonder why Littleton’s Raccoon Creek Golf Course is such a popular place to host golf tournaments and outings. Skilled at planning an event as small as a pair of foursomes to groups of 144 players or more, Raccoon Creek’s coordinator helps you customize your event to fit the specific needs of your fundraising tournament, corporate team building or association golf outing. “We have a dedicated tournament coordinator named Amy Bergh, and she does a tremendous job taking care of everyone’s needs,” PGA Head Golf Professional and Assistant General Manager Don Graham says. “I think the whole experience is terrific from start to finish for shotgun events, including a bag drop service, confirming the pairings and putting sponsorship signs on the course and in the clubhouse.” Graham takes pride in his team’s extraordinary ability to communicate. Initial inquiries receive a quick response and the team stays in contact with the client for all facets of the event—from the first meeting to subsequent meetings and on the day of
play. Graham shares his cell phone number so the client can always reach him or a staff member in case something unexpected happens—even the night before the event. That full-service approach is also reflected in the fact that the course makes itself available for tournaments seven days a week. For the last five years, Raccoon Creek has enjoyed nonstop wedding and party bookings at The Barn, an upscale special event facility that used to house golf carts at the south end of its property. The Barn doesn’t often host golf events, either. Not only is it a popular wedding spot, it’s also on the opposite end of the property from the golf clubhouse. Besides, Raccoon Creek recently invested $4.1 million on building a farmhouse-style clubhouse that opened in 2018. Spanning approximately 11,500 square feet—7,500 of it indoors—Raccoon Creek’s new clubhouse makes for a very welcoming space before and after your tourney. On the north side of building, the Tournament Patio accommodates more than 160 players and, if the weather is a bit dicey, available soft walls create a space that can be completely enclosed and heated. An adjacent event lawn can be set up for lawn games like cornhole, giant Jenga and bocce.
TOURNAMENT-READY: Raccoon Creek’s welcoming farmhouse-style clubhouse, restaurant and patio.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2020
98
UP A CREEK: Water guards the green on the par-5 11th.
Built-in AV capabilities and multiple flat screen TVs broadcast tournament results, and guests have been known to spill over to the smaller West Patio, which seats 40, to catch the brilliant views and sunsets. Working from a new state-of-the-art kitchen in the clubhouse’s Farmhouse Restaurant, the staff easily produces Raccoon Creek’s acclaimed breakfast burritos, while organizers can choose from an array of lunch items, including staples like hot dogs, brats and cheeseburgers, as well as a barbecued, pulled pork sandwich buffet and fancier dinner fare such as steak and salmon. A three-sided bar with seating for 25 holds particular appeal for draft-beer aficionados, who can sample from 12 on-tap selections cooled to a frosty 32 degrees by a glycol system. Tournament groups enjoy Yamaha’s YamaTrack touchscreen GPS on the carts, plus there is a Raccoon Creek app that golfers can use on their smartphones, which allows them to receive notifications from the course. Those with the low-battery-drawing app get a free small bucket of range balls just for downloading it. Raccoon Creek can promote sponsors or acknowledge charitable benefactors by featuring their name or logo on scorecards, signage, rule sheets and, if you have a title sponsor or major sponsor, those logos can be put on the cart screens, the scoreboard and other places around the course. 303-932-0199; raccooncreek.com/tournaments coloradoavidgolfer.com
Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
ADVICE TO PLAN BY Whether for charity, team building, customer appreciation or some other noble cause, golf tournaments require plenty of work.
