Wounded Warrior Project

Golf tournaments are one of the most popular fundraisers for Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Most people who inquire about them have either planned a tournament before, work for a golf course, or are avid golfers. 

If you have an annual tournament, experience has shown that mixing it up keeps people coming back. Doing the same scramble with the same contests year after year gets predictable. But tournaments that mix in a celebrity tournament with community leaders or more prizes and games will remain a well-attended event and successful fundraiser.

The Plumbing Contractors of Long Island Golf Tournament, which holds their Annual Golf Outing at Southward Ho Country Club in Bay Shore, New York, raised $20,000 in their first year supporting our organization. With more than 12 years of knowledge, experience and success planning golf tournaments, we asked for some how-to's and guidelines for others setting up tournaments. 

Considerations when holding a golf tournament include:

• Develop a specific plan that includes fundraising goals, number of golfers, etc.
• Select a committee of experienced individuals
• Create a budget to include fees, sponsorship costs, etc.
• Plan the timeline and assign individual responsibilities
• Select the golf course and choose the tournament format (see below)
• Consider including a simultaneous auction to draw spouses, friends and relatives of the players
• Develop an event identity and use it consistently throughout all communications
• Create a plan to market your event
• Identify potential sponsors, develop a plan for approaching them, and consider offering multi-year sponsorships
• Identify what outside services you might need such as entertainment, printing, online registration, etc.
• Recruit golfers
• Include various games and contests in your event to create more winners
• Select gifts and prizes
• Plan a fun, upbeat awards ceremony – fun and upbeat
• Take photos at your event
• Recruit volunteers
• Prepare registration tables and bags, drink tickets, rules sheets, company brochures, sponsor items for bags, etc.
• Wrap up your event by writing thank you letters, securing the golf course for next year, etc.

Be sure to consult your golf shop for ideas on the tournament style, but a few include:

• Scramble
• Best ball
• Modified scramble
• Pro-am
• Celebrity
• Night golf
• Golf-a-thon

Begin planning your golf tournament today!