CFMA Chapter “Best Practices” Model

Running a Successful Golf Tournament

Small Chapters (Up to 40 Members)

Does Your Chapter Hold an Annual Golf Tournament?

  • We tried this past year but had to cancel due to lack of participation.
  • Yes
  • Yes, a joint outing between the Long Island and New York City Chapters
  • Prior to the economic downtown, yes. But no longer.

If So, Please Describe in Detail (Time of Year, Awards Presented, Sponsors, Etc.)

  • We hold our tournament between September 16 and September 30. We solicit hole, breakfast, and lunch sponsors. Awards are given for first, second, and third place teams. We also do a longest drive and closest to the hole.
  • Held in May with the following awards: Low team Gross, Low team Net, Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin. We have hole sponsors and sponsors for lunch, cocktail hour, and dinner. Had a total of 12 sponsors. We also have raffles.
  • When we held one, it was in October. We gave away gift certificates to the pro shop. The sponsors were mostly members and affiliates.

How Many Years Has Your Chapter Done This?

  • More than five years
  • More than 10 years, but third year in a row as a joint event with NYC Chapter.
  • Did it probably five years in a row, but none since the last three years.

How Much Money Does Your Chapter Raise Annually from This Golf Tournament?

  • $1,000 - $1,500
  • Varies from $5,000 to $10,000
  • Can’t recall

What Are the Major Uses for These Funds? (Scholarship Program, Etc.)

  • It funds our scholarship program with Weber State University.
  • We donate to charitable organizations, scholarships, or keep in our chapter’s general fund to run various events and programs.
  • Scholarship fund

Any Other Information You Would Like to Include

  • We hold our tournament in September after all summer vacations have ended.
  • This is one of our chapter’s more successful events.

CFMA Chapter “Best Practices” Model

Running a Successful Golf Tournament

Medium Chapters (41-55 Members)

Does Your Chapter Hold an Annual Golf Tournament?

  • Yes
  • Yes, but we have a Putting Tournament instead of the usual Golf Tournament.
  • Yes
  • We held our first annual tournament this year.

If So, Please Describe in Detail (Time of Year, Awards Presented, Sponsors, Etc.)

  • We hold the outing in September. We have an extensive call list asking for foursomes and hole sponsors. We have different levels of sponsorship in order to get as many people to participate as possible. We do not have a title sponsor, but give recognition to everyone who enters a team or sponsors a hole. We have raffle prizes and try to get as much of that donated in kind as possible. We also give cash or pro shop gift cards for the winning teams. We do have a couple of companies that sponsor a grill to cook bratwurst and also on occasion have a beer tent. These are very popular when we can have them, but it does not happen every year.
  • We usually have our “Putt-A-Thon” in June just before the temperatures become unbearable in July and August. Because it is a light-hearted Putting Tournament, we only award prizes to the first place and last place teams. The first place team gets four small putting trophies. The last place team gets four cans of tennis balls. We solicit four categories of sponsors—Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, as well as hole sponsors. We also host a live auction of donated items after the tournament during a buffet dinner. Auction items include casino video poker machines, night club, restaurant, and local attraction gift certificates, tools, and gift baskets. The auction is as much fun as the putting.
  • We hold our event on the Thursday prior to Memorial Day Weekend at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, WI. It is held the same time, same place each year. The event is a fund raiser for our scholarship fund. We have hole sponsors on each hole, a contest hole (with a raffle gift certificate of $250). Prizes are also given for longest drive, longest putt, and closest to the pin. We also award prizes to first, second, and third places. The golf is a shotgun start in the morning with a lunch buffet following around 1:30 p.m. The format changes from time to time to keep the event “fresh.”
  • It was held in mid-June and done in conjunction with our quarterly chapter meeting (morning meeting, afternoon golf). We have a strong committee of five with a sub-committee to solicit major sponsors. We kept the entry fee low/reasonable and had a shotgun start. We had one flight, used handicaps, and awarded cash prizes for the first three places. We had $250 major sponsors (targeted insurance carriers and suppliers) for a post-social event, $100 hole sponsors, and $25 pin prizes.

How Many Years Has Your Chapter Done This?

  • 14 years
  • 9 years
  • 17 years
  • First annual

How Much Money Does Your Chapter Raise Annually from This Golf Tournament?

