Office Tournaments

So, you are the super-charged go-getter who "volunteered" to plan your company's yearly golf tournament. HA HA!! If you are bitter and disgruntled about this task, let us help you plan a small company golf tournament that will be FUN and memorable!! If you are looking to plan a large, public, sponsored event, involving mega-corporations and clients, this isn’t the article for you. There’s another article about that. But if you just want to throw a nice little tournament for your co-workers, read on . . .

First, let's look at your timeline. You would probably want to start planning this shindig 9 to 6 months in advance. 

What is the number one thing you need for a golf tournament? A place to play! Call around. Do some "research" by playing at your top choices. What a great way to get to play at some great places! Then select the course, date, and time for your tournament. 

Create a budget. If it is a corporate tournament, you will probably be getting your budget from the Brass upstairs. Plan accordingly. 

If you can get away with charging an entry fee, it might be nice to attach a charity to the event. Choose something cute and sweet so people will get involved. Rat Lovers of America might not get a huge draw, no matter how dear to your heart it may be. It might be nice to select a charity related to your coworkers, if for example Steve, the guy in the cubicle next to you, has a son suffering from diabetes, the Diabetes Research Foundation might be something everyone could rally around, and Steve would be especially touched.

Decide on some special side events and contests, such as a Putting Tournament, Hole-in-One, Shortest Drive, Longest Drive, Best Furious Outburst . . . etc. Choose prizes for each event. These can be gag gifts. Gags are funny. Nobody will be expecting a new set of clubs or an engraved golden tee set.

Decide if you want to have any other activities, such as dinner, or an auction, or a raffle. Maybe something for the kids. A clown, perhaps. Once you decide on any extra activities, plan them.

By now it is about 4 to 5 months until the tournament. Here’s what you do next.

Wrangle some volunteers to help with the general planning of the events and to run around like crazy with you the day of the event.

Publicize! Inter-office memos, a few flyers Xeroxed on goldenrod placed conspicuously around the office, a carelessly left original on the copy machine, and some water-cooler gossip ought to get the word out.

Order some cheesy t-shirts that have your company’s logo and the date and location of the tournament, perhaps with some goofy-looking cartoon character on the back. Have your nephew draw it. It’ll be the tournament mascot, and he can be named “Sandy” or “Mr. Putty-Putty” or something silly.

Decide on food and refreshments. Make sure you have a room at the golf club to serve as the “staging area” and make sure it can hold the number of people you are expecting.

Okay, now it is like three months until showtime. Enlist your family and buddies to help you with these tasks:

Prepare arrival packages. Each player should receive a bag upon arrival filled with a t-shirt, a few tees, maybe a cap or a visor. Throw the company logo on there. Be sure to order these in time, because the silk-screening could take a few weeks.

Set up a special Refreshment Cart to travel around keeping the players hydrated. This will get the non-golfers involved, since everyone loves to drive around on golf carts, and they get to help out, too.

One month to go!

Confirm tee times and food orders and all of that.

The week before:

Confirm with your course that they have the appropriate supplies needed for your contests you have planned, such a measuring devices and an applause-o-meter.

Get your helpers ready to make registration and check-in fast and easy.

Display all your prizes on a table near the check-in and food.

Now the golf tournament is on! 

At the end, have a tasteful awards ceremony, calling up each winner in ascending order. Present him or her with a prize and take their picture with you and the boss. Give the thumbs up sign each time as the camera flashes.

ü Shake everyone’s hand and accept the thanks for planning a great golf tournament!