Your date is picked and your tee sheet is full. Now you’ve got to give your participants something to remember.
Making your event something special will not only make your participants feel special, but also given them a reason to return if you hold the tournament again. After all, there’s nothing better than having players talk about playing a tournament annually because it is so well run or they had so much fun playing in it.
Go big
Every tournament has a hole-in-one contest, and you’ll want to set it up and ensure you’ve insured it properly. That said, there’s nothing better than having a big prize—a car or a significant amount of money—for the ace. And if it goes in, that’s even better, especially if you make sure you catch each shot on video. And for those using Golf Town Tournaments, there’s a free Golf Town Hole-in-one prize pack, with the individual—and the others in the person’s group—making the ace getting a set of clubs and a custom fitting at Golf Town.
Create something special
Yes, long drive and putting contests are great ways to engage your participants in your tournament, but there are other ways to connect with them and potentially shine a spotlight on your tournament. Potentially engage the local PGA of Canada professional for a closest to the pin contest where the pro takes on each group, but if you have the budget, consider something more dramatic. How about a helicopter ball drop? You can raise additional money by getting players to pay to pick a numbered ball. The helicopter takes the balls up and drops them, with the winner being the numbered ball closest to the hole. It is bound to gain attention through social feeds.
Be social
These days, ensuring your participants can share their experience on social is a key. See if you can get social feeds from some of the players—perhaps ask them at registration—and then get a digital board to post some of the key Tweets or Instagram feeds in the clubhouse so participants can see what others sent out during their round. Also make sure you have a hashtag for your event and make everyone participating aware. That way your event will gain even more traction.
Plan for camaraderie
Most events will be played in foursomes, and there’s a chance the group will know one another, but there’s also a possibility the group was put together by one individual. That means the players may not be familiar with one another, so think about team options, like having a photographer take the group’s photo and email everyone a picture. Shareable takeaways, like swing shot videos, can be readily shared on social media, giving the event even more attention.