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How to Create a Can’t-Miss Golf Event “Charity Week” is just one innovative approach to fundraising at The Ridge.
HELI-GOLF: A chopper drops raffled golf balls at The Ridge. Closest to the pin wins a donated prize.
By Brandon Fowler “THERE ARE TWO ‘I’S’ in Fundraising – they should stand for inspiration and innovation, not imitation and irritation.” – Ken Burnett Over the past few years, the game of golf has seen participation come to a standstill due to a variety of different factors including cost, time, difficulty of the game, alternative options, and … on and on the list goes. Being the lone Troon-managed facility in the Denver market and utilizing programs such as Troon Family Golf, Troon’s Troops, Troon FIT & Troon Junior Club, The Ridge continues to put forth efforts on new and innovative ways to help grow the great game we all love. In 2014, The Ridge introduced a new concept called “Charity Week at The Ridge” which focuses on utilizing historically lowdemand days to offer more competitive pricing to groups that have tight budgets and might not typically be able to afford hosting an event at The Ridge. “Charity Week” is an unbelievable opportunity for different charity and non-profit groups to raise a substantial amount of money at one of Colorado’s best public golf courses along the Front Range. Including those seven days, the Ridge hosts between 7,000 and 8,000 charity/tournament rounds a year. We know how to run an event and COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2016
are proud to outline some key factors that will help you determine which golf course is the best fit to help you fundraise like you’ve never done before.
IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE AND ESTABLISH GOALS. As an obvious starting point, it’s critically important that each event understands the purpose behind hosting a golf event and what sorts of goals the organization is trying to accomplish. Start with establishing the “Why” and getting buy-in from key individuals—the ones who will help make a difference.
TIMING AND DATES. Depending on time of year, golf courses should be offering different pricing and packages. Picking a suitable date and time is certainly critical and will play a major role in determining who will be able to participate. Make sure to pick a date that works for key stakeholders, doesn’t conflict with a holiday weekend or spring break, and that also benefits fundraising efforts from a pricing standpoint.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. In addition to identifying the “Why” and
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establishing goals, it’s also crucial to determine the best location for your event based on the area from which most players will be coming. Remember playing in an event already takes a significant amount of time out of someone’s day. Presenting participants with long travel times or hosting a tournament in a remote location—no matter how coveted the course—can really make things difficult.
PRICING REALLY MATTERS. Over the past couple of years, The Ridge has seen many groups take advantage of Charity Week. Each season, The Ridge identifies one week that we can offer more robust pricing options. Managed by Troon Golf and focused on providing the finest playing surfaces, incredible guest service and unmatched amenities, groups are able to take advantage of this week and really create a “can’t-miss” golf event year in and year out.
IS THIS A TRUE PARTNERSHIP? Although golf operators have an obligation to run a business and make sure that their operation is profitable, each golf course should look at establishing a true partnership with every coloradoavidgolfer.com
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2016 TOURNAMENT GUIDE for Planners & Players event it hosts. The Ridge truly values building a relationship with each group and strives to understand the needs and wants from all parties involved. This includes in-person site visits, detailed phone calls leading up to the tournament and flawless day-of-event execution. Get a good feel for the staff at the property, ask for references and really get a feel that they are there for your every need.
SPONSORS.
LONG SHOT: A foursome scrambles for birdie at The Ridge. FIRST STAGE: A successful event starts with organization.
Identifying potential sponsors that align with your vision and messaging can help raise extensive dollars and mitigate costs associated with your tournament. Choose your sponsors wisely and look for those companies who are willing to invest and build a relationship with your team. The more value and return that you can provide, the more they’ll be willing to spend.
IT DOESN’T HURT TO ASK.
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Don’t be afraid to ask for extra incentives when trying to determine the best possible course location to host your tournament. Courses looking to garner your business should be willing to provide an extra perk here or there to help differentiate themselves from the competition. Treating each event as a true partnership, The Ridge really gets creative in trying to offer unique add-ons to those charities who call our golf course home.
DATABASE MANAGEMENT.
CUSTOM EVENT: The Ridge makes the Avs (such as Nathan MacKinnon, left) at home during their pre-season charity tournament.
