If the past 18 months have taught fundraisers anything, it’s the importance of being nimble. Indeed, fundraisers have had to find new ways to pivot over the past 18 months, a theme that looks like it’ll continue into the planning season for Spring 2022 events. Fundraisers will need to stay nimble if changes in local circumstances necessitate modifications to in-person gatherings and create approaches to event fundraisers. Options and flexibility are perhaps more important than ever.

Golf tournaments can be easily adapted for distancing and reduced contact, giving event organizers more flexibility than perhaps any other fundraising event, while attracting the right donors and sponsors to effectively help your organization expand its donor network. Here’s a look at six distinct advantages of a golf tournament fundraiser, plus tips for launching a first-year tournament or adapting an existing event (ahead of time or at the last minute).

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1. Golf is something many donors genuinely enjoy.

Golf saw a sustained rise in popularity throughout 2020 and so far in 2021, attracting both veteran and first-time players and amassing over 24 million active, on-course golfers, according to the National Golf Foundation. The surge is expected to continue, particularly given golf’s innate social distancing, which gives donors the opportunity to safely participate in your fundraiser through an activity they enjoy. Charity golf events are unique in that they attract everyone from serious golfers to loyal supporters of your organization. These supporters often use their personal and professional networks to field a team and end up coming back year after year because they enjoy the chance to play a round for your cause.

2. Golf tournaments can be easily adapted for health and safety concerns.

It’s no surprise that golf has been dubbed the official sport of social distancing. The fact that golf is played outdoors and is an individual sport makes it possible to easily remain distanced while still convening. In fact, rounds are up nationwide for the second straight year; overall, play is up 22.8% through June of 2021 compared to 2020. With broad support from the golf industry as a whole via its 2020 Back2Golf initiative aimed at organizing a safe return to play at courses nationwide, event organizers have taken several steps to maintain distancing throughout golf tournaments. This includes using tee times instead of a shotgun start, adapting or foregoing post-golf banquets, limiting carts to one golfer, adequately spacing tables for check in, and switching from paper scorecards to mobile live scoring and real-time leaderboards.

3. A contact-free event is easier than you might think.

Converting to a contact-free in-person event is quite simple with the right technology. You’ll need an event website to market your event and collect registrations, eliminating the need for paper registration forms, checks, and receipts. You’ll also want to get rid of paper scorecards, making live-scoring a must. Doing so gives you more sponsorship options and sets your event up for a seamless transition to a virtual round (where participants can play at the course on their own time in support of your cause instead of gathering for a formal event) should you have to pivot last-minute. If you’re already set on a virtual golf fundraiser, online registration and live-scoring are crucial, ensuring that supporters commit to the virtual round and submit their scores to the leaderboard, which you can also use to keep supporters following your event and submitting online donations before, during, and after the virtual event.

4. Golf events attract high-capacity donors.

Veteran fundraisers and event planners know that it’s not always about attracting supporters to a fundraising event, but the right supporters. The golfer donor is especially important for many organizations because these supporters typically belong to an affluent and influential demographic. The average golfer’s net worth is over $768,000 with a household income exceeding $100,000 (nearly double the national average). These folks also have noteworthy ties to potential sponsors: one in three golfers are top level managers and 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs are golfers. These are the types of supporters who can move the needle for nonprofits in terms of major gifts, and who organizations want to have in their donor database. They can also help organizations connect with local, regional, and even national brands and businesses, making the golf event a seamless entry point to corporate donors and partnerships.

5. Golf tournaments are both fundraisers and outreach opportunities.

Most charity golf events are scrambles, which means that players must tap a few friends or colleagues to join them in participating, making the event a natural outreach effort. If you’re planning an established annual event, you’ll of course want to start by engaging participants from years past. If your field tends to sell out each year, consider adding a virtual round to the traditional in-person event to involve more supporters and give folks who might not feel comfortable playing in the event an opportunity to still participate on their own time. Golf tournaments also tend to attract coverage by local media outlets, which spreads awareness for your cause throughout the community. It’s a good idea to reach out to newspapers, online news outlets, radio stations, and television stations with information about your event and invite them to cover it.

6. Virtual tournaments give you a built-in back-up plan.

Whether you decide ahead of time or need to pivot to virtual leading up to your event, it’s easy to add a virtual option for a hybrid event or go completely virtual with your golf tournament if necessary. Flexible technology makes it simple to collect registrations online, provide touch-free mobile scoring during the event, collect donations, and share live leaderboards to keep golfers and spectators engaged with the event and your cause. Not only does a virtual round give golfers the choice of when and how they play to support your organization, it also provides an avenue to grow your fundraiser. Best of all, you have options, including a completely virtual tournament, a hybrid event that includes an in-person round as well as a virtual round, or a completely in-person event that’s touch-free and safely distanced.

How to Get Started 

The right technology is key to a successful fundraiser, whether it’s a distanced in-person event, a virtual round, or a hybrid tournament. Launching an event website is a great place to start—simply outline a few key details like date and facility and get it on your supporters’ calendars sooner rather than later. 

You’ll need to be aware of any guidelines or regulations that courses are requesting to keep golfers safe, such as not touching the pin flag, wearing masks in the clubhouse, and restricting carts to one golfer or those in the same household. In addition, be cognizant of capacity limitations at the golf facility and adjust accordingly. You’ll also want to be ready with a back-up plan if local conditions change. Having a virtual round in your back pocket is a great option so you’re ready for changing circumstances. Technology makes it easy to adapt and pivot and keep your golf fundraiser moving forward.