  • We typically net around $4,000 - $5,000 and use the proceeds to offer scholarships to college students in a construction-related field.
  • In 2011, our net proceeds were approximately $7,300. That’s almost half the amount we raised in 2010. We had to reduce the sponsor fees 50% to encourage more sponsorship.
  • Approximately $10,000 - $13,000
  • Approximately $3,000

What Are the Major Uses for These Funds? (Scholarship Program, Etc.)

  • Scholarships
  • 100% of the proceeds are held by the chapter for use by the Southern Nevada Construction Careers Alliance to promote construction education in local high schools, colleges, and universities.
  • Exclusively for our Scholarship Program
  • Scholarship for Construction Management Degree at South Dakota State University. Looking at additional institutions next year.

Any Other Information You Would Like to Include

  • By hosting a putting tournament, we can attract non-golfers to participate and we offer an alternative to the dozens of other golf tournaments hosted by other associations in our area.
  • We increased our participation from approximately 40 golfers to 110 in three years. We opened it up to guests, other CFMA chapters in Wisconsin, and the infrequent golfers by changing our rules and format.
  • Begin about six months ahead in contacting major sponsors and organizing event. Speed of play was important, so we established a “two-putt maximum rule”. Providing a great spread for post-social event was a priority and we included two free drink tickets that could only be used at the post-social event.

CFMA Chapter “Best Practices” Model

Running a Successful Golf Tournament

Medium/Large Chapters (56-90 Members)

Does Your Chapter Hold an Annual Golf Tournament?

  • Yes (7)

If So, Please Describe in Detail (Time of Year, Awards Presented, Sponsors, Etc.)

  • Our outing is usually held the last Friday in July unless some other community event is scheduled for the same time frame that would compete. In that case, our outing is moved back a week. Invitations are sent to all levels and functions of construction and finance professionals, service providers, vendors, plus university staff and department heads. There are six sponsorship levels, starting with prize donation and then increase from $100 up to $2,000. Each level increases in benefits for the sponsor from registration in the program to multiple signage and golf for eight. Students from both universities, including CFMA scholarship recipients if possible, attend the outing as volunteers to assist in set up, registration, prize hold monitoring, raffle prize distribution to winners, and networking with local business professionals. Because we usually have between 140-180 golfers, we use two 18-hole courses. This allows all of our golfers to be done within four-to-five hours. We supply a quick hot dog, chips, and drink at our noon registration as many of the golfers are arriving in a rush without time for lunch. The game plays faster as the beer drinking and the heat have less negative impact on the group. We also sell sponsorships for pre-game driving range and beverage carts, which allow us to supply drinks on the course at no cost to the golfers. Dinner and drinks are provided after the game and before the start of the raffle. At registration, each golfer receives a sleeve of balls, a golfer gift (if sponsored), four beverage tickets, and one raffle ticket. Golfers can also purchase mulligans (unlimited) and raffle tickets at registration and again later at dinner before the raffle begins. They also sign up for a golfer registration prize that provides us with their contact information that we use the following year when invitations are sent out. Awards presented are closest to the pin, men’s and women’s longest drive, shortest drive, longest putt, flight winners, and hole-in-one. We also put a volunteer on one of the longest holes on each course with raffle tickets and one of the highly-desired drivers that will be raffled off. In exchange for the purchase of raffle tickets (which give the golfer an increased chance to win the drive), the golfer is given the opportunity to use this drive for their drive on that hole. We usually raffle off $5,000 - $8,000 in golf equipment, depending upon how many golfers have signed up. Thus and the face that the event always runs smoothly and quick is what brings people back year after year. Other raffle prizes (usually donated) include laptops, I-Pads, laser printers, shirts, and other items from the universities, tickets to sports events, symphony tickets, dining certificates, weekend for two at a local Hilton, and City BBQ dinner for 25, just to name a few. We do not allow donation of ceramic mugs and seldom allow hard hats unless they are sports-related and/or are from the universities.
  • Held in late summer (August or September). We provide trophies for first and second place along with prizes (gift cards, dozen golf balls, etc.) for long drive, closest to the pin, etc. We have sponsorships available for holes, beverage cart, lunch, etc.
  • We hold it on a Monday during the first half of June. For the 2011 tournament, we had 18 Elite sponsors, 2 Major sponsors, 8 Mainstay sponsors, and 3 Patron sponsors. We had 73 players in 2011, down from 79 in 2010