Probably one of the most paramount and essential tasks that organizers can do is collect and maintain up-to-date contact information from all golfers, volunteers and anyone else who regularly takes part in their event. Building a comprehensive database will allow you to build a very loyal following and increase participation each year. In addition, a solid database will also allow you to communicate effectively to these individuals throughout the year, keeping your organization top of mind and potentially providing additional fundraising opportunities.
At the end of the day, anyone can try and host a charity golf event. What truly matters is whether you are honing in on all the “little things” that will help distinguish your tournament from all others. Focusing on the vital factors should allow you to take pride in what you’re doing and host a first-class event that raises a lot of money. The Ridge proudly offers a variety of different programming options aimed at growing the game and giving back where we can. We want to help each event that we host succeed like they never have before. As the official home of the Colorado Avalanche and helping to raise nearly $700,000 for charities in 2015, The Ridge looks forward to hopefully nearing the $1 million mark in 2016. Brandon Fowler is the Assistant General Manager at The Ridge at Castle Pines North (playtheridge. com). Reach him at bmfowler@troongolf.com or 720-360-4356. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2016
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experienceThe Ridge
Enjoy The Ridge’s Newest Dining Experience
The Ridge, located in Castle Pines, Colorado is excited to announce that we will be re-launching our restaurant this Spring! Newly named Park Place, the restaurant is named after Grace Park, a 12-year LPGA Tour Player who collected a total of six victories and one major. New items will include enhanced ambiance, western theme, new menu and fresh BBQ selections! Visit www.playTheRidge.com or call 303.688.4575 for reservations today.
14 1 4 C A S T L e P i N e S P K W Y, C A S T L e P i N e S , C O 8 0 1 0 8 | 3 0 3 . 6 8 8 . 4 5 7 5 | P L AY T h e R i d G e . C O m
T H E R I D G E I S m a n aG E D by T R o o n G o l f, ÂŽ T H E l E a D E R I n u p S c a l E G o l f co u R S E m a n aG E m E n T
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PLANNER PERFECT: Golfsquid President and CEO Gary Robinson.
Squid Pro Quo The site with the odd name is taking over the way people plan golf events.
GOLFSQUID.COM PRESIDENT and CEO Gary Robinson says a marine mollusk perfectly captures his golf event management company. “Not only is it memorable; it’s accurate,” he explains. “Our cloud-based software has multiple tentacles within each category that help you manage your tournament.” Robinson’s enterprise also shares another quality with the cephalopod. Propelling themselves at 25 mph through the water and often into the air, squid also happen to be among the swiftest creatures in the sea. And Golfsquid, which projects a nationwide client base between 10,000 and 12,000 tournaments this year, is one of the fastestgrowing companies in the golf business. The venture started last spring, when Robinson teamed up with software entrepreneur Michael Kranitz, who had developed the event-management site eventsquid.com. After customizing and finetuning the interface for golf, they showed it to 13-time PGA Tour winner and Golf Channel analyst David Duval, who signed on as a partner and spokesman. Golfsquid then inked a deal to become the Preferred Online Tournament Services Partner of Golfsmith, in which the world’s largest specialty golf retailer can provide tournament hosts discounts on hard goods like clubs, balls and gift bag items, and soft goods such as logoed shirts, towels and hats. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2016
Other strategic business alliances have followed. Among them: Clubhub.com (custom club rentals), Qdoba (catering), Hole-In-One U.S.A. (hole-in-one insurance) and Signs Now (course signage). Robinson has also recently set up a nationwide network of 12 representatives to build market share and alliances in different regions. The power and proficiency of the Golfsquid platform have fueled its phenomenal growth. Its intuitive and easily navigable site has become increasingly more so since launching. It automates every aspect of tournament management—recruiting and registering players, promoting events, processing fees, managing sponsors, organizing exhibitors, coordinating volunteers, scheduling programs, printing badges and cart signs, generating revenue details and maintaining a participant database. Golfsquid’s Event Builder lets you set up an attractive and interactive microsite that serves as the online hub for your event. Thanks to a recently added course search engine, you can upload a map of the host golf course, and once a company signs on as a sponsor, you can drag and drop its logo onto the specific area of the course (tee, hole, putting green, range, etc.) the company is sponsoring. Not only can golfers, sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers all register online, but every event an organizer creates instantly generates