GolfStatus’s golf event management software is designed specifically for fundraisers (including traditional and virtual outings). It’s available to qualifying nonprofits at no cost through GolfStatus.org and the Golf for Good program. Get qualified by clicking the button below or email us directly at [email protected].

Nonprofit event organizers are used to finding ways to squeeze every cent out of limited budgets. When it comes to your golf fundraiser, whether you’re planning an event for the first time or looking to level up an event that’s been going on for years, there are a number of tools available at no cost that help make planning, prep, and promotion easier and more impactful. Best of all, these tools won’t affect your budget or event’s bottom line.

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1. Golf Event registration website

An event registration website is one of the simplest—and most impactful—tools you can have for your golf tournament. A event website makes it easy to promote your event and collect player and sponsor information, saving you a ton of time and effort. You can use it to share more information about your organization’s mission, what the golf tournament is raising money for, and keeps golfers and spectators involved before, during, and after your event. (Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying nonprofits can get a free website for their golf fundraiser built by the GolfStatus team.)

golfstatus.org

2. Social Media

If your organization isn’t already on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with constituents, recognize donors and sponsors, and raise awareness for your mission. Promote your golf fundraiser (with a link to your event website where folks can purchase teams or sponsor packages) in the months and weeks leading up to your event and invite your constituents to share with their personal networks. It’s a good practice to give sponsors shoutouts on social media, providing additional exposure and a bigger return on their investment. You can also share pictures, impact stories, results, and donation appeals from your golf event.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

3. Canva

Canva is an online design and publishing tool. The free version has a number of built-in templates and features that make it easy for anyone—even if you don’t have any graphic design experience—to create attractive imagery for your golf tournament. Use it to design a tournament graphic, resize logos, or create promotional images to share on social media. Canva also has learning opportunities and resources on design, marketing, and branding.

canva.com

4. GIF Maker

This no frills, simple tool lets you create animated gifs, slideshows, and video animations for your event’s website, social media, or organizational website with just a few clicks. Upload images, set the size and animation speed, determine if the slideshow should loop, and even add music.

gifmaker.me

5. QR Code Maker

A QR (quick response) code makes it easy for people to use their phone’s camera function (or other QR code reader) to quickly get to your event website. Simply include the code on all printed tournament materials likeflyers, personal invitations, save the date postcards, and sponsorship requests for easy access to purchase team and sponsorship packages and make a donation to your organization. Customize the appearance of your QR code with frames, color, and even your organization or event logo.

qr-code-generator.com

6. Any Video Converter

This free tool helps you use video effectively on your event website, organization website, and social media. Need to download a video you own from YouTube? Check. Reduce the size of a video file? Check. Convert a video to a different format? Check.

Any-video-converter.com

7. Golf Event Management Software

Most event management technology isn’t built to handle the nitty gritty details of a golf fundraiser. Organizers need one specifically designed for golf events, with features that help spread the word, collect registrations and payment, recognize sponsors and offer premium sponsor exposure, coordinate with the golf facility, communicate with golfers, avoid hours of duplicative data entry, and keep everything organized in one space. GolfStatus provides all this and more, plus, qualifying 501(c) organizations and those holding events that benefit them can get access to GolfStatus’s golf event management platform at no cost through the Golf for Good program.

golfstatus.org

Get Started With Golf for Good

Through Golf for Good and GolfStatus.org, the social impact division of golf technology company GolfStatus, nonprofits and organizations doing social good can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s full-featured golf event management software. Get a free event website built by the GolfStatus team plus features that save time, keep you organized, and help you handle all the golf-specific details. 

From small, local fundraisers to massive charity tournaments, golf is a great way to bring people together in support of a cause. This summer, GolfStatus.org is teaming up with our giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation to celebrate those who are doing exactly that.

This is a unique opportunity to “play” it forward: You nominate a golf fundraiser to receive a $10,000 donation and get a chance to win a one-year honorary membership to Dormie Network, plus a $10,000 stipend to spend on golf and lodging at its exclusive private destination golf resorts.

The golf fundraiser can be anything from a memorial tournament commemorating a loved one to an alumni golf event and from a celebrity pro-am to a corporate golf outing raising money for a favorite charity. As long as the golf tournament raises money for a charitable cause, it’s eligible! Nominate a tournament by telling us about the mission and cause it supports, and why that cause is important to you.

Designed by famed golf course architect Tom Fazio, Dormie Network’s Victoria National Golf Club boasts gorgeous views amid challenging holes.

The winner will be announced on social media, so make sure you follow GolfStatus.org (Facebook and Instagram) and Dormie Network (Facebook and Instagram) for the latest.

You don’t want to miss out on this chance to make a difference and use golf for good. The entry deadline is Labor day (September 6) so nominate a golf fundraiser today!

ORGANIZATION SNAPSHOT

For over 40 years, Christian Adoption Services (CAS) has placed children in need of a home with their forever families. Through domestic and international adoption, as well as foster-to-adopt programs, CAS cares for kids, birth families, and adoptive families throughout the adoption process. 

“People don’t always understand why we need to fundraise,” says Sonia Livingston, Events Coordinator for CAS. “Because adoptive families pay a fee to our agency to adopt, people assume we don’t have fundraising needs, but those fees don’t cover all of the expenses or outreach programs.” CAS makes caring for birth mothers a priority, whether it’s coordinating doctor’s appointments, assisting with groceries or living expenses, or offering post-adoption counseling services. Much of this ministry is not covered by adoption fees, so the funds necessary to care for 200 birth mothers each year must come from outside fundraising efforts.

