Golf Formats for Meetings and Corporate Events

As golf climbs to new heights of popularity, people of widely varying ability are showing up on the links. That can present problems if you want your golf outing to be challenging and enjoyable for everyone. This article describes more than a dozen formats that will bring variety to a casual outing or a tournament.

OVERVIEW

Golf naturally builds camaraderie, and organizations are quick to make use of the team-building and networking opportunities inherent in the game. More than ever, golf is being used to entertain clients and as a prime ingredient of meetings, incentive travel trips, company picnics, product launches, and charitable events. Whether it's a casual golf outing or a tightly organized tournament, golfers at all levels of ability are likely to show up. Generally, players are categorized according to four levels ranging from A to D, the lowest level being reserved mainly for beginners.

There are many different tournament formats. Some work for the very skilled player as well as the beginner, but others are best left to those who take the game seriously. Players of different levels are often thrown together at meetings and conventions, and there are a number of ways to deal with this. Each foursome can be made up of golfers with varying abilities, providing talent is distributed equally across all the groups. Handicaps are important in tournaments and are generally accepted as a standard that enables golfers with different abilities to compete fairly with one another. One thing to pay attention to is the fact that new golfers may not have an official handicap and therefore cannot be placed correctly according to their skill. There are some tournament formats that do not require handicaps.

THE CHANGING MIX OF GOLFERS

Coming up with the appropriate format for your outing is one of the first steps in assuring the success of the occasion. While there are many new players on the fairways, there is also a segment of serious golfers showing up at major events. Golf tournaments are attractive right now for corporate sponsorships, experts advise. Companies sponsor their events and send their C-suite execs to network and play with other participants. With a format that appeals to experts as well as duffers, your outing or tournament will proceed naturally, almost of its own accord. After all, one of golf's strengths is that it provides an opportunity for people to mix in a relaxed and recreational situation. Once they are on the course together, it's not long before golfers discover they have a lot in common, and sponsors get the opportunity to introduce their products or services to a receptive audience in a low-key atmosphere.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE FORMAT

Besides the ability of players and the natural desire to try something different, other things must be considered when choosing a tournament format. J. R. Ross, director of golf at Chateau Elan Winery and Resort near Atlanta, has the following tips:

• Early in the planning process, estimate the approximate number of players. That's an important factor in determining which formats are practical for your group.
  
  
• Take the climate into consideration. In a temperate climate, you can play at any time during the day; in a hot climate, it is best to play in the morning or late afternoon.
  
  
• Take advantage of the expertise of the director of golf or the pro at the golf club or resort where the tournament is to be held. You might be an excellent conference planner, but let a professional assist you in planning the tournament. They do it all year long, so they know all the ins and outs.
  
  
• Estimate how much time is available for the tournament. Times vary from course to course and according to format. Tournaments usually take 5 to 5 1/2 hours to complete.

OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

• If the tournament is a charity event, send the invitations out as early as possible. These events have become so popular that it is not unusual for a corporate golfer to be invited to more than one event on the same day.
  
  
• Different formats require different kinds of awards. Determine how many awards will be given at the tournament and buy them ahead of time. Awards can be trophies that you bring to the event, something from the pro shop, or a gift certificate to use anywhere at the resort.
  
  
• Beware of hidden charges. A private club might charge you an opening fee if it is normally closed on the day you are playing.
  
  
• Send out your entry forms as soon as possible so you'll know the number of people who will be playing and their golfing capabilities. That's critical for deciding who plays with whom. About ten days before the event, you will have to guarantee your numbers.

POPULAR TOURNAMENT FORMATS

The Scramble is the most popular format for group tournaments because it encourages teamwork. Foursomes are constructed so as to compose an A player, a B player, a C player, and a D player. In putting together the teams, the tournament organizer needs to know the golfing ability of the participants; it may be necessary to ask the golfers for their handicaps. Certainly, an attendee who has never golfed would be categorized as a D. In a scramble, each team member tees off, but the team plays its second shots from where the best drive landed. Play continues in this fashion through putting. A scramble helps develop camaraderie among the players, eliminates embarrassment over poor shots, and allows everyone to make a contribution.

Best Ball may be played with two, three, or four people on a team. Golfers play their own ball on each hole, but only the lowest score is recorded as the team score. This format may be played with or without handicap. This is usually a fun format with a medium pace of play. Results can be calculated quickly. This format is played for all 18 holes, and the total is submitted as the team's score.

Odd and Even is played with one ball per team of two players. One player will hit all the odd shots, and the other will hit all the even shots. To avoid having the same player hit all the tee-off shots, team members can alternate playing odd holes.

Stableford is popular in European clubs. This format is not quick, so your tournament will usually take longer using the Stableford format. Players score points on each hole according to a point system that takes into consideration each player's handicap (the best players are rated A, the poorest D). Unlike other golf games, the winner in a Stableford tournament is the player with the highest score. Points are earned on the following scale:

Bingle-Bangle-Bungle. Three points are awarded on each hole: one point to the player whose ball first comes to rest on the clipped surface of the green; the second point goes to the player whose ball is nearest the cup after all players are on the green; the third point goes to the player who first sinks his putt. In settling up, each player wins the difference between his total points and the point total of each player with fewer points.

Blind Hole Match is played under full handicap. The only scores that count are those shot on certain unannounced holes. Selection of those holes is not made by the committee until the entire field has left the first tee.

