Society – Golfing Agency

Planning a Golf Day for your Society or Charity…

detlef32 — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 20:08:43 +0000

Getting the most from your Golf Society or Charity Event

Planning a Golf Day

Organising a golf day of any magnitude is not as easy as people make out. Therefore it’s very important that you find volunteers to help, before, during and after the event.

This will help in making decisions that leave no stone unturned and important things don’t get forgotten.

The venue choice is very important. Choosing a golf course that’s not too difficult, well-manicured and with limited rough, while still offering many challenges – this will keep players of all abilities wanting to join the day and support the event.

The clubhouse should also be able to cater for many people during the day, and at an evening function, if that’s what you’re offering.

Organisers prefer member’s clubs because they benefit more from holding an event and are more attentive than the popular corporate venues. They also seem to give better value for money.

Format

Choose a format that people will enjoy, based on players’ handicaps and abilities. Here are a few suggestions:

Texas Scramble – Very popular for beginners, those new to the game and non-golfers.
Best Ball – Either in teams of 2, 3 or 4 (Stableford is preferred as it helps with speed of play, however, stroke play is another option)
Alternate Shot – Known as Foursomes, it’s not common on golf days but can be fun.
Waltz (123, 123) – Teams of 3 with 1 out 3 scores to count on first hole, 2 out 3 scores to count on second hole and all 3 scores to count on third hole, then repeat until the end of round.
Danger Ball – Teams of 3 or 4 where each player takes it in turn, hole by hole, to use a coloured ball. Their score must count on that hole along with 1 score from the remaining players. However, if the ball gets lost at any time, then your score is frozen.

Extra Ideas

Yellow Ball – When planning a golf day, a good competition within a competition, is to see how far a team can get a coloured ball round the course without losing it. Each player takes it in turn to play a hole. If they don’t lose the ball, next hole it then passes on to next player. The team who gets the ball furthest without losing the ball wins.
Nearest Pins, Straightest and/or Longest Drive competitions.

Fundraising for a Society or Charity

To encourage people to join the event, entry fees should be competitively priced. Negotiate with the golf club for a good deal. Ask for 1 in 8 to go free. This can raise funds towards your target.

On the day, you can raise money by running any of the following ideas:

Raffle Tickets
Mulligans – Players can re-play a shot without penalty e.g., 3 Mulligans for £10
Charity Bunker – Anyone going in bunker pays a fine
Hit or Miss green on a Par 3 – Hit go into a draw, Miss pays a fine
LIVE Auction – 4 balls vouchers are great for this
Hole sponsorship
You could just leave a donation envelope on the table after golf meal.

To help with fundraising, it’s important to get all golf prizes, raffle prizes and auction items donated from any source available. Just ask your local professional to donate a prize and ask golf clubs to donate a 4-ball voucher. If it’s a charity golf event they usually oblige.

Also, approach local businesses close to the chosen golf club.

Promoting your Golf Event

Use any material that the Charity you choose to support can provide. Most charities help promote fundraising events on their websites and social media platforms.

Posters indicating all key information (venue, price and date etc.) to be posted at golf clubs, local shops, and public houses in the areas around the chosen course.

Ask local businesses and golf clubs to promote on their social networks but the tried and tested method still works – asking family and friends to send out invites to people they know who play golf.

If it’s a big event, then you can ask local radio and newspapers to advertise, as this gets to a wider audience.

Conclusion

If you’re considering organising a golf event, do your research. Give yourself plenty of time to do your research and get the support of people you can trust to achieve your goal.

Happy Golfing!

By Kevin Booth

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10 things to consider when starting a Golf Society…

detlef32 — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 20:07:43 +0000

Setting up a Golf Society

Many golfers get into the game through a golf society. It’s where enthusiasts get together as a group, to visit golf clubs – often at an agreed or negotiated ‘visitor rate’ that includes golf & food.

A society can be as few as eight people taking up two tees times (at a chosen club), or sometimes over 100 golfers, all enjoying some relaxed but friendly, competitive golf.

It’s also an opportunity for the ‘occasional golfer’ and golfing nomads, to win a few prizes.

But, there are a few things you’ll need to know if you want to start a golf society, that can helps things run smoothly.

10 things to consider when starting your society.

1 – Make sure you have enough support to form a Society. Draw up regulations and rules under a range of headings for members to abide by:

Name of the Society
Objectives of Members
How to join and leave
Costs Involved
Organisation structure
Handicap procedures
Date and times of events
List competitions rules

2 – Have a meeting of members in advance of the golf year to approve rules listed above and discuss location and number of events to hold

3 – Elect Officers e.g., Treasurer, Secretary, Captain, Vice-Captain, and other officials

4 – Keep collected Monies in open bank accounts with more than one signatory and have an appointed auditor.

5 – Run the Society to the rules of golf and rules that cover amateur status (Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews)

6 – Lay down the rules of how handicaps will be allocated and adjusted in accordance with society’s rules – Appoint a Handicap Secretary

7 – Always collect monies in advance of an event. That way, if anyone fails to turn up, the society won’t be out of pocket.

8 – Select courses that are competitive but not too hard, ensuring that all players will enjoy their day.

9 – For speed of play, ALWAYS use the Stableford method of scoring.

10 – Make sure you have Nearest Pins, Nearest Pin in Two (shots), Longest Drive and Straightest Drive prizes to make the day as enjoyable as possible.

Other benefits of forming your own Golf Society include:

Starting a Golf Society does not mean you have to follow a long list of rules and regulations.

By forming your own Society, you are not bound by England Golf or R&A rules.

However, the downside to being a golf society organiser is you’ll sometimes find your opportunities to play a good course with good facilities limited.

When working with the golf club Society Manager, try to be flexible on the times and dates you are requesting.

In addition, while handicaps can be obtained in a number of different ways now, there are no rules and regulations to say you members MUST only use official Club Handicaps.

In fact, you don’t have to use handicaps at all, if you would prefer not to make your days competitive.

However, Society Golfers who hold a handicap with online golf clubs like The Social Golfer, are at an advantage, as you have a good idea of your societies playing abilities from the start.

Furthermore, never forget that golf societies are a lifeline for golf clubs. Many rely on the funds that societies and ‘Nomadic Golfers’ generate throughout the year – these are much-needed funds for the club’s annual profits.

If you do your research, Golf Societies have proven to be great for beginners, giving them the chance to learn rules and ettiquette, without having the expense of joining a club with annual subscriptions.

Another benefit is that players get to enjoy the camaraderie of a lads’ or lassies’ day out with good friends!

By Kevin Booth

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