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the agency works throughout North Carolina and has expanded into South Carolina. This growth and expansion in programming allows the agency to serve more kids and families, but also requires raising additional funds.

THE CHALLENGE

CAS has relied on golf tournament fundraisers for several years. “They’re fun and a great chance for fellowship,” says Sonia, noting that proceeds from the golf events benefit the agency’s general operating fund to support services for birth mothers, adoption fee assistance, and overhead. Golf tournaments also present an important outreach opportunity for the agency. Because regular supporters tend to fill teams with people from their personal and professional networks, Sonia and her team are able to share more about their work and its impact with potential donors and sponsors. CAS also relies on banquets for fundraising, and while they certainly have value, golf has allowed CAS to do more than just raise money. Golf tournaments give staff the chance to interact with supporters, building relationships and networking. “During a banquet you don’t get to interact with people the same way you do at a golf tournament,” says Sonia. 

The expansion into South Carolina has led the agency to kick off additional golf tournaments in its new service areas. Now with four golf tournaments to plan and execute, it was imperative to keep everything organized in one place and streamline the logistics to maximize organizers’ time as well as opportunities to bring in funds for the agency’s work. 

THE SOLUTION

Sonia and CAS adopted GolfStatus for their 2020 golf events, after looking for an option that allowed online registration and add-on purchases ahead of the event to streamline registration and check-in and maintain social distancing to protect staff members and golfers in the wake of COVID-19.

The 2021 golf tournament series marked CAS’s second year using GolfStatus as a solution. Sonia says the support of GolfStatus’s in-house customer success team was invaluable. GolfStatus’s team built CAS’s first event registration website, and Sonia was able to make changes as necessary and copy events for easy set up. “Having one place to keep track of everything is a huge benefit of using GolfStatus,” Sonia says.

Highlighted Platform Features:

• Event website

• Online registration and secure payment processing

• Fundraising add-ons (raffle tickets and mulligans)

• Sponsor management

• Drag-and-drop hole assignments

• Pre-formatted professional event printouts with sponsor logos

• Detailed reporting

• Live scoring and leaderboards

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“Having one place to keep track of everything is a huge benefit of using GolfStatus.”

— Sonia Livingston, Events Coordinator for Christian Adoption Services

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THE RESULTS

Thus far in 2021, the golf events have hit their fundraising goals and Sonia hopes each golf event continues to grow as their service area grows. Their biggest event takes place in September, and Sonia is all in on using GolfStatus to keep things organized, professional, and running smoothly.

Online Registration & Add-Ons 

GolfStatus’s event website with secure online registration allowed golfers to purchase add-ons like mulligans and raffle tickets with their golfer package, rather than having to wait until the day of the event and buying them separately. “Letting golfers buy those when they registered made it so much easier, and we sold more mulligans and raffle tickets!” Sonia says, noting that they communicated with supporters the tournament, encouraging them to purchase those pieces in advance.

Tournament Format

Holding tournaments during COVID-19 led CAS to switch to tee time starts rather than the traditional shotgun start to stagger the number of people at the golf course at the same time. It turned out to be a positive change—more golfers were able to participate, bringing in additional funds, and it gave staff a chance to connect and talk with each team as they teed off on the first hole. Teams used GolfStatus’s mobile app to record their scores for the tournament’s scramble, which automatically synced to the event leaderboards. Not only did this add a competitive element to the tournament as teams could check live standings, but it made it easy for organizers to see how the tournament was progressing as scores were posted.

Sponsor Retention & Stewardship

CAS has retained the majority of their sponsors year-over-year, thanks to a combination of digital and traditional sponsorship exposure. The digital exposure specifically offered by GolfStatus has been appealing all around for organizers and sponsors. “I really like that we can put all of our sponsors’ logos on the event website and they show up in the app,” Sonia says. Golfers see sponsor logos every time they check the live leaderboards, get event information, or add scores for a hole, adding tremendous value to a sponsor’s investment. Sonia explains that their golf events are also a great chance to further steward sponsors for additional asks and donations. “Once they’ve sponsored a golf event, they tend to be more engaged with us and often attend a banquet or even give an additional business or personal gift,” she says.

Data Collection & Management

CAS recently became part of the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, which necessitated a change in donor databases. In the past, CAS had used their CRM for online registration for all of their fundraising events. But the merger meant a new donor database, which didn’t have the capability for online registration or event management. GolfStatus filled this gap, collecting golfer information at the time of registration, ensuring that no information is missed. Following each event, the information is seamlessly imported into the organization’s new donor CRM.

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“Keeping track of golfer contact information, handicap, hole assignments, and payment details was so much easier with GolfStatus.”

— Sonia Livingston, Events Coordinator for Christian Adoption Services

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Time & Resource Savings

GolfStatus’s online platform made it easy for Sonia and her team to stay organized and save time. When golfers and sponsors registered online, their information dropped into the back-end of the software, keeping everything organized in one easy-to-access place. “Keeping track of golfer contact information, handicap, hole assignments, and payment details was so much easier with GolfStatus,” Sonia explains. “Plus it makes the event and our organization look so much more professional.” CAS qualified for GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which provides 501(c) organizations with no-cost access to its golf event management software and a free event website. “The fact that GolfStatus offers this at no cost for nonprofits is unbelievable!” says Sonia.

