How to Create a Can’t-Miss Golf Event

“Charity Week” is just one innovative approach to fundraising at The Ridge at Castle Pines

Brandon Fowler

Above: A chopper drops raffled golf balls at The Ridge. Closest to the pin wins a donated prize.

“There are two ‘I’s’ in Fundraising – they should stand for inspiration and innovation, not imitation and irritation.” – Ken Burnett

Over the past few years, the game of golf has seen participation come to a standstill due to a variety of different factors including cost, time, difficulty of the game, alternative options, and …on and on the list goes.

Being the lone Troon-managed facility in the Denver market and utilizing programs such as Troon Family Golf, Troon’s Troops, Troon FIT & Troon Junior Club, The Ridge continues to put forth efforts on new and innovative ways to help grow the great game we all love.

In 2014, The Ridge introduced a new concept called “Charity Week at The Ridge” which focuses on utilizing historically low-demand days to offer more competitive pricing to groups that have tight budgets and might not typically be able to afford hosting an event at The Ridge.

“Charity Week” is an unbelievable opportunity for different charity and non-profit groups to raise a substantial amount of money at one of Colorado’s best public golf courses along the Front Range.  

Including those seven days, the Ridge hosts between 7,000 and 8,000 charity/tournament rounds a year. We know how to run an event and are proud to outline some key factors that will help you determine which golf course is the best fit to help you fundraise like you’ve never done before.

Identify Your Purpose and Establish Goals
As an obvious starting point, it’s critically important that each event understands the purpose behind hosting a golf event and what sorts of goals the organization is trying to accomplish.  Start with establishing the “Why” and getting buy-in from key individuals—the ones who will help make a difference.

Timing and Dates
Depending on time of year, golf courses should be offering different pricing and packages.  Picking a suitable date and time is certainly critical and will play a major role in determining who will be able to participate. Make sure to pick a date that works for key stakeholders, doesn’t conflict with a holiday weekend or spring break, and that also benefits fundraising efforts from a pricing standpoint.

Location, Location, Location
In addition to identifying the “Why” and establishing goals, it’s also crucial to determine the best location for your event based on the area from which most players will be coming.  Remember playing in an event already takes a significant amount of time out of someone’s day.  Presenting participants with long travel times or hosting a tournament in a remote location—no matter how coveted the course—can really make things difficult.

Pricing Really Matters
Over the past couple of years, The Ridge has seen many groups take advantage of Charity Week.  Each season, The Ridge identifies one week that we can offer more robust pricing options.  Managed by Troon Golf and focused on providing the finest playing surfaces, incredible guest service and unmatched amenities, groups are able to take advantage of this week and really create a “can’t-miss” golf event year in and year out.

Is this a True Partnership?
Although golf operators have an obligation to run a business and make sure that their operation is profitable, each golf course should look at establishing a true partnership with every event it hosts. The Ridge truly values building a relationship with each group and strives to understand the needs and wants from all parties involved.  This includes in-person site visits, detailed phone calls leading up to the tournament and flawless day-of-event execution. Get a good feel for the staff at the property, ask for references and really get a feel that they are there for your every need. 

Sponsors
Identifying potential sponsors that align with your vision and messaging can help raise extensive dollars and mitigate costs associated with your tournament.  Choose your sponsors wisely and look for those companies who are willing to invest and build a relationship with your team.  The more value and return that you can provide, the more they’ll be willing to spend.

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask
Don’t be afraid to ask for extra incentives when trying to determine the best possible course location to host your tournament.  Courses looking to garner your business should be willing to provide an extra perk here or there to help differentiate themselves from the competition.  Treating each event as a true partnership, The Ridge really gets creative in trying to offer unique add-ons to those charities who call our golf course home.

Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche plays during the charity tournament at The Ridge

Database Management
Probably one of the most paramount and essential tasks that organizers can do is collect and maintain up-to-date contact information from all golfers, volunteers and anyone else who regularly takes part in their event. Building a comprehensive database will allow you to build a very loyal following and increase participation each year. In addition, a solid database will also allow you to communicate effectively to these individuals throughout the year, keeping your organization top of mind and potentially providing additional fundraising opportunities. 

At the end of the day, anyone can try and host a charity golf event.  What truly matters is whether you are honing in on all the “little things” that will help distinguish your tournament from all others. Focusing on the vital factors should allow you to take pride in what you’re doing and host a first-class event that raises a lot of money.

The Ridge proudly offers a variety of different programming options aimed at growing the game and giving back where we can. We want to help each event that we host succeed like they never have before.  As the official home of the Colorado Avalanche and helping to raise nearly $700,000 for charities in 2015, The Ridge looks forward to hopefully nearing the $1 million mark in 2016.

Brandon Fowler is the Assistant General Manager at The Ridge at Castle Pines North. Reach him at [email protected] or 720-360-4356.

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More from the 2016 Tournament Planners Guide presented by GolfSquid.com:

How to Create a Can't-Miss Golf Event

Squid Pro Quo – The site with the odd name is taking over the way people plan golf events.

Keeping it Fresh – When participants see your commitment to making the event fun, they'll come back year after year!

A Course in Charity – As the Sanctuary nears $100 in money raised, here's a list of 2016 tournaments

Long Live the ROI – At the end of the day, how to get the most for your charity from your golf tournament

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