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INDUSTRY INSIGHT |
PLANNER'S
POV |
In between Wall Street and Main Street you'll find a charity golf outing being played somewhere. Are you worried that the current economy will affect your event this year? If not, you should be. Golf has historically been somewhat recession proof but current trends are suggesting this is no longer the case. Courses are closing, rounds are down, equipment sales are slowing and even traditional PGA golf sponsors are second-guessing their expenditures.
Yet, the situation is not entirely all doom and gloom. It's not that golfers don't want to golf or attend your event. Their desire is still there but their budgets may not be. Where someone may have previously attended five or six outings during the season, they may only play one or two in 2009.
Golfers often select what events they attend by what they receive in return. Don't rely on the heartstrings of your cause to keep your golfers coming back. There are thousands of charity outings equally worthy. Think like a consumer and ask yourself what value your event offers and what you can do to increase it. Planners that set their events apart from the myriad of ordinary outings will succeed.
Room to Negotiate
One strategy to consider is fast nickels versus slow dollars. Events that are $200 or more won't be as well attended as the events that are $100 to $150. If you can cut your expenses while offering the same, if not more, you're ahead of the game. Don't hesitate to negotiate harder with courses as they are all in competition for your business. Even small events are big business to most courses. If your event is small (say 40 to 80 players), inquire about a modified shotgun start so the event can stop and start at the same time, allowing you to negotiate some sort of food and beverage package as well.
Courses typically won't offer any shotgun start unless you have 100 or more golfers. They prefer starting times instead so they don't lose revenue to other golfers. A tee time start means your golfers can't all start and stop at the same time making any food or awards activity a nightmare. However, in a modified shotgun, foursomes start on the first hole then 18, 17, 16 and so on. Much like a regular shotgun, the holes will be double-upped. The result is that they all pass the first hole just like a regular schedule tee time allowing the course to fill-in with other golfers when the last group passes the first hole.
Gifts
The most important value item you should evaluate is the one most often overlooked—the gift. Not everyone wins a trophy but everyone receives a gift pack. Not only a memento, the gift also serves as an enticement to your next event. The gift is a direct reflection of your outing; so don't fall into the trap that you can't afford a great gift. Even the smallest of budgets can afford a gift with a perceived value much higher than the actual cost. Throwing together donated items into a bag actually costs you more than the money you think you're saving. You can lose repeat attendees and it costs you more in time and effort to get a new golfer than it does to keep the ones you already have.
Think promotion when choosing your items. Do golf balls really help you extend awareness of your event and charity versus a great looking golf cap or shirt? Apparel items are walking billboards for your event. Think you can't afford them? Think again—your local pro has many options. Plus, look for companies that will pre-assemble gift packs. This not only has a high perceived value but makes your check-in process a dream.
Don't Get Greedy
Don't nickel and dime your golfers. Holding a raffle? Include the cost in the outing fee. Tell your golfers it's all part of their entry fee (added value). Think twice whether you want to sell mulligans, string or any other thing that could conceivably cheapen your event. Many of these ideas take away from the game of golf and can make your event appear greedy. Continually having your hand out leaves golfers wondering whether they received any value at all. Find ways to fit these extras into the outing fee or do without them. It's better to have a full field of golfers paying a little less than a half-filled field paying a little more.
Online Presence
Invest in a web site. Search vendors for a good deal on creating a site (or visit www.golfeventmagazine.com/freeeventwebsite to take advantage of Golf Event's partnership with TournEvents.com for a free outing web site). Not only is it a great way to communicate with attendees, it can be a moneymaker as well. You likely sell tee and green signs, right? If so, you know what a hassle they are to sell, get printed and then put up on the course. Those sponsoring the signs know that their sponsorship is nothing other than a straight donation. Unfortunately, golfers don't really pay attention to them. But if you were to take these sponsorships and move them to your web site, everyone who visits the site can click on a link to each of your sponsor's web sites resulting in possible business for them and more importantly a justification for sponsoring.
Formats
Finally, think about the format for your event. Is it different than anyone else's? Are you holding an ordinary scramble because you think it's the only format that both beginner and skilled golfers can play together? The better golfer will avoid a scramble event because they can't post a score for their handicap. This is especially true of great golf courses. Poor golfers aren't afraid of scoring poorly however they don't want to bring their team down plus they want to be able to compete equally with good golfers. There are a number of great formats that will attract both kinds of golfers and keep them coming back year after year. (For more on formats, visit www.golfeventmagazine.com/formatfunk.)
The bottom line is that you can succeed in these trying times if you understand the bottom line of your golfers. Offer more for less. Give them a bang for their buck and you'll continue to make bucks for your charity.
Jim Keenan is a 25-year sports marketing veteran. He has 20 years experience running more than 1,000 charitable, corporate and club golf events. Keenan is also the founder/president of the Golf Club at Amber View, Norwalk, Conn. | 
