Ask people how a charity golf day raises money and most will say the entry fee. The bigger wins usually come from what happens on the course and in the room afterwards, when everyone is relaxed, competitive and a drink or two in.
These are the ideas that earn their place, and how to run them.
On the course
Beat the Pro
Put a pro on a par 3. Players pay to take them on, and anyone who finishes closer to the pin wins a prize. Golfers find it very hard to turn down a challenge in front of their colleagues. Keep it to one per day, and it makes a great sponsorship for a local business.
Mulligans
A mulligan is a free do-over for a bad shot. Sell them at registration in small bundles. Almost everyone buys a few, and the people who say they won't need them are usually the ones who do.
Nearest the pin and long drive
The classics. Put a decent prize on each and a sponsor's name on the hole. They give everyone something to talk about on the way round, even the teams having a nightmare.
Putting competition
Set one up on the practice green before the start or after the round. It's ideal for non-golfers and for anyone who'd rather not be watched on the first tee.
Hole sponsorship
Local businesses and suppliers will often pay to have their name on a hole for the day. It's advertising in front of exactly the people they want to meet, for a good cause.
The bar cart
A bar cart doing the rounds keeps everyone happy, and it's another sponsorship to sell. A business covers the cart and gets its branding in front of every team, every hour.
In the room
The auction
Save the best for last. An auction after the prizes is where the biggest single sums are raised. Experiences beat objects: a round at a great course, a lesson with a pro, match tickets, a meal somewhere hard to book. Five or six strong lots beat twenty average ones.
Telling the story
Not an activity, but the one that makes the rest work. Give the charity ten minutes at the prize giving to tell the room what the money will do. People give more when they know where it's going, and a good story is the best warm-up an auction can have.
A few things that help
- Make paying easy. Card machines on the course and in the room, so nobody can blame a lack of cash
- Keep prices simple. Round numbers and small bundles sell faster
- Show a running total. People give more when they can see it climbing
- Put a sponsor on everything. Every activity is a chance for a business to back a good cause
- Have someone selling. Activities don't sell themselves, but a friendly face with a card machine does
Put together, these turn a nice day out into thousands for a good cause. Every FFG day comes with them built in, along with the people to run them. Planning your own? The covers the lot.