Derby Tournament, much like a horse race, is a great way to inject more fun into a tournament. (Sometimes it is referred to as Rumpsie Dumpsie or Horse Race.) The format is simple and, with proper publicity, draws many players and spectators as well. Play is over nine holes. From 10 to 15 players are needed, and their handicaps should be as close as possible. The event can be played from scratch or with full handicap.

Players draw numbers from an entry box to determine their respective tee-off positions. Each player marks his or her ball with that particular number. All 15 entries tee-off in succession from the same tee and play out the hole according to the normal sequence of play. The three highest-scoring players are eliminated. The same procedure follows on the second hole, again with the three highest players eliminated. On the third hole, the two players with the highest score are eliminated. From the fourth through the eighth hole, the player scoring highest on each of these holes drops out, leaving only two players going into the final hole.

Any ties among players are broken with a chip-off from a point 40 to 50 yards out in the fairway. Closest-to-the-pin remains in the tournament. It is recommended that an official be named to make all decisions, especially in regard to chip-offs. A tape measure settles questions quickly.

This event can comfortably handle three races by starting on the first, fourth, and seventh tees. Because only nine holes are used, the rest of the course can still be open for others to play. Prizes are awarded for the first three places, much like a horse race. Thus any contestant who survives the seventh hole is assured of at least third place.

Nassau (Best Nines) Tournament. Prizes are awarded for the best first 9, the best second 9, and the best 18 holes. Full handicap is used for the 18-hole scores and one-half handicap for 9-hole scores. The advantage is that a player making a poor start or tiring at the finish may still win a prize for a good performance on the other nine.

One-Club Event. Each player carriers only one club, which must be used for all shots. The club may be specified by the committee or selected by the player. Low net wins. Variations permit two clubs or even three.

Practice Green Tourney is an 18-hole event on a practice putting green. The winner is determined by total putts. In case of ties, all tying contestants play extra holes at "sudden death" (a player is out on the first hole he or she fails to score). If the club has no practice green, use the clock method on one of the regular greens near the clubhouse by marking off nine tees at varying distances around the edge of the green. Players putt from each of these tees to the cup.

Callaway allows each golfer to play his or her own ball and record the score with no more than double par limit. This format may be used when not all competitors have an official handicap. Allow more time for playing and scoring because of the individual format.

SPECIAL-EVENT CONTESTS

One executive from an incentive sales company in Palm Desert, CA, says contests are an excellent way to get more mileage and fun out of your tournament. After all, everyone loves to win, and special-event contests give everyone more opportunities to win. Some of these contests, such as Closest to the Pin, can be won as easily by a beginner as by an expert player. Caution: The more contests staged on the course during the tournament, the longer the tournament will take to play.

Driving Contest. Pick a wide, flat fairway. Each contestant gets five drives, with only the best three counting. Only shots ending on the fairway count. For quick determination of distances, erect marker flags every 25 yards from 125 yards out to 300 yards. Judges stationed down the fairway can estimate the distance beyond the nearest marker for each drive. A variation of this event allows only three drives and deducts 10 percent from the distance for all shots ending up in the rough.

Longest Drive. A prize is awarded for the longest drive in the fairway. This is normally played on the course's longest par-5 hole.

Shortest Drive. Here, the prize goes to the shortest drive in the fairway. This contest normally is played on the same par-5 hole as the longest drive contest.

Straightest Drive. A white line is placed down the middle of the fairway. The drive that comes to rest closest to the line is the winner. Usually, this event is played on the course's last par-5 hole.

Closest to the Pin. A prize is awarded for the shot that comes to rest closest to the pin. Normally, this is played at the course's first par-3 hole of the back nine.

Longest Putt. The prize goes to the person making the longest putt on a specific green. It is best to play this contest on the course's putting green at the clubhouse prior to the start of the tournament. That helps to establish a fun and competitive atmosphere without slowing the pace of play.

ASSOCIATIONS

CONFERENCES AND TRADE SHOWS

For a list of Industry Events, go to #9510, Calendar of Industry Events.

BOOKS

Golf Tournaments for Fun & Profit: How Anyone Can Easily Put on One-Day Golf Tournaments, by Lynn C. Brown. Available from Amazon.com, $12.95.

Planning & Conducting Competitive Golf Events. National Golf Foundation. $50. Call 800-733-6006; go to http://www.ngf.org.

Fund Raising with Golf. A great reference for planning charity golf events. National Golf Foundation. $50. Call 800-733-6006; go to http://www.ngf.org.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Golf, by Michelle McGann with Matthew Rudy. McGann, a veteran of the LPGA Tour, has written an indispensable book that covers everything from the rules of the game and how to swing a golf club to how to conduct business on the greens. There's a glossary of golfing terms and a chapter on golf publications and organizations. $18.95. Available from Amazon.com, $15.16.

ON THE WEB

A notable feature of http://www.worldgolf.com is its listings of golf products and services, including such categories as business services, art and photography, golf-related gifts, books, and golf schools and training.

The National Golf Foundation, the repository of facts and figures on the sport, maintains an authoritative Web site at http://www.ngf.org/.

RELATED SMN ARTICLES

For more information about golf meetings, see #5310, Golf Meetings Overview, and #5312, Golf at Conference Centers. Other articles that may be helpful are #5010, Meetings Overview, and #5020, Plan a Great Meeting!