ASK ANYONE who has run a charity golf tournament—and hasn’t run from it the following year. These events are hard work. Heed the following nuggets of wisdom. PLAN AHEAD Give yourself at least six to nine months to determine and document the tournament’s objectives and purposes, prepare preliminary specifications (date, time, estimated number of participants, number of meal functions, tournament format, potential sponsors, etc.) and establish a timeline. VENUE Choose the right course. Visit at least two or three courses to get an idea of what the event will be like. Ask the club to walk you through the event or swing by to “secret shop” the course during an event. How’s the food? Is the event run smoothly? How’s the service? Are players having fun? Some key things to consider: • Price: Don’t jump at the lowest offer until confirming what the contract includes. Those “extras” add up! COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2020
• Reputation: What have you heard about the course? What’s the reaction when you mention it to golfers? • Location: If most of your potential attendees live in, say, Boulder, don’t select a course in Colorado Springs. • Amenities: It’s about much more than golf. Are there multiple beverage carts? Carts with scoring and GPS capability? Will the dining room hold all your guests, rain or shine? Can menus be customized? • Get the best course you can afford. Considering all of the above, remember that the better the venue, the higher people will think of your charity and the more they’ll be willing to pay. BUDGET Calculate your entry fee by tallying your golf, food costs and non-donated prize costs, plus the margin of profit you wish to make per player. Err on the side of profitability to limit your risk. • Don’t rely on entry fees alone. To reach your fund-raising goal, you first need to cover your costs. Higher prices discour-
100
age participants. Sell mulligans, string and drink coupons. Drawings, betting holes and silent auctions also add to the bottom line. Just collect all the money at registration. You don’t want to nickel-and-dime players on the course. • No surprises. Get all fees (green fee, cart fee, food, liquor, range fee), up front in a contract—and don’t forget taxes and gratuities. • Don’t dig a signature hole. Never sign a contract for a minimum of 100 players. You want to have the ability to adjust the number 30 days out. Most courses won’t have you do a final head count until two weeks before the event. • Offset all costs. Get as much donated as possible—food, liquor, signs—and make everything (shirts, hats, golf-ball packaging, driving range, short-game area, hole contests), a sponsorship opportunity. • Leverage food and beverage. If you have a sponsor who will donate breakfast burritos, see if the course will let the sponsor handle breakfast and the course can provide lunch. Or, if it’s an afternoon event, coloradoavidgolfer.com
Announces new "Professional Membership"
$210 Monthly Membership. Small 50 member cap! CO AvidGolfer's Best Value just got even better. Call 303-681-3305 ext. 4 abustamante@perryparkcc.com Andrew Bustamante Director of Membership, Perry Park Country Club 7047 Perry Park Boulevard - Larkspur, CO 80118
Special Advertising Section
You should be here. And you know it.
Superior course conditions and service Book your tee time at RedHawkRidge.com Off the I-25 Corridor in Castle Rock
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE get a lunch sponsor and have the course provide the pricier dinner. • Get liquor donated. Check first if the course will allow outside alcohol. Under Colorado law, a club may serve donated alcohol as long as a certified 501(c)(3) is the beneficiary. (Do not allow volunteers or a charity representative to serve alcohol.) • Account for prizes. Don’t skimp on trophies, plaques and gift certificates. • Take it to the next level. Determine the dollar amount ($10,000, $5,000, etc.) and value (how many foursomes, how much recognition, etc.) of sponsorship levels (i.e. Title Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Team and Hole). • Adopt a “no pay, no play” policy. Collect all entry fees and sponsorship fees prior to the event, no walk-ups. KNOW YOUR PLAYERS Your guests are not likely all going to be “sticks.” Communicate to the course representatives the level of play you expect from the field. They can set up the course and format accordingly. For charity tournaments, avoid using handicaps and net scoring. It limits your field/market and creates challenges. • Communicate your purpose. Your tournament must have a charity with a clear-cut vision you can passionately communicate. What are they playing for? Individuals and corporate sponsors want to align themselves with causes that have a strong, well-defined mission. • At the event, connect people visually to your cause at the registration table with a video, photographs or even an appearance by a beneficiary of the program. • Be generous with prizes. The more people who leave with prizes, the better the impression of your tournament. Aim for at least 25% of the field to leave with a team or individual prize, even if they’re raffle or door prizes. • Pamper your players. Feed them before the event. Provide food or water on every hole. Unique gifts, prizes and other expressions of thanks—including hand-written follow-up thank-you notes— will keep your charity top of mind and bring them back the following year. • Collect as much data as you can (cell, email, auction items purchased, clothing measurements) for future marketing. COMMITTEES AND VOLUNTEERS Form committees. Determine one lead chairperson and assign responsibilities to specific individuals. Make sure to diversify
