It's the thing we hear more than anything else. “We'd love a golf day, but half our team doesn't play.”
Fair enough. Nobody wants to spend five hours watching colleagues look for balls in the trees. The good news is that a golf day doesn't need everyone to be a golfer. It needs a format that doesn't punish beginners, and enough going on that the golf is only part of the day.
Pick a format that hides the bad shots
In a team scramble, everyone tees off and the team plays its next shot from the best ball, every time. Your best player carries the long game, your beginner holes the odd putt, and nobody's card shows a twelve on the third. Teams of four with a mix of abilities work for almost any group.
Give the beginners a head start
If you've got a few nervous first-timers, a short session on the range with a pro before the start does wonders. Ten minutes on how to hit it forward is usually all anyone wants.
Make the course about more than golf
The bar cart, Beat the Pro, nearest the pin, a putting competition. When there's something happening every few holes, the day stops being a test of golf and becomes a day out. In our experience, the non-golfers are often the loudest people at Beat the Pro.
Not everyone has to play
Some people genuinely don't want to pick up a club, and that's fine. A hospitality area on a par 3 gives them somewhere to be: watching Beat the Pro live, with food, drinks and music, while the teams come through. It's one of the best seats on the course. On our days it's an optional extra, and well worth it if you've got a mixed crowd.
Give out prizes that aren't about scores
Breakfast at the start, prizes and an auction at the end. That's where the non-golfers get as much out of the day as anyone. Add a prize or two that has nothing to do with the leaderboard, like best dressed team or shot of the day, and suddenly everyone is in with a chance.
The golf is the excuse
A company golf day isn't really about golf. It's about getting people together for a day they'll talk about, and the course is a very nice place to do it. Get the format and the extras right and the non-golfers will be the ones asking when the next one is.
Planning one with a mixed group? The is your one stop guide to a great golf day, or get in touch and we'll take it from there.