Step-By-Step: What You Need To Plan Your Corporate Golf Event

Now it’s time to start planning! Here’s what you need to bring an excellent employee appreciation event to life.

1. Event Goals & Audience

First, dial in the goals and target audience for your event. Will you be hosting a formal golf tournament, a casual outing for employees, a fundraiser, or an invitation-only golfing event for clients? The nature of your event will dictate the audience you’re catering to. In turn, you’ll also have valuable information about the event’s tone.

• An event for seasoned golfers will look completely different from a team outing that includes amateur players.
• Events for attendees with a range of experience will need to include games, activities, and offerings for non-golfers.
• Golf events for clients and sales prospects will be more formal and business-oriented than a company tournament for employees.

2. Budget & Timeline

How much budget do you have to allocate to this golfing event? And how much time do you have to plan before the big day? These factors will influence the venue, vendors, golf-specific expenses, catering, and activities you can secure. Ask potential venues about group discounts for savings. Keep in mind that you may need to book a location months in advance, so start looking for your venue early in the planning process.

3. Location & Setup

Research golf courses and clubs in advance so you’ll be familiar with the location and all it offers. Ask about indoor spaces, such as banquet halls and dedicated event rooms, for dining and entertainment. Assess how appropriate the location is for attendees (i.e., are there offerings for less experienced golfers if needed?). Finally, learn what’s required for setup so you’ll be prepared.

4. Activities or Offerings

In addition to offering delicious food, beverages, and snacks to keep your team well fed and hydrated on the links, plan games and activities. This is especially important for attendees who may not be interested in golfing. It can also give you a fallback in the event of rain.

Consider activities and offers such as:

• Hole-in-one contest
• Driving range competition
• Cornhole or horseshoe toss
• Indoor trivia
• Disc golf
• Dedicated spectators’ area
• Spa access
• Swimming (if the club has a pool)
• Hat customization bar

5. Branded Merchandise

Consider having branded merchandise on hand for your golf event. If you have plenty of lead time, you can also get unique company merch, such as embroidered golf shirts, for your team to wear on the big day. A pop-up shop lets your team choose their favorite items, or you can build custom swag bags that feature branded golf accessories for attendees.

6. Day-Of Logistics

To plan a smooth event, you’ll need to select team members to run point. Decide who will coordinate check-ins, vendor communication, and working with pro shop and location staff. Determine event start times, meal times, and how the day will progress. Finally, appoint team members to help with any needed teardown or cleanup efforts.

7. Post-Event Follow-Up & Attendee Engagement

Once the golf event wraps, you’ll want to get valuable feedback from your attendees. Send out a survey to participants, and branded thank-you gifts to everyone who made the event possible. Get insights on what went well, what you can improve next time, and what attendees want at future events.