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2020
102
the committee chairs with people from different industries with different networks— and emphasize to all committee members that commit is the basis for the word committee. Have them meet regularly with their volunteers for status updates. Establish firm deadlines and meet regularly to review progress with committee chairs. • Give or get. Charge all committee members with either purchasing or recruiting at least one paying foursome. • Involve people. You can’t go it alone. You need volunteers to solicit players, sponsors and gift items. You need people to register people at the event, collect money and perform other functions. SALES AND MARKETING Spread the word using social networking, emails, texts and your website. Hold preevent functions such as pairings parties (get a restaurant to donate a meal in exchange for a sponsorship). Ask sponsors for reciprocal links on their websites. Create “early bird” pricing and a sense of urgency as the event date approaches. Make a radio or TV station your title or presenting sponsor in trade for event promotion. Keep the message positive and steadily beat the drum. • Create a target list for sponsors, casting as wide a net as possible. • Garner support from your company or the charity’s board of directors, but also make sure they are soliciting each of their vendors, boards and everyone else affiliated with them for players, sponsors and silent-auction items. • Invest in strong marketing material that you can distribute and a website that can be presented personally to decision makers. • Sell the right thing. Tournament sponsorships are like marketing buys. Companies sponsor golf tournaments— cars, real estate, banks—because they like that strong demographic. • Leave an impression. Enlist someone to create a compelling leave-behind brochure or online video for team members to present to potential sponsors and players. • Follow the money. Even when selling foursomes, in many cases it’s not the players’ money, it’s their company’s. • Get social. Creatively push out the message on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Use photos and videos if possible. • Engage the course. Ask your contacts at the golf course to help fill the field, provide sponsor leads and promote your event to its database. coloradoavidgolfer.com
APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE Tournaments • Family Fun
•
Events
•
Beginner Golf
Memorable Occasions • Junior Golf
Fundraisers
•
Bio Blitz
•
Corn Hole
And So Much More!
PRACTICE. PLAY. CELEBRATE.
14001 W 32nd Ave, Golden, CO 80401 303.279.3003 • www.applewoodgc.com
Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
TEACH YOUR GOLFERS WELL ARE YOU LOOKING for a new way to attract participants to your organization’s annual golf tournament? Would you rather give your players a tee gift that’s more useful than another logoed golf hat, towel or sleeve of golf balls— in other words, something that truly adds value? Let the number-one-rated golf school in the country help! This year, the Jim McLean Golf School is introducing its “TOURNAMENT PACKAGE.” Available at any course along the Front Range and in the mountains, the package is geared for golf tournaments that are looking to enhance their participants’ experience with something different. THE PACKAGE INCLUDES: • Pre-tournament or post-tournament clinics on the course’s driving range (generally one or two hours). This allows participants to arrive early and share in a full day of golf, with a learning session prior to teeing off. These sessions are formulated around the McLean 25 Percent Theory—golf is equal parts Short Game, Long Game, Course Management and Mental Game. • Trackman-verified Longest Drive Contest. Conducted during warmups on the range, ensuring it is “legit.” • Trackman numbers station on driving range during warmups and clinic, allowing interested golfers to view statistics such as their swing speed, launch angle, spin rate and carry and total distance—all of which can be emailed to participants for a full profile on their current swing metrics. • Short-game area tips and tricks session prior to tee off.
This can be run as part of a clinic, or separate from the clinic, affording a number of Jim McLean and Keith Rogers interested participants the opportunity to attend a small group session focused on chipping, pitching and bunker play. • On-course feedback. Allow participants to bid on “playing with a pro”–have Director of Instruction Keith Rogers join one of your groups for a nine-hole playing lesson during the tournament. Keith will focus on Course Management and the Mental Game, while implementing any quick fixes to flaws he detects in the foursome’s long and short games. • Discounted lesson packages at the Jim McLean Golf School (Denver location) and free video swing analysis offer at the Jim McLean Golf School with Director of Instruction Keith Rogers.