For more information about Christian Adoption Services, visit https://www.christianadopt.org. 

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Need help with your next golf tournament? GolfStatus is here to help with user-friendly technology that streamlines the process to save time and help you raise more money, plus a responsive in-house customer success team to guide you every step of the way. Nonprofits can qualify for no-cost technology through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or email us directly at [email protected].

If your organization isn’t using an event website for your golf fundraiser, you’re missing out on an opportunity to save time, increase your event’s professionalism, and attract more players and sponsors. Here are six advantages of an event website, how to get the most out of one, and where nonprofits can get a website for their golf fundraiser at no cost.

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1. Event Promotion is Quick, Easy & Effective.

With an event website, you simply include the link on all communications and marketing surrounding the event, including emails, social media posts, and even printed pieces. This links players and sponsors directly to an attractive, professional website where they can find more information about your event and purchase teams and sponsorship packages. The right website provider will be mobile-friendly, so it looks great and functions well on any device. You’ll also want something built for golf—that is, able to collect golf-specific info like team members, player handicaps, and other key details.

Pro Tip: Ask each of your organization’s board members, planning team members, and staff members to email or text a link to the event website to five people who might be interested in either playing or sponsoring your golf event.

2. Your Event & Organization Are Cast in a Professional Light.

A clean, professional event website for your golf tournament keeps information organized and lets you tell the story behind the event, your organization, and the cause it benefits. It’s a good idea to link your event website to your organization’s existing website, so visitors can find out more about the tournament and register to participate with a few clicks. Sponsors also appreciate the added professionalism of an attractive event website, which provides solid exposure.

Pro Tip: Make sure the website provider offers customization features so you can use pictures, videos, and text to tell the story of the event in a compelling way.

3. Online Registration Makes it easier to commit.

People are accustomed to online transactions, including donations and event registrations. The simple convenience of letting golfers and sponsors commit to your event the moment they hear about it, whether through word of mouth, online promo, or an email blast, means they’re substantially more likely to do so. Collecting registrations through your event website streamlines everything—there’s no need to take registrations over the phone; process and track down mailed-in forms, checks, and receipts; enter and re-enter data or manage information across multiple spreadsheets or lists; or hunt down payments the day of the tournament. Instead, registrant information (i.e. donor and sponsor data) is collected in an online platform in real-time. Your organization collects valuable donor data and ensures sustainers and potential supporters are added to your donor database and properly stewarded.

Pro Tip: Be sure the website provider/event platform you use includes built-in, secure payment processing and robust reporting.

4. Sponsors Get Premium Exposure.

An event website provides an easy way to display and sell sponsorship packages customized to the event and your organization’s needs. Sponsors benefit from broad exposure before, during, and after the event to an audience of potential clients and customers as folks visit the website to register, check hole assignments, and get other additional event details. When it comes to the golf tournament specifically, the event management platform you use should automatically display sponsorship logos, and provide options for sponsors to get recognition on leaderboards.

Pro Tip: Make a final push for sponsors and players a few weeks ahead of the tournament by giving current sponsors a shout out through social media posts and a simple email blast to your database. This provides sponsors added recognition, shows your appreciation, and garners additional support from others.

5. Track Everything in One Place & save time.

With online registration, you don’t have to manually process every registration, eliminating the time-consuming practice of processing cash and checks, and providing receipts. You simply direct players and sponsors to your golf event website, where they can purchase teams, packages, and add-ons like mulligans and raffle tickets (or simply make a donation to the event) quickly and easily. While it’s a huge time savings and certainly a best practice to have golfers and sponsors register themselves on your website, you can still accommodate folks who prefer to contact you directly to register by simply entering their info. Online registration ensures that player and team information is complete and organized, and event organizers, volunteers, and even staff at the golf facility can access and update details as needed. Coordinating with the golf course in the days leading up to the day of the event on last minute logistics—team pairings, hole assignments, tee sheets, and cart signs—becomes super simple when everyone has access to up-to-the-minute information.

Pro Tip: Make sure the website platform you choose is part of a robust event management system that makes handling the details easy and efficient.

6. It’s Easy to update & Communicate info.

It’s easy to make updates to your event website, so you don’t have to necessarily have every single detail of your event hammered out before you launch your site. It can be as simple as listing the date and time, with a note that more details will follow. This lets you get on the radars of donors and sponsors as early as possible. And if you need to make any last minute details or adaptations, you can communicate them very easily. When you use a platform designed specifically for golf, you’re also able to integrate live scoring and make adaptations like virtual formats and remote participation if you need to.

Pro Tip: Add a virtual round to your existing event to involve and engage more supporters and sponsors and raise more money for your mission.

Get a Free Event Website

Qualifying 501(c) organizations, or events that benefit one, can get qualified for a free event website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s full-featured golf event management technology as part of our Golf for Good give-back initiative. Our in-house customer success team can get your website up and running with a few simple questions (or show you how to do it on your own) and is here to help with anything you need. Get qualified here or email [email protected].

Golf may be the medium, but the mission of First Tee extends far beyond the sport itself. Its approach uses golf as a metaphor for life—a game with unexpected challenges and ups and downs that help build strengths beyond the technical skills to play the game. “That’s what sets us apart from someone just offering junior golf lessons,” says Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director.

