How to Plan a Golf Outing: The Complete Checklist for Tournament Organizers

Planning a golf outing can feel pretty simple at first.

Pick a golf course, find some golfers, get a few sponsors, and play golf.

Then you start making the list.

Registration. Sponsors. Food. Signs. Golfer gifts. Contests. Volunteers. Payments. Pairings. Prizes. Weather. Check-in. And somehow, someone still needs to remember to buy the closest-to-the-pin markers.

Whether you're organizing a charity golf outing, corporate tournament, customer appreciation event, fundraiser, or annual scramble, having a plan makes the entire process considerably easier.

This guide walks through the major steps from the first planning meeting through tournament day.

1. Start With the Goal of Your Golf Outing

Before picking a course or designing a logo, determine what you're actually trying to accomplish.

Is the outing primarily about:

• Raising money for a charity?

• Entertaining customers?

• Building relationships with employees or vendors?

• Supporting a school, team, or organization?

• Creating an annual community event?

• Generating exposure for sponsors?

Your goal will influence almost every decision that follows.

For example, a charity tournament focused on fundraising may want to maximize sponsorship opportunities throughout the event.

A customer appreciation outing may care more about the golfer experience and be willing to spend more per player.

Neither approach is wrong. The important part is knowing which type of event you're trying to create.

2. Build Your Golf Outing Budget

Create your budget before committing to too many expenses.

Some of the major costs can include:

• Golf course fees

• Food and beverages

• Golfer gifts

• Tournament prizes

• Signage

• Printing

• Photography

• Entertainment

• Event software

• Staff or volunteer expenses

• Contests and games

• Payment processing fees

It's also a good idea to leave some room for expenses that come up during the final few weeks.

Work Backward From Your Revenue Goal

For fundraising events, start with the amount you'd like the tournament to raise.

Then estimate revenue from:

Golfer registration

If you have 144 golfers paying $150 each, that's $21,600 in registration revenue.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships can often be one of the biggest opportunities to increase the profitability of an outing.

Additional fundraising

That might include:

• Raffles

• Mulligans

• Putting contests

• 50/50 drawings

• Silent auctions

• On-course games

• Live auctions

• Donation opportunities

Once you know your likely revenue, you can make much smarter decisions about your expenses.

3. Choose the Right Golf Course

The cheapest golf course isn't necessarily the best course for your event.

Ask potential courses about:

• Available tournament dates

• Maximum number of golfers

• Shotgun start availability

• Cart availability

• Practice range access

• Food packages

• Beverage options

• Registration space

• Banquet facilities

• Rain policies

• Cancellation policies

• Sign placement

• On-course contests

• Staff support

One of the most important questions is simply:

How many golf outings does your course host each year?

An experienced tournament staff can make event day dramatically easier.

They've seen what works, what causes problems, and where organizers typically need help.

4. Pick a Date and Start Early

Popular golf courses can book prime dates months in advance.

If you have flexibility, weekday events can sometimes provide better availability than weekend tournaments.

Once your date is secured, create a basic planning calendar.

4–6 Months Before

Focus on:

• Reserving the golf course

• Establishing your budget

• Creating sponsorship packages

• Recruiting your planning committee

• Identifying major sponsors

• Creating your event registration page

• Developing your tournament branding

2–4 Months Before

Start working on:

• Golfer registration

• Sponsor sales

• Signs

• Golfer gifts

• Tournament merchandise

• Volunteers

• Prizes

• Raffles and auction items

1 Month Before

Begin finalizing:

• Golfer count

• Sponsor logos

• Pairings

• Food counts

• Volunteer assignments

• Signage

• Contest prizes

• Check-in procedures

• Golfer gifts

Final Week

Confirm everything.

At this stage you should primarily be organizing—not scrambling to place major orders.

5. Create Sponsorship Packages

A good golf tournament gives companies several ways to participate.

Instead of simply offering one generic sponsorship, create different levels.

For example:

Presenting Sponsor

This might include:

• Event naming rights

• Largest logo placement

• Registration signage

• Website recognition

• Social media exposure

• Golfer foursome

• Dinner recognition

Lunch or Dinner Sponsor

Include branding around the meal and recognition during announcements.

Beverage Sponsor

Brand beverage stations, drink tickets, coolers, or beverage carts.

Hole Sponsor

Place sponsor signage at an individual tee box.

