Golf & Spa on a Budget

With greens fees on the rise and meeting budgets stagnant, planners of golf events face a challenge: Put on the same top-notch tournament as always — but for the same amount of money as last year (and the year before that). Moreover, the number of people signing up for golf tournaments is declining, thanks to tighter corporate purse strings.

Frank Sablone, president, Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute Inc., Naperville, Ill., has seen this latter trend firsthand. In the late 1990s, 220 players would routinely participate in TLMI's annual golf tournament, but now the numbers are between 180 and 200.

One good piece of news is that the overbuilding of golf resorts in the past several years means buyers have a lot of leverage at many resorts. And if the rate at an on-site course is too high, planners can look off-site to nearby courses. Here are some other cost-saving tips:

  1. Avoid Top-Tier Golf Courses

    “You don't have to play the Pinehurst No. 2's or Pebble Beaches of the world to have a good event,” says Teresa Williams, director, GMAC-RFC, Atlanta, citing two of the most prestigious courses in the country. “Most golfers are mid- to high-handicappers and just want to play.”

  2. Book Off-Season

    Here's just one example of the savings resulting from booking a course off season: At Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas, greens fees at the two Tom Fazio — designed courses range from $180 to $240 in the prime seasons but drop to $135 to $180 in the value seasons.

  3. Hold a nine-hole tournament instead of the traditional 18 holes

    These tournaments take half the time of 18-hole rounds and, if executed properly, cost less. However, many resorts don't offer nine-hole rates and will charge the 18-hole fee unless the planner requests a discount. “A facility may say they only do 18-hole tournaments,” says Nancy Berkley, president, Berkley Consulting Inc. “But it's competitive out there right now. If event planners stick to their guns, they should be able to demand better pricing.”

  4. Jazz up your nine-hole event

    Planners can beef up a nine-hole outing by adding a 30-minute demonstration or lesson conducted by local pros. Or they can forgo a golf tournament and replace it with skills contests — outings where people don't actually play a round, but instead gather to compete in contests such as longest drive, closest to the pin, chipping, and putting, with awards given to the winners.

  5. Go light on lunch

    “Golfers can get by with a sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a bag of chips,” says Sablone of Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute Inc. Save the coleslaw, granola bar, brownie, and the fancy box it all comes in, because it's too much food — and it's not necessary. Sablone buys his own brown paper bags and requests that the resort put the lunches in them. “I don't want to spend the extra $2 on this elaborate box that basically gets thrown out.”

  6. Have a cookout at one of the holes

    It doesn't have to be fancy — just hot dogs and hamburgers, which the players can grab and go. It may end up being cheaper than having the resort put together a boxed lunch.

  7. Cut out the booze

    Choose to pick up the cost of beer, wine, and soft drinks, and let individuals pay for hard liquor if they want it. Or, put bottles of beer, wine, water, or soft drinks on the cart before the tournaments starts. If an individual consumes more than the pre-determined per-person amount, he or she has to pay for it.

  8. Keep gifts simple

    Consider using trophies, which are cheaper than golf equipment, clubs, and bags. Or cut back on certain contests — such as the longest-drive competition, which is difficult for anyone other than the best players to win — and you won't need to give out prizes for those.

    Find out what kinds of prizes your attendees would value, Berkley advises. Books or CDs may be more appreciated by some attendees, while others may find more value in a gift certificate redeemable at the pro shop. “Imagine if you asked people what size shirts their children wear so you can print personalized T-shirts with their names on them.” It wouldn't cost much, she says, and the gift would have great value for some attendees.

  9. Beef up your sponsorship program

    Obtaining sponsorships for everything from the beverage cart to the closest-to-the-pin contest is a good way to enhance relationships with vendors and, of course, to help defray the costs of the tournament.

RSS Share

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.


Acceptable Use Policy
blog comments powered by Disqus

Search 125,000+ Venues

Search Meeting Space

Find Event Venues with Cvent

The Meeting Planning Blog

Face2Face Latest Posts

Sign Up for Our Free E-Newsletters



Meetings Collaborative

Rate your experience with meeting venues and suppliers.

Facility / Hotel

 
Powered by: Meetings Collaborative
Aega Awards

Latest Webinar

Beyond Marketing: What Else Social Media Can Do for Your Meetings
Thursday, May 24 | 2-3 p.m. EST

Most associations know that online social networks can be handy tools to spread the word about their meetings and events. But social media can do so much more than market. Our social media expert will uncover ways you can leverage social media to discover the educational content your members are craving, engage and energize your community, build relationships, and even simplify your meeting processes. Register Now!

VIEW ALL ARCHIVED WEBINARS

Recent Comments

Powered by Disqus

Back to Top

Explore Our Newsletters


Meeting Planner Survival Guide

Whether you're a novice planner or a veteran, this compilation of must-read articles is your meeting planning resource.

Must-See Meeting Files

Visit the MeetingsNet expert-advice site, where we’ve got top meeting pros on camera answering a variety of your questions as well as a collection of educational—and sometimes offbeat—editors’ pick lists — from the top tech tools to the best books for meeting professionals.

Suppliers/
Facilities/CVBs

MeetingsNet makes it easy to find the CVBs, tourist boards, and facilities you need for your next meeting.

Deal Finder

Special offers brought to you by MeetingsNet.

Find A Job

Targeted to all aspects of the hospitality and special events industry.

SMM PORTAL

Your source for Strategic Meetings Management info and intelligence

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   RSS Feed

Inside Current Issue

May 2012 CMI

May 2012 FIM

April 2012

April 2012 RCM

April 2012

April 2012 AM

MM March 2012

March/April 2012 MM

Browse Back Issues