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a mobile app through which attendees can communicate with each other and the organizer, vote on questions (scramble or shamble?) and more. “We’ve also introduced a forum for users to share best practices and provide feedback,” Robinson says. “A lot of them start with, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…’” Frankly, everything’s cool about Golfsquid. It even handholds tournament virgins with the “Easy Path,” a ten-click process that registers the tournament. Veterans can take the “Power Path.” “Most tournament organizers think they’re running an event,” Robinson reasons, “but the event is running them. Golfsquid evolves the method, saving you countless hours. The best part is, when it’s time for the next event, one click recreates it. You hit ‘Duplicate,’ and everything’s stored. You can change anything you need to, but basically the whole tournament is saved.” After what he calls a brisk “beta” year, Robinson anticipates an “astronomical” jump in customers. Although he’s invested in constantly upgrading and simplifying the user experience, forging those strategic alliances and providing added value with bundle packages for sponsors, Robinson has not increased his rate of $2.99 per player. For less work, more golfers and more revenue, the price is definitely right for you. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Keeping it Fresh When participants see your commitment to making the event fun and different every year, they’ll keep coming back— and bring their friends! IT’S NOT ENOUGH to distinguish your event from other tournaments. At some point, you have to distinguish your event from the one you did last year—and the year before that and… While it would be nice to think that everyone attends a charity tournament to support the cause, philanthropy can be fickle. You’ll always have your loyal players, but even the most charitable golfers will think twice before opening their wallets for the golf equivalent of the movie Ground Hog Day. So, how do you keep your event from becoming stale?
BLOW-UP FUN: BirdieBall’s Golf-A-Roo
A HOLE NEW GAME: A FootGolf hole or two could kickstart your event.
SWITCH COURSES The relationship between the personnel involved with a charity and the golf course can be like a “Same Time, Next Year” love affair. But instead of a titillating and fun 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 a better reputation. A change in venue also gives you an exciting story to pitch to participants. Of course, you may feel like you’re cheating on the team at the course that’s “always” hosted your event, but the goal is to generate as much money as possible for your charity, not make as many friends as you can. And if you decide to change again, you now have added leverage.
CHANGE THE ITINERARY If, say, you’ve always done a morning shotgun, move it to the afternoon. Or vice-versa. That may not be so extreme but what about having dividing the afternoon shotgun into nine holes before sunset, and nine-holes with glow-in-the dark balls and flagsticks at night? Have dinner and drinks take place between the nines. Here’s some food for thought. Instead of everyone waiting around for the last groups to come in for a plated dinner, set up food stations and just have heavy hors d’oeuvres or a casual buffet during the awards.
MAKE EVERYONE A WINNER Every winning team creates dozens of losers. The tried-and-true ways to make everyone feel like a COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2016
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winner are to have on-course contests like longest and/or straightest drive on a par-5, closest to the pin and/or longest putt on a par-3. Here are some other suggestions. • Putt-Putt. Not every attendee at your event is a golfer, but everyone’s played miniature golf. Check if the course can customize a natural turf putting green with mini-bunkers, water hazards, “trees” made of branches and other obstacles. Complement the contest with cocktails and a satellite bar or appetizer station. Offer bonsais or a putter for the winner. • Target Practice. While people wait for the scores to be added, How about renting a Golfzilla, Golf-A-Roo or one of BirdieBall’s other inflatable AirTargets? Have participants—and, maybe, their kids—compete in an après-golf chipping contest using BirdieBalls, the limited-distance golf practice balls that resemble napkin rings. • Bet with Chips. Similarly, players can chip at inflatable AirTargets set up by the clubhouse and bar. Each target has numerous pie-shaped holes assigned different values. Players can compete in a variety of games, all of which involve wagering in the name of charity. Visit birdieball. com for more information. • Get It Close. At the end of the event, have a closest-to-the-pin competition from 165 yards to the 18th green. Entrants pay an optional fee (as they would if buying mulligans, etc.) and the winner keeps 50 percent of the total. Better yet, if you can afford the hole-in-one insurance, make it a prize like a car or trip. • Chopper Drop. This is an oldie but a goodie that people love to talk about. Before the round, coloradoavidgolfer.com
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2016 TOURNAMENT GUIDE for Planners & Players players kick, scramble-style, to the 21-inch-wide hole on the green. Give each team a FlingGolf FlingStick. On each hole, one of each team’s players must take his or her shots with the FlingStick, which suggests a lacrosse stick with a golf-ball-sized plastic basket. Visit flinggolf.com for more information. Shorten the course. Turn it into 12 par-3s, four par-4s and two par-5s. Players won’t grumble about a par-52 course when every par-3 features a hole-in-one prize.