Contest Sponsor

Companies can sponsor:

• Closest to the pin

• Longest drive

• Putting contest

• Hole-in-one contest

Golfer Gift Sponsor

This is an overlooked sponsorship opportunity.

Instead of your organization paying the entire cost of golfer gifts, a sponsor can help fund them in exchange for having its logo incorporated into the item.

A golf towel, ball marker, bag tag, golf ball or other useful golf accessory gives that sponsor visibility beyond just tournament day.

6. Decide How Many Golfers You Want

A traditional full-field golf outing often aims for 144 golfers, or 36 foursomes, although your course may have a different ideal capacity.

You don't necessarily need a completely full field.

A well-organized 80-player outing can be far more successful than a disorganized 144-player event.

The right number depends on your:

• Fundraising goals

• Golf course

• Sponsorships

• Volunteer support

• Audience

• Budget

Talk with the course about the ideal field size for pace of play.

7. Make Registration Easy

Nobody should need to exchange six emails just to register for your golf outing.

Your registration process should clearly explain:

• Date

• Golf course

• Start time

• Registration time

• Golfer price

• What's included

• Format

• Dress code, if applicable

• Contact information

• Sponsorship opportunities

Whenever possible, allow golfers and sponsors to register and pay online.

The easier you make registration, the fewer administrative headaches you'll have later.

8. Choose Your Tournament Format

The scramble is popular for golf outings for a reason.

Every player hits a shot, the group selects the best one, and everyone plays their next shot from that location.

It keeps the event moving and makes the tournament enjoyable for golfers of very different skill levels.

Other formats can work, but if your event includes a large number of recreational golfers, simplicity usually wins.

Make sure the rules are clearly explained before play begins.

9. Plan Your Golfer Gifts Early

Golfer gifts are one of the parts of an outing that organizers sometimes leave until the last minute.

That's especially risky when the items are customized.

Custom products may require time for:

1. Artwork creation

2. Design approval

3. Production

4. Shipping

5. Final event preparation

Ordering early also gives you time to involve sponsors.

For example, instead of simply putting the tournament logo on every item, you could have a sponsor fund a custom golf accessory featuring both the event and sponsor branding.

Popular golf outing options include:

• Custom golf balls

• Ball markers

• Medallion markers

• Bag tags

• Golf towels

• Divot tools

• Tumblers

• Headcovers

• Valuables pouches

• Cooler bags

The goal doesn't need to be filling a bag with as many items as possible.

A few useful, well-designed items can create a much better golfer experience.

10. Use Sponsors to Offset Golfer Gift Costs

This is one of our favorite strategies for golf outings.

Let's say you want to give every golfer a custom ball marker.

Instead of paying for it entirely from your tournament budget, offer a sponsor the opportunity to put its logo on the marker.

Now the sponsor receives something more memorable than another sign on the golf course, your tournament reduces its expenses, and the golfer receives something useful.

The same approach can work with:

• Golf balls

• Towels

• Bag tags

• Tumblers

• Coolers

• Divot tools

• Swag bags

It can turn a tournament expense into a sponsorship opportunity.

11. Plan On-Course Contests

Contests help break up the round and give golfers something else to compete for.

Popular options include:

Closest to the Pin

Usually placed on a par 3.

Longest Drive

Choose a hole with a relatively wide fairway so players have a fair chance.

Straightest Drive

Instead of rewarding distance, measure which drive finishes closest to a designated line.

Hole-in-One Contest

A larger prize can create excitement around a particular par 3.

Putting Contest

This can take place before or after the round and works especially well as an additional fundraiser.

Keep contests simple enough that golfers immediately understand them.

12. Create Additional Fundraising Opportunities

If fundraising is the goal, don't rely entirely on registration fees.

Additional opportunities could include:

• Mulligan sales

• Raffle tickets

• Silent auction

• Live auction

• 50/50 drawing

• Putting competition

• Beat-the-pro contest

• On-course games

• Donation matching

• Sponsor challenges

Small additions across 100+ golfers can add up quickly.

13. Recruit Enough Volunteers

Golf outings require more people than many first-time organizers expect.

Potential volunteer assignments include:

• Registration

• Golfer check-in

• Swag distribution

• Raffle sales

• Photography

• Hole contests

• Sponsor assistance

• Auction management

• Score collection

• Dinner setup

Create assignments before tournament day.