Part of the larger First Tee network with chapters in all 50 states, First Tee Omaha focuses on resiliency, building self-confidence, and a sense of belonging through golf. Its nine core values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment serve kids well beyond the golf course. 

The Steve Hogan Memorial Golf outing is held annually to raise money for the First Tee of Omaha’s Golf and Life Skills youth development programming, but also to remember the contributions of founder Steve Hogan. A passionate advocate for junior golf in the area, Steve was the first African American PGA professional in the Nebraska Section and had a vision of using golf as a way to instill the values of being a good person, citizen, and student in kids from all walks of life. He founded Hogan’s Heroes Junior Golf Heroes, which later became First Tee Omaha.

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Sponsor contributions

20% increase

Revenue

30% increase

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Elevating the Event and Maximizing Fundraising

The 11th annual Steve Hogan Memorial Golf Outing was originally planned for July 2020, but precautions related to COVID-19 prompted it to be rescheduled for September. Jeff had already signed on to use the GolfStatus platform for the event, but credits the technology with helping them quickly adapt. “Like everybody else, we rolled with the punches and made the best of the situation that we couldn’t control,” says Jeff.

Like many other nonprofits, First Tee Omaha’s golf event is a huge part of its fundraising portfolio. One of Jeff’s goals for upgrading the outing with technology was to be more efficient while still offering the best possible experience for golfers and sponsors. “We want to honor Steve’s legacy with a great event,” he says. “That meant looking at what we have been doing for years and what we can do differently and do better.” 

As a nonprofit organization, First Tee Omaha qualified for a free event registration website, along with no-cost access to the GolfStatus platform through the Golf for Good program. The GolfStatus team built the site and worked with Jeff to set custom team and sponsor packages. The built-in online registration capabilities saved the planning team a ton of time. Instead of dealing with piles of mailed in registration forms, checks, and hand-written credit card numbers, folks registered online where their information was securely captured and stored in the software’s back-end. “It was great not to have to deal with checks, processing credit cards, and handling receipts for those that registered online,” Jeff says. “This was just another way to maximize the technology to make things easier and more efficient.”

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“This was just another way to maximize the technology to make things easier and more efficient.”

— Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director

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Jeff notes that the simple, attractive website made it easier for sponsors to want to sign on to support the event, and digital exposure added even more value to their investment. “For sponsors and potential sponsors to see their options and purchase them right there on the website was huge,” he says. The 2020 event saw an increase in sponsor contributions by 20% over previous years, much of which Jeff credits to the broad digital exposure provided by GolfStatus.

Organizations can build custom sponsorship packages and sell them right on the event website.

Saving Everyone Time

Jeff has been in the golf business for years. He spent 10 years as a golf course general manager before becoming First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director. His years of experience running golf events from the facility side makes him uniquely qualified to understand the work that goes into running a successful golf tournament. He points out that golf staff often have to do tedious, time-consuming tasks leading up to a golf event. But GolfStatus automates much of that work, freeing up staff to assist event organizers and golfers the day of the tournament. “GolfStatus is basically another pair of hands to help with event prep and execution,” he says, noting that the software eases their burden. Instead of having to enter golfer information for cart signs, tee sheets, and alpha lists, the pre-formatted printouts in the software were ready to go. “Really, there’s no downside to using it. It saves everybody time and manpower, elevates the event, and provides a great experience.”

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“It (GolfStatus) saves everybody time and manpower, elevates the event, and provides a great experience.”

— Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director

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The outing used GolfStatus’s reliable live-scoring feature to not only reduce the touchpoint of paper scorecards, but provide real-time standings throughout the day. “Having the standings ready to go on the live leaderboards literally cut an hour off the end of the day,” Jeff points out. Teams used the GolfStatus mobile app to record their score with a few simple taps, which automatically synced to the live leaderboards that anyone could follow on the event website.

Not only did live scoring and leaderboards provide digital sponsorship exposure during the tournament, but they saved golf facility staff, event organizers, and even golfers time when the event was wrapping up. “People are anxious to get to the outing and play, but they’re also anxious to go home,” Jeff says. He points out that thanks to the live scoring functionality, the results were available as soon as the last group finished their round. “This is just one more way we can streamline the process to be most efficient, and people liked checking the standings over the course of the day,” Jeff says.

Better Outcomes Thanks to Better Tech

Jeff credits GolfStatus’s premium features with elevating the overall professionalism of the annual outing. “GolfStatus did everything that we wanted it to as far as elevating the product and experience that we are offering,” says Jeff.

What’s more, the event saw an impressive increase in revenue—up 30% from previous years. “The overall workload on the fundraiser went down and our revenue went up. That’s a win-win!” Jeff says. “We were really excited that we saw an increase in proceeds from the golf event and I credit that to GolfStatus.”

To learn more about First Tee Omaha, visit firstteeomaha.org.

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“The overall workload on the fundraiser went down and our revenue went up. That’s a win-win!”

— Jeff Porter, PGA, First Tee Omaha’s Executive Director

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Planning a memorial tournament or other golf tournament fundraiser? Get qualified for our Golf for Good program and get a free website and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s golf event management technology.

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Spring may have just sprung, but it’s already time to start looking ahead to fall. While restrictions on gatherings are beginning to loosen, social distancing is likely to linger. This puts nonprofit event organizers looking to plan fall fundraising events in a bit of a conundrum when it comes to gathering safely to hold a lucrative fundraiser. The answer? A golf tournament.