S P ECI A L A D V E R T ISIN G SEC T I O N
SWEETEN THE SWAG
players buy numbered golf balls as if they were raffle tickets. After the round, players gather at the practice range to watch a helicopter drop the balls on a designated target green. The person whose ball lands closest to—or in—the hole wins a prize donated by a sponsor.
ENTERTAIN THEM Theatrics at golf events can range from skydivers to celebrity appearances. Other entertainment options include: • Music. Hire a local band to perform a after the dinner and auction. An intimate performance leaves a great impression. • Comedy. See someone you liked at Comedy Works? Chances are, he or she has a website and you can book them to appear. • Trick-shot artist. Nothing gets a golf crowd oohing and aahing like a golfer who can crush 300-yard drives while kneeling on a Swiss ball— and does it off a tee held between the teeth of one of your participants. The creativity and entertainment value of someone like Dan Boever (danboever.com) is well worth the price. • Long Driver. Hire Charity Golf International (charitygolfintl,com) to station a couple of their long-drive champions on a par-5. For a donation, every team can use the bomber’s drive, which usually results in eagles, birdies and faster rounds.
golf tournament format is for two-person teams. Playing the same ball, the two players alternate hitting shots until the ball is holed.
MAKE UP YOUR OWN RULES Allow beginning or very high (30-plus) handicap players to tee from 150 yards (or closer on par-3s) on every hole. Make one or two holes 15 inches wide (as famously suggested by TaylorMade’s Mark King). The birdies and eagles will fly, and so will the pace of play! Designate one or two par-3 as FootGolf holes. Four soccer balls wait on the tee and the
How many towels, golf hats and balls does one person need? The more creative and purposeful a logoed gift is, the more it will mean to the recipient. He or she will think of your charity when he or she uses it. Gifts that fall into this category are: • Etched wine or beer glasses • Golf travel bag • Golf glove • Leather gym bag • Flask • Thumb drive with event photos • Folding chair • Deck of cards and poker chips • Embossed leather head cover • Cigar torch • Fleece vest • Hand-rolled cigars with logoed rings • Rangefinder • Sunglasses
ALTERNATE YEARS If you’re losing participants or your tournament feels stale, take a year off and stage a concert, themed dinner, casino night or some other gala to raise money. Nobody ever said golf tournaments had to take place every year. Just remember to tell those in attendance to sign up for the following year’s new and improved golf event.
VARY THE FORMAT Not all scrambles are the same. • Change yours to a Texas Scramble, and at least four drives must be used from every player. • Play a Florida Scramble and the player whose shot was chosen cannot play the next shot. • Used at The International at Castle Pines, the Modified Stableford System format counts a double-eagle as 8 points, eagle as 5, birdie as 2, par as 0, and bogey or worse as -1. Use full handicaps and watch those numbers add up fast! • Alternate Shot: Also called Foursomes, this COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2016
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Here’s your chance to experience all the benefits of an outstanding private club. Readily available tee times, a course always in tournament condition, plus an eventful, year-round dining and social scene.
.For more information on these memberships, contact Herb Miller at 303.681.3305, Ext 4 or hmiller@perryparkcc.com hmiller@perryparkcc.com. And visit our website at www.perryparkcc.com.
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A Course in Charity ENTERING ITS 20TH YEAR of exclusively hosting golf events for charitable causes, Sanctuary is approaching $100 million mark in money raised. The following 25 charities will hold their events at the course designed by Jim Engh and owned by its only two members, RE/MAX Co-Founders Gail and Dave Liniger.