Please contact Director of Instruction Keith Rogers at (303) 880-2222 to discuss various package options and for personalized quotes. One-Hour Clinics start at $500. Add something new, fun and informative to your next golf tournament. Hire the pros at the Jim McLean Golf School at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Denver’s newest location of the number-one-rated golf academy in the country.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2020
104
coloradoavidgolfer.com
OUTSTANDING
COURSES The City of Lakewood has two outstanding municipal golf courses that offer golfers of every level an exciting golfing experience, coupled with spectacular views of Denver’s iconic skyline and the snowcapped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
Fox Hollow and Homestead offer a unique mix of terrain types and course challenges. Nestled next to Bear Creek Lake Park on native rolling prairie lands, both courses offer an opportunity for escape and relaxation with tranquil lakes, quiet streams and spectacular vistas.
LakewoodGolf.org
Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
KEEPING IT FRESH New concepts, formats, venues and more will prevent your tournament from getting tired. By Joe Grant CHARITY TOURNAMENT organizers know philanthropy can be as fickle as the game of golf itself. You’ll always have loyal players, but even the most charitable golfers will think twice before opening their wallets for the golf equivalent of Groundhog Day. At some point, it’s not enough to distinguish your tournament from everyone else’s; you have to keep distinguishing it from the ones you’ve done before. SWITCH COURSES The relationship between a charity and the golf course can be like a “Same Time, Next Year” love affair. But instead of a titillating rendezvous, the annual encounter becomes predictable and uninspired. Consider switching to a course in the same geographical area that might give a better deal or has more appeal. A change in venue gives you a story to pitch to participants, and, should you decide to change again, your jilted course might try harder to win you back, giving you leverage. CHANGE THE ITINERARY If you’ve always done a morning shotgun, don’t just move it to the afternoon. Start with a nine-hole afternoon shotgun, have dinner and drinks, and then play the holes closest to the clubhouse with glow-in-thedark balls and phosphorescent-taped flagsticks. Under a full moon, you can play even more holes. GET OUTTA TOWN! Destination weddings are all the rage. What about a destination golf tournament to celebrate a milestone anniversary—the “10th annual…”—of your charity or event? Booked far enough ahead, most top golf resorts love accommodating large groups. With enough pre-planning, you can attract sponsors and in-kind donations to offset any lodging or transportation costs. SCRAMBLE THE SCRAMBLE The standard scramble format is democratic but timeworn. How about these? • Texas Scramble: At least four drives must be used from every player. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2020
• Florida Scramble: You can’t play the same player’s ball on consecutive shots. • Modified Stableford System: Put your twist on the go-for-it scoring format from The International at Castle Pines. A double-eagle is worth 8 points, an eagle 5, birdie 2 and par 1. Bogey or worse counts as 0. Use full handicaps and those points will add up fast! • Shamble: Allow players to choose the group’s best drive and play their own ball to the hole. Record the low net score. ISLAND HOPING: BirdieBall’s floating green can raise the • Alternate Shot: Also called level of both fun and funds. Foursomes, this golf tournament format is for two-person teams. Playing the same to a scaled-down version of Coeur d’Alene’s ball, the two players alternate hitting shots famous island green on any body of water on a golf course. The easy-to-assemble until the ball is holed. green can float, anchored and tethered, 100-120 feet from the shore, where players SWEETEN THE SWAG How many logoed golf towels, golf hats and try to hit it into targets on the green. Birdiegolf shirts does any one person need? The Ball shots stick to the green—or float in the more creative and purposeful the logoed water and eventually return to shore. • Chip to Win. Anyone who’s attended gift, the more often the recipient will think of your charity when he or she uses it. Gifts the Denver Golf Expo has