In general, fall is a great time for golf. Favorable weather, appealing course conditions, and lower facility costs make it an attractive time of year for a golf tournament fundraiser. Throughout the pandemic, golf has provided a reprieve for folks looking to get outdoors and safely participate in an activity they enjoy. And given the lingering uncertainty of the months ahead, the golf outing—with its outdoor setting and built-in social distancing—provides easy adaptability and flexibility. Here’s why a golf tournament is the best option for a fundraising event this fall (and how to get started at no cost).

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the Flexibility to Change Course

Golf fundraisers proved their flexibility and adaptability over and over throughout the challenges of 2020. A few simple modifications, along with technology, made it possible to hold contact-free in-person gatherings and even virtual and hybrid tournaments. As we move closer to fall of 2021, event organizers continue to need options that let them swiftly and easily change course last minute if needed.

One type of golf tournament in particular has seen a great deal of success among nonprofits—a hybrid event. With a hybrid outing, a traditional in-person tournament is held with social distancing and contact-free protocols built in to keep everyone safe with a virtual round that runs in tandem. The virtual option can be held over an extended period (the whole month of the in-person tournament, for example). This approach is advantageous for several reasons. First, it gives folks who may not feel comfortable gathering in a group, albeit safely, the opportunity to participate and golf a round in support of a nonprofit or cause. Second, technology makes it easy, low or no-cost, and risk-free. Since people play on their own time, you don’t incur the expense of renting a facility for the entire day. Live scoring technology is crucial; you’ll need a reliable platform that can aggregate scores from an extended outing at one or more golf courses.

Third, it’s a built in backup plan. If things go sideways when the date arrives for your fall fundraiser and the in-person tournament has to be canceled, the virtual round can go on without missing a beat. Finally, a hybrid event lets you grow your fundraiser. If yours is a tournament that typically sells out or if teams are tied to sponsors, adding the virtual round lets more supporters, staff, and board members support your mission through golf.

Great Weather & Course Conditions

A fall golf tournament is a nice alternative to the summer months. Fall typically brings favorable weather conditions—the heat of the summer has passed, which means cooler temps that are perfect for golf. Add in excellent playing conditions—in some cases the best of the entire year—and golfers get a great day on the course at your tournament. You’ll want to keep the shorter days fall brings in mind when it comes to setting the tournament’s schedule and format to maximize playable hours, but this can easily be addressed with a shotgun start, a shorter nine-hole event, or nontraditional format. Golf-specific event management technology will be able to accommodate these factors, making them a non-issue for holding a fall event.

Book a Great Golf Facility

You’ll want to try to hit the sweet spot of the “shoulder season,” that is, the time period between peak and off-peak times of year for the golf industry. This time period varies from region to region, but in general, courses are less crowded in the fall than they are during the height of the summer months. You typically won’t have to pay the high costs that come with events during prime golf season, and because courses aren’t as busy (including high-end courses), they’re more likely to give you a good deal to host your tournament as they try to bridge the gap between summer and winter. Golfers jump at the chance to play at a top-tier golf course, which helps attract new donors for your organization.

What’s more, fall presents the opportunity to approach sponsors who may have funds left in their sponsorship and donation budgets for the year. You’ll want to highlight the broad exposure and brand lift they’ll gain by sponsoring such an event. The right golf event management technology has premium digital sponsorship exposure built in—from the event website to live leaderboards and mobile scoring, they’ll glean impressions throughout the tournament. If you opt for a hybrid event, sponsors will get the benefit of this digital exposure in addition to any on-course signage and traditional exposure from the in-person side of the overall event.

Add a Second Golf Event

Adding a fall golf tournament to your organization’s event lineup is a good chance to bookend the fundraising year. It doesn’t have to be on the same scale as a spring or summer tournament, but opens the door to more supporters getting involved to champion your cause.

It’s easy to add a second event when you use the right technology that lets you simply copy a previous event so it’s basically set up and ready to go. A second event is also the chance to try out a hybrid format and add a virtual option. You’ll be able to see how your constituency and sponsors respond to the concept and if they’re willing to jump on board for this type of unconventional tournament for your main spring or summer golf fundraiser.

Start Planning

If you haven’t already, now is the time to start planning your fall golf event. GolfStatus’s golf event management technology makes the process simple and straightforward, with tons of time-saving and fundraising features.

Nonprofit organizations (or those holding a fundraiser that benefits one) can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s software through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or email us directly at [email protected].

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From opportunities to engage with vendors, partners, and clients to positive public relations and community outreach, a corporate golf event offers tons of benefits. It’s also an especially ideal way to gather as restrictions loosen, but social distancing and crowd limitations linger. But if you’ve ever put on a tournament—a first-year event or an established outing—you know there are a number of component parts to manage, and they don’t always function in sync. Here are some upgrades that can save you time, cast your brand in a positive and professional light, and make the experience all-around better for players and sponsors.

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1. Launch a website for the tournament.

An online presence for your event makes it easier to spread the word across all your marketing channels. The site should feature all pertinent information about your golf event, including available team packages and sponsorships. It should also show off sponsors, include a place for leaderboards during the event (and final results after), and pull in information about the course (namely its location and scorecard). In fact, a well-comprised event website can even typically replace most printed materials (mailers, paper registration packets, and other collateral that must be designed and managed). Instead, simply link directly to the site in event communications and invites, so potential participants can quickly and easily find the information they need and commit to participating in the tournament.