You don't want ten volunteers standing at registration while nobody is covering the putting contest.

14. Create a Tournament-Day Check-In System

Registration creates the first impression of your event.

Keep it organized.

Prepare:

• Alphabetical golfer list

• Foursome assignments

• Cart assignments

• Name tags, if needed

• Golfer gifts

• Drink tickets

• Raffle information

• Tournament rules

• Schedule

• Sponsor materials

If you're distributing several giveaway items, consider packaging them ahead of time instead of building bags while golfers are arriving.

15. Don't Forget Your Sponsors on Event Day

Your sponsors helped make the tournament possible.

Make sure they feel like it.

Double-check that:

• Signs are actually displayed

• Logos are correct

• Sponsor names are announced

• Social posts tag sponsors when appropriate

• Premium sponsors receive promised benefits

• Sponsor representatives know where to go

Take photos of sponsor signage throughout the day.

Those photos can be extremely valuable when asking the company to sponsor again next year.

16. Keep Pace of Play in Mind

Nothing takes the energy out of a golf outing faster than an extremely long round.

Work with the golf course to establish realistic expectations.

Things that can slow down outings include:

• Complicated contests

• Excessive on-course games

• Long waits for food or beverages

• Groups spending too much time at sponsor stations

• Poorly explained tournament rules

You want sponsor interaction and fundraising opportunities without turning every hole into a ten-minute stop.

17. Have a Weather Plan

You can't control the weather.

You can control how prepared you are for it.

Before the event, understand the golf course's policies regarding:

• Rain

• Lightning

• Delays

• Rescheduling

• Cancellations

• Refunds

Have a way to quickly communicate with golfers if the schedule changes.

18. Plan the Post-Round Experience

The tournament isn't finished when the final putt drops.

The post-round portion of the event is where you can:

• Serve dinner

• Announce winners

• Recognize sponsors

• Hold auctions

• Draw raffle winners

• Thank volunteers

• Talk about your organization's mission

• Promote next year's event

Keep the program moving.

After spending several hours on the course, golfers generally don't want another two-hour presentation.

19. Follow Up After the Tournament

One of the easiest things to overlook happens after everyone goes home.

Within a few days, send a thank-you message to:

• Golfers

• Sponsors

• Volunteers

• Donors

• Golf course staff

For charity events, tell participants what the tournament accomplished.

If the event raised $40,000, tell them.

If you're planning another outing next year, this is also the beginning of your marketing for the next event.

Golf Outing Planning Checklist

Here's a condensed checklist you can save for your event:

Course & Event

• Establish the purpose of the outing

• Create a budget

• Select a golf course

• Reserve the date

• Determine tournament format

• Establish golfer pricing

• Determine maximum field size

Sponsorships

• Create sponsorship levels

• Identify presenting sponsor prospects

• Sell hole sponsorships

• Create contest sponsorships

• Offer golfer gift sponsorships

• Collect sponsor logos

• Confirm sponsor benefits

Golfers

• Create online registration

• Promote the event

• Track payments

• Build foursomes

• Finalize pairings

• Assign carts

Golfer Experience

• Select golfer gifts

• Order custom merchandise early

• Plan swag bags

• Purchase prizes

• Plan on-course contests

• Organize food and beverages

Fundraising

• Plan raffles

• Secure auction items

• Determine mulligan pricing

• Create putting or on-course games

• Set up donation opportunities

Event Day

• Assign volunteers

• Prepare registration tables

• Display sponsor signage

• Distribute golfer gifts

• Explain tournament rules

• Track contest winners

• Collect scores

• Recognize sponsors

• Announce winners

After the Event

• Thank golfers

• Thank sponsors

• Thank volunteers

• Share event photos

• Report fundraising results

• Record lessons for next year

• Start planning the next outing

Need Help With the Golf Swag Side of Your Outing?

Planning the entire tournament is a lot.

The custom golf products don't have to be.

DrivePuttPromote works with golf outings to create custom golfer gifts, sponsor items, swag bags, golf balls, ball markers, bag tags, towels, divot tools and other custom golf accessories.

If you already know what you want, we can help bring the design to life.

If you're not sure what makes sense, tell us your number of golfers, event date and approximate budget per player, and we'll help you put together options for your outing.

Our goal is simple: make this one part of your golf outing easier.