Bigger Isn't Always Better: Setting Attendance Goals
When planning a golf tournament, one of the first questions you are going to ask yourself is how many people you plan on hosting at your golf event. Player count determines a lot of important factors for your event: how much you will have to pay for golf course fees, how many gifts and dinners you will have to provide, and how much you will make with player registration fees. A lot of beginning organizers instinctively try to get as many people to attend their tournament as possible, while laying low on the sponsorships for the first year or two. However, here at Golf Digest Planner, we advise going easy on you attendance goals for the first year, and below I will outline a few reasons why.
1. A smaller group breeds intimacy and exclusivity
Having a small group for your golf tournament the first year makes those who were invited feel important. You will have time to spend time with each invitee, take the extra care to give them a great arrival gift, and allow an ambiance of camaraderie to build amongst an intimate group. A small group also gives the tournament an exclusive feel. People in the community are going to hear about your tournament through word of mouth and advertising, and it’s not always a bad thing to have interested parties go online and see your tournament marked as “sold out” a few months before the big day. This will peak people’s interest and make your event look like a huge success early on. Ideally, this will make future guests demined to get on the registration list next year, and will keep the excitement and interest going, while building a solid foundation with the small group that came the first year. It will feel great to have people knocking down your door for a chance to play!
2. A smaller group is easier for you to manage
A smaller group is, as you would expect, easier to manage. You are going to be so busy planning a tournament for the first time and you can easily feel overwhelmed by everything there is to organize and execute. Make your first year about quality, not quantity, and you will build your tournament a great foundation to grow from.
3. A smaller group might save you money.
As mentioned above, your player count can influence how much money you make through player registrations, but a high player count can also cost you. Golf Courses tend to charge per head , and adding up the greens fees, dinner fees, gift fees, caddy fees, ect; you might end up making more money your first year by limiting your player count. Sponsors will still be interested in supporting your event, even if it doesn’t have 400 players, and as we have mentioned in previous blog posts, your sponsorships should always be your main focus when it comes to bringing in revenue.
4. A smaller group will encourage people to register
It is human nature that when you feel a sense of urgency, you are more likely to act. If you approach potential golfers and let them know that there are only 72 spots available in the tournament, they are going to feel the pressure to sign up a lot more quickly than for a 288 man scramble. Your first year is all about garnering interest and getting people involved, and starting with a small group of close friends and colleagues is a great way to do this.
Keep the group small for your first year, and you will be shocked to see how quickly you will grow. Don’t hesitate to increase the player count as demand grows year after year, but don’t be afraid to start small!