2. Process registrations online.

The registration process is one of the most important touchpoints for any event. A clunky process soaks up your time, increases the likelihood of embarrassing errors, and can be especially frustrating. Having an event website sets you up to upgrade your registration platform and side-step issues. Be sure to choose a platform that functions seamlessly with the website, securely processes payments, and can accommodate needs specific to the golf event (such as the ability to collect handicaps and apparel sizes and the option for registrants to purchase add-ons like raffle tickets and mulligans). As the organizer, you’ll need to be able to access player and sponsor registrations in real-time, and you’ll want a platform that makes it easy to pass that information to the golf facility in the day or so leading up to the event. There’s bound to be last-minute changes, so you’ll want something that makes it easy for staff at the facility to track those and swap out names on cart signs and other materials so every player has a premier experience. 

3. Display your brand professionally. 

When it comes to showcasing your brand, think beyond tee gifts and goodie bags. Display your company logo (or the event’s logo, if it has one) across materials—starting with your event website and including the leaderboards, scorecards, cart signs, and other on-site materials. These subtle and professional impressions continuously associate your company and brand with the great experience of participating in a fun, well-run event.

4. Put the benefitting charity on display. 

Be sure to include information about the charity your event is supporting on your event website. This should include impact imagery and information that tells the story of the cause and the organization. Take a page from the nonprofit sector’s playbook and look for ways to quantify the impact of specific purchases so supporters know how their dollars make a difference. For example: The purchase of one team provides three meals per day for a child in need for three months. This shows people what they’re supporting and, more importantly, why it matters, and encourages them to give generously.

5. Include on-course contests. 

Adding the opportunity to win prizes is a fun and easy way to make a tournament more memorable. A putting contest is a simple addition. Players simply putt for a chance to enter the contest, where they win an exclusive prize if they ultimately sink the final putt. Hole-in-one contests are also worth considering. For these, one or more holes is designated for the contest, giving players the chance to win a prize if they ace that hole. If your event will be hosting vendors, partners, or B2B clients, consider offering a contest sponsorship that covers the costs of facilitating the package. Be sure to take the opportunity to recognize sponsors as well as folks who qualified for the putting contest, and look for opportunities to acknowledge them with on-course signage and other exposure. 

6. Offer live-scoring and leaderboards. 

At a typical golf event, players and/or teams tally their round, turn paper scorecards in at the end, and then congregate around the clubhouse until the final team finishes and scores can be tallied. Live-scoring improves this flow, allowing teams to input their score into a mobile app in real-time on the course; meanwhile, leaderboards display live scores. The upgrade makes the event more engaging; players check their standings and enjoy poking fun at other teams. Be cognizant that the live-scoring platform you choose is clean, sleek, and easy to use, so inputting a score is simple and not distracting for players. Leaderboards should provide an opportunity to showcase your branding as well as the benefitting charity’s branding—tying everything together professionally. It’s also a good idea to inform staff at the golf facility so they can plan to set up scrolling leaderboards on clubhouse TVs and at the on-course comfort station or halfway house.

7. Add the option to participate remotely. 

With social distancing lingering, it’s a good idea to continue to provide options for folk to support your event in both the traditional format and virtually. Essentially, you’ll plan your traditional in-person, one-day outing at the course, then tack on a virtual option that extends over the week, two weeks, or the whole month in which the traditional event occurs. Folks who aren’t comfortable coming out for the one-day event can register for the virtual round and come out to the course on their own time with their own group or alone. This way, they’re still able to participate, experience the outing, and support the cause, while also feeling safe and comfortable. You’ll need to employ some technology here, but—with the right platform—adding a virtual round is very simple and costs nothing. A hybrid event is also a nice option if you’re wanting to allow more participants, but traditionally have a sold-out field.

8. Collect and manage player information.

It’s often the case that the person who is tasked with running the golf event gets to know the people who attend over the years. When the event has been handed off to someone new, or there’s an effort to expand or evolve it in a more intentional and organized fashion, player and sponsor information becomes especially crucial. Who has supported the event in the past and how can they be contacted? The right technology helps you securely and responsibility collect player and sponsor information, so you know exactly who attends and in what capacity. After the event, that information should be imported back into your company’s CRM.

9. Follow up. 

Knowing who is participating and how allows you to follow up and continue to steward meaningful business relationships: thank employees for joining and supporting the event and the cause it supports; reach out to partners with follow-up communications and gifts; leverage the experience to advance and steward relationships with clients. When the time comes to plan next year’s event, the information you need is at your fingertips, and everything is infinitely easier.

Get Started 

GolfStatus provides all the above and more, making it especially easy to upgrade corporate events from start to finish. This includes a professional event website (that can seamlessly be integrated into your business’s site), secure online registration, the ability to manage teams and sponsors, premier branding opportunities, ways to showcase a cause, live-scoring and leaderboards, secure data collection, and much more. It also includes options for virtual events and rounds—so you’re ready for anything.

Best of all, if your event benefits a nonprofit, your business likely qualifies for no-cost access to GolfStatus through GolfStatus.org and the Golf for Good program.

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Like many volunteer-run organizations, the Grand Rapids Hockey Golf Classic is keenly aware of the value of every second of its volunteers’ time. Hundreds of volunteer coaches, administrators, and personnel have served thousands of boys and girls through its programs. Hockey is a way of life in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and the annual golf event raises money to offset travel and equipment costs for high school teams and provide free equipment for first-year players.