seen BirdieBall’s inflatable AirTargets—Golfrilla, BirdieRex that fall into this category are: and Golf-aroo—that have apertures to aim • Cigar torch for. Mini-versions of each—with or without • Deck of cards and poker chips your charity’s or sponsor’s logo—are now • Private-labeled wine or liquor available for pre- or post-round chipping • Embossed leather head cover contests for cash. Self-insure it or contact • Etched wine or beer glasses BirdieBall (birdieball.com) for information. • Flask • The 21 Club. Another AirTarget is • Fleece vest a Blackjack game with pie-slice-shaped • Folding chair openings assigned different card values. • Golf glove with logoed ball marker Players can “throw in their chips” in the • Golf travel bag name of charity by wagering on themselves. • Hand-rolled cigars with logo rings • BirdieBall’s synthetic putting • Leather gym bag greens come in a variety of stimps, lengths • Rangefinder and configurations for putting contests that • Sunglasses can take place—with actual golf balls— • Thumb drive with event photos indoors or outdoors. Contour Shims and hole-size reducers add to the challenge. BREAK OUT THE BIRDIEBALLS BirdieBall—the Evergreen company that in- Customized versions with sponsor logos, vented those limited-flight practice “balls” photographs, etc. make for great tee prizes. shaped like napkin rings that feel, fly, fade and draw just like real golf balls—produces KEEP ’EM ENTERTAINED logoed sleeves for swag bags, but its tour- Theatrics at golf events can range from skydivers to celebrity appearances. Other nament rental offerings go beyond that: • Floating Putting Green. Treat players entertainment options include:
106
coloradoavidgolfer.com
Special Advertising Section
2020 TOURNAMENT GUIDE • Trick It Out. Nobody will ever forget watching a man kneeling on a Swiss Ball crush 300-yard drives off a tee held between the teeth of a supine tournament player. The creativity and entertainment value of a trick-shot artist like Dan Boever (danboever.com) is well worth the price. • Razz to Raise Funds. Hire Hole Hecklers (holehecklers.com), a company started by comedian Jon “J Marc” Chambers, who’ll stand at a teeing area with a tamperproof donation box (its contents all for the charity) and start making goodnatured, non-profane banter with each foursome. Players can make a suggested donation, as well as add money to have the comics “$hut the Buck Up” or amp up the abuse (“Dough for Di$traction”). DIGITIZE AND MONETIZE On the range or a designated tee, have a golf pro or clubfitter provide players with data captured by a Trackman. Turn those data points into an optional competition (i.e. “highest swing speed”) and award prizes. FLUFF THINGS UP Stage a long-drive contest using marshmal-
that a 137-yard hole is the same distance from home plate to the centerfield fence at Coors Field. ALTER THE HOLE Boost team morale and speed pace of play by asking the course to alter some of the more difficult holes. An example might be adding two more holes on the green or even enlarging the physical hole. KICK IT Designate one par 3 for Footgolf. Have four soccer balls at the tee. Play scramble-style until a ball finds the 21-inch hole. TEED UP: Hole Heckler “J Marc” Chambers
lows on the practice range, at the turn, or from a tee on a hole without a carry. Just be sure to have someone collect them once the distance is calculated, as they can gum up maintenance equipment. TEE BALL On a par 3 have players “tee off” Rockiesstyle—either by throwing a golf ball or fungoing it with a baseball bat. They play golf from wherever the best ball lands. Note
HURL IT On a specific hole, give each team a FlingStick—a lacrosse-style stick sporting a golfball-sized plastic basket—with which to play the entire hole in scramble format. SPEED GOLF Make one par 4 the speed hole. Instead of low score, the goal is low time. Teams need to place themselves strategically on the fairway and near the green. Volunteers on the tee and green run the stopwatch.
ELEVATE YOUR GAME at Eagle Vail Golf Club T
ake in spectacular Rocky Mountain views as you play the challenging 18-hole championship course or Par 3 course. Enjoy a well-deserved meal at the Whiskey Hill Golf Grill afterwards. Call us to schedule a group or private lesson.
EagleVailGolfClub.com 970-790-1200 459 Eagle Drive | Avon, CO
coloradoavidgolfer.com
107
Spring 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER