T-Time Podcast // Ep. 15: An Outline to Organizing Your Member-Guest Tournament
On today's show, Tori is joined by Leslie Rangal, the president of the Papago WGA board, and Kim Eaton, a highly accomplished amateur golfer. The topic of the show is organizing a member-guest tournament and how to make it special. They will discuss the details and outline of the event, so tune in to learn about their golf games and get some tips on organizing your own member-guest tournament.
A member-guest tournament in golf is when a member of a private golf club or organization invites a non-member to partner in a tournament hosted by the private club. Running these tournaments can be challenging, just like being on a WGA board. Some volunteers or chairpersons oversee these events, including member-guest invitationals, guest days, and more. It can be overwhelming if you are put in this position for the first time, but you may receive notes from previous chairpersons. To help with this task, we can go through the step-by-step process and see what it's all about.
Deciding on How Long the Member-Guest Event should Last
When deciding on the length of a member-guest invitational golf tournament, you should first figure out how many days. Some prefer a three-day invitational, while one-day events are more casual. Knowing your budget is important as it determines the number of spots, entry fees, and meal costs. You should also check with the golf course for availability and pricing, which varies by day of the week and time of year.
Member-Guest Formats
In golf, partner events have different formats, including stroke play, match play, scramble, best ball, and combined quota. Stroke play involves counting the total number of strokes taken to complete a round of golf, while match play involves playing against another team on a hole-by-hole basis, with the team with the fewest strokes winning the hole. Scramble and best ball are team events in which the team's best score on each hole is used. Combined quota involves a team score based on a predetermined quota for each player.
Traditionally, some golf clubs may have used the same format for partner events for years. However, it's possible to suggest changing the format to keep things fresh and exciting. Golf club members interested in changing the format can bring it up to the board for consideration. Some boards may be open to new ideas, while others may be more hesitant to change. It's important to remember that while tradition can be important in golf, it's also important to embrace change and try new things to keep the game exciting and engaging for everyone involved.
Horse Races in Formats
A horse race in golf is an additional game that can be played during a tournament. It's usually offered as an optional extra, and there may be an additional fee to participate. The game is a strict alternate shot format, where two-person teams take turns hitting the ball. The game can be played on four designated holes, and teams are eliminated on each hole until there's only one team left. The exciting part about the horse race is that all teams play simultaneously on the designated hole, which means the rest of the field is watching. Horse races can be held at the end of a tournament with the flight winners or as a separate, standalone event. It's a lot of fun and adds an element of excitement to any golf tournament.
Determining How Much is Registration
To determine registration costs for a golf tournament, make a budget for all the expenses, including carts, tee prizes, and food. Food is usually the biggest expense. Divide the budget by the number of participants to find the cost per person. Catering staff can help with menu planning and may include complimentary items like wine or cocktails. Increasing prices can be difficult but may be necessary for a realistic budget.
When Should you Open Registration for a Golf Tournament?
The earlier, the better, but, typically at least three months in advance to allow for planning and accommodating out-of-town participants. And when should you close registration? At least three weeks before the tournament to allow time for handicap selection and pairing of participants. It's important to set a deadline for handicap selection and use it to move forward with event planning.
Themes for Member-Guest Invitationals
Member-guest Invitationals can have fun themes to make the event more exciting. For example, the Gold Rush Tournament that these ladies participate in gives out gold dollars for the closest to the pin shots and decorates everything in gold. Some clubs have a recurring theme each year, like the spring fling at Arizona Country Club, where they interpret the theme differently. Reusing decorations and ideas can save time and effort for event organizers.
Parimutuel Betting
Parimutuel Betting in golf is when you bet on individual teams to win, place, or show. It's a lot of work and requires someone who knows what they're doing (often the pro shop). Some tournaments have moved past it because women don't typically bet enough money to make it worthwhile. It can also be difficult to bet on players on other flights if you don't know much about them. Many people, including the speaker, don't waste their money on betting and may only bet on themselves.
TGIFs and Prizes
Prizes for golf tournaments typically consist of pro shop credit, gift cards, or visa gift cards. Sometimes the prizes reflect the taste of the person running the tournament. However, the prizes may not always match the flow of the players. In men's tournaments, some players receive over a thousand dollars, which may not be fairly compared to the smaller prizes women receive. For TGIFs, prizes usually include towels, water bottles, divot repair tools, and other items that golf clubs frequently give out.
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