AUGUST 10 MT. CARMEL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Contact: Jacque Bauer 719-309-4711; Jbauer@mtcarmelcenter.org mtcarmelveterans.org AUGUST 11 COLORADO STATE PATROL FAMILY FOUNDATION Contact: Annette Westphal 303-549-2145; amdwestphal@yahoo.com cspff.net
Sanctuary 2016 Charity Tournaments
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JUNE 9 HOME FRONT CARES Contact: George Hayward 719-314-5018; g.hayward@thehomefrontcares.org thehomefrontcares.org JUNE 20 & 21 FLIGHT FOR LIFE— ST. ANTHONY HEALTH FOUNDATION Contact: Meg Nicolet 720-321-4316; megnicolet@centura.org stanthonyhealthfoundation.org JUNE 23 ADOPTION EXCHANGE Contact: Ben Lusz 303-755-4756 x269; blusz@adoptex.org adoptex.org JUNE 27 JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT Contact: Shawna Mounsey 303-260-6286; smounsey@jacolorado.org jacolorado.org JUNE 24, 2015 ANCHOR CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN Contact: Savannah Wippel 303-377-9732 x145; swippel@anchorcenter.org anchorcenter.org JUNE 30 HOPE HOUSE OF COLORADO Contact: Lisa Schlarbaum 303-429-1012 x. 241 lisaschlarbaum@hopehouseofcolorado.org hopehouseofcolorado.org JULY 18 TENNYSON CENTER FOR CHILDREN Contact: Alicia Perras 720-855-3316; alicia.perras@tennysoncenter.org childabuse.org JULY 20 ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL Contact: Mary Barrett 720-726-3395; mbarrett@arrupejesuit.com arrupejesuit.com
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2016
TOP OF THE WORLD: In 1997, Golf Digest named Sanctuary America’s “Best New Private Golf Course.” Founders Gail and Dave Liniger display the award, flanked by (left-to-right) Head PGA Professional Rudy Zupetz, Superintendent David Hare, Course Architect Jim Engh and Senior Golf Digest Architecture Editor Ron Whitten.
JULY 21 AIMCO CARES Contact: Kelly Fallin 303-901-2462; Kelly.Fallin@aimco.com aimco.com JULY 25 DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH / HYDE PARK JEWELERS CONTACT: Nancy Thompson 303-367-1367; nthompsonco@gmail.com hydeparkjewelers.com/diamonds-in-the-roughfoundation JULY 27 & 28 NATIONAL SPORTS CENTER FOR THE DISABLED Contact: Cody Galloway 303-293-5311; CGalloway@nscd.org nscd.org AUGUST 1 NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH Contact: Rebecca Reutlinger 303-728-6576; reutlingerr@njhealth.org nationaljewish.org AUGUST 3 BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF COLORADO Contact: Kari Mattes-Ritz 303-800-7268; karim@biglittlecolorado.org biglittlecolorado.org AUGUST 6 VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA Contact: Denise Robert 303-368-5208; denise@deniserobert.com voacolorado.org AUGUST 8 CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Contact: Serena Tufo 720-777-1759 llinden@childrenscoloradofoundation.org thechildrenshospital.org
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AUGUST 14 & 15 BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA Contact: Stephanie Barreras 972-581-2372; sbarreras@bgca.org bgca.org AUGUST 17 CRAIG HOSPITAL Contact: Sue Lynch 303-789-8578; 303-789-8940 (fax) slynch@craighospital.org craighospital.org AUGUST 18 PSA / WILLIAM R. MEYN FOUNDATION Contact: Dick DelFava 303-907-6086; rdelfava@milanoinc.com PleaseSaveAnother.org AUGUST 22 PROJECT C.U.R.E. Contact: Allison Eggert 720-490-4022; allisoneggert@projectcure.org projectcure.org AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1 PAL Contact: Jake Schroeder 303-937-1223 x104; jschroeder@denverpal.com opieopen.com SEPTEMBER 8 FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES Contact: Kristina Thomas 303-375-5838; kthomas@foodbankrockies.org foodbankrockies.org SEPTEMBER 12 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, DENVER AREA COUNCIL Contact: Anne Herriage 720-266-2147; 303-455-4689 (fax) Anne.Herriage@scouting.org denverboyscouts.org SEPTEMBER 15 ENERGY OUTREACH COLORADO Contact: Amy Day 303-226-5056; aday@energyoutreach.org energyoutreach.org
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2016 TOURNAMENT GUIDE
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A PERFORMANCE MEASURE used to evaluate an investment’s efficiency, return on investment (ROI) carries particular significance when applied to staging charity golf tournaments. Although many tournaments benefit worthy causes, they often fizzle after a season or two because they just don’t generate enough of a return on the investment of time, effort and money to continue. The tournaments that always hit the sweet spot are the ones that generate enthusiasm from their organizers, participants and sponsors. In turn, these events generate increasing amounts of money and awareness for the charity. Like Ben Hogan’s five lessons, here are five fund-raising fundamentals:
3. Find the right people. Some people find it difficult to ask others for money. Some, especially those in sales, thrive on it. The rainmakers for your charity event need to believe wholeheartedly in your efforts, articulate the vision, generate excitement and, above all, have solid contacts in the business community.