“For a small community, this program has produced a lot of college and pro hockey players,” says Roger Mischke, chair of the golf committee. He volunteers his time to head up the Golf Classic, which keeps the program thriving and gives kids the best experience they can get. In search of a way to streamline the planning process for this year’s golf tournament, and safe options for the event amid COVID-19, Roger found GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program, which provides access to golf fundraising and event management tools at no cost to organizations like his.

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Dollars Raised

$13,000

Golfers

220

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changes, adaptations & improvements

Health and safety measures and restrictions on in-person events led the golf committee to make several adaptations to the annual tournament. In a year when most in-person events had to be canceled, its loyal participants were particularly thrilled that the Golf Classic could be held. “I think everybody was just so happy that the event could happen that they were willing to adapt,” says Roger.

Through GolfStatus.org and the Golf for Good program, the Grand Rapids Hockey Golf Classic qualified for a free event registration website, built by the GolfStatus team, and no-cost access to GolfStatus’s golf event management technology. Roger and the committee simply shared the link to the event’s website through emails, social media, and other channels so teams and sponsors could register instantly. The simple upgrade to secure online registration was a game-changer for the volunteer organizers in terms of eliminating duplicative work. “We had tried to do online registration in years prior, but it didn’t function very well,” Roger says. “Registration through the GolfStatus event website was definitely an improvement and eliminated a lot of work.”

In fact, many modifications ended up making the event even better. For example, the committee made the decision to switch from a traditional shotgun start to tee times to reduce crowding at the golf course. “Going with tee times might be the way to go moving forward because we can have more players,” Roger says, noting that this year’s tournament attracted 220 golfers, comparatively more than in previous years.

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“Registration through the GolfStatus event website definitely worked out better and eliminated a lot of work.”

— Roger Mischke, chair of the Grand Rapids Hockey Golf Classic golf committee

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When a team or sponsor registered through the event website, all their information automatically populated into the GolfStatus event management platform, which meant there was no need for Roger or other volunteers to enter and re-enter information into multiple spreadsheets or systems, maximizing every volunteer’s time and effort.

Another change the committee made was the addition of live-scoring and leaderboards, effectively eliminating paper scorecards to reduce touchpoints and keep golfers, volunteers, and course staff safe. GolfStatus makes live-scoring especially simple: Each team is assigned a unique team code, then one person simply enters the group’s score for each hole into the app with a couple quick taps. Scores populate the event’s leaderboards in real-time, so they can be shared through social media to engage new and existing supporters. In the case of Grand Rapids Hockey, sponsors loved the additional digital exposure offered through the leaderboards and the in-app scorecard. “Sponsors definitely liked having their names and logos in the mobile app,” Roger says.

Left: Live Leaderboards; Right; In-App Registration

Competitive Add-Ons Bring Fun & Engagement

Many of the golfers who play in the annual tournament are program alumni, some of whom have gone on to play hockey at the NCAA Division I level and even in the NHL. Naturally, they loved the competitive aspect of the live scoring feature. Not only do these folks want to support Grand Rapids Hockey, but they also want to compete and enjoy the outing. When players know their score in real-time, it’s a better overall experience. “It was great to not have to rely on golfers turning in paper scorecards or wait on the golf professional to calculate final standings, since everything was done through GolfStatus,” Roger says.

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“It was great to not have to rely on golfers turning in paper scorecards or wait on the golf professional to calculate final standings, since everything was done through GolfStatus.”

— Roger Mischke, chair of the Grand Rapids Hockey Golf Classic golf committee

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GolfStatus’s platform also facilitates skins games as a fun add-on and side competition that can easily be added to any tournament. Typically in a skins game, each hole is played separately and is won by the player with the lowest score on that particular hole. If two or more golfers tie for the low score, the skin carries over to the next hole. At the end of the round, the player with the most skins is the winner.

GolfStatus makes it easy to keep track of skins games; tournament organizers can quickly select who is in and out on any type of skins game—gross, net, team, and/or individual. For the Grand Rapids Hockey Golf Classic, Roger and the committee offered a Team Skins (Gross) option. “The skins feature worked really well,” Roger says. “It was great how the software kept track and calculated that for us.” The software instantly compares all hole-by-hole scores of golfers in the skins game against one another to give live skins results during score entry, adding more engagement, competition, and enjoyment to the round.

Maximizing Volunteer Time & Outcomes

Maximizing the time and effort of its volunteers is critical to the success of volunteer-run organizations, including many youth sports clubs and associations. Implementing GolfStatus’s technology for the annual golf tournament not only saved volunteers many hours of work, but it improved the event’s professionalism, kept sponsors happy, and further engaged golfers to maximize fundraising outcomes. Though the committee had to make the difficult choice to eliminate some of the extra components of the golf fundraiser—like the live auction, banquet, and some on-course competitions—the additional golfers and sponsors the tournament attracted raised crucial dollars for youth hockey programs.

In the end, this year’s golf fundraiser allowed program alumni to connect with current players, families, and supporters in a safe way, enjoy a round of golf, and raise money to draw—and keep—more kids in the sport.

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Learn more about the Grand Rapids Hockey Golf Classic at www.grhockeygolfclassic.com.

GolfStatus.org is proud to serve youth sports organizations. To learn more about how GolfStatus’s technology can help nonprofit organizations of all sizes and types run a successful golf fundraiser—and how you can get no-cost access through the Golf for Good program—contact us or get a demo.

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