1. Know your purpose. First and foremost, your tournament has to have a charity with clear-cut vision that you can passionately communicate. Individuals and corporate sponsors look for something with which to be fervently involved. Make sure your charity has a strong media kit—a DVD or some kind of marketing material with which to impress potential sponsors. Present it personally to the individual or group with decision-making power.
5. Sign up a restaurant sponsor. About eight weeks out, hold a dinner for committee members, sponsors and potential sponsors at that restaurant in exchange for a sponsorship listing. This way, during the event, people are already familiar with one another; they’ll be more relaxed and have a better time. About a month after the event, gather the principal people for another dinner. The goal is to maintain the relationships and, more importantly, the commitment for the following year. You want sustain the momentum generated by the event, build on its success and establish higher goals than the year before.
2. Target an amount. There was a tournament in town that was generating less than $10,000 before the 12-person organizing committee decided to move it to a bigger club and set a goal of taking it to $100,000. To reach that objective, the group created a system by which each committee member was required to bring in a certain number of sponsors and dollars. In turn, each sponsor he or she brought in would have a goal of bringing in some of its sponsors. And so on, down the line. It’s something like the multilevel marketing model, with the benefits trickling up to the charity.
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4. Don’t confine the experience to the event. It’s all about networking and having sponsors build relationships with each other. Therefore, it’s important to find all the ways to entertain committee members and sponsors before, during and after your tournament. We’re not just talking about a silent auction the night before the event, and an after-golf barbecue, either.
6. Keep the event top of mind. Send out thank-yous within a week of the event, expressing gratitude and detailing the amount of money raised. Make sure your committee meets monthly to reaffirm commitments and alert participants to save the date for the following year’s event. Regular e-mails to sponsors throughout the year will keep them excited about the charity as well as the event.
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Spring 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
S P ECI A L A D V E R T ISIN G SEC T I O N
Don’t misspell words on signs. Especially when they relate to those supporting your event. Don’t be an army of one. Set up small, accountable committees. Don’t procrastinate. Plan earlier than you ever think necessary. Then add a month. Don’t assume the course “will take care of it.” Golf courses are great allies but there’s always some detail—like putting sleeves of balls on carts—that becomes a question of responsibility. Don’t allow on-site pairing changes. Just say no. Addressing all changes at a pre-tournament pairings party is a good way to avoid the discontent, chaos and confusion caused by lastminute changes. Don’t allow play without pay. If necessary, set up an account with a mobile credit card system (Square, Intuit, PayPal) so you can swipe with your phone. Don’t cede control. Sponsors help offset costs and can add legitimacy to your event. But don’t let your tournament become a trade show. Limit giveaways to before or after the round, and only allow a title or presenting sponsor to put its logo on apparel. Don’t stuff gift bags at the event. Gather items with enough time to hold a pre-event bagstuffing party to build solidarity among board members and volunteers. Don’t let volunteers just show up. They will not know what to do. Have at least two mandatory assignment sessions beforehand. Don’t pick a bad day. Avoid times when many of your guests might be committed to another charity event or a club championship. Know when three-day weekends and Jewish holidays fall. Don’t rely on one type of marketing. Use every-thing at your disposal: e-blasts, snail-mail, Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagrams, texts and phone calls. Don’t skimp. People are disinclined to return or invite friends if an event appears to be done on the cheap. Everyone can spot cut-rate shirts and golf balls. And if there are no contest holes, drink tickets or decent food, there’s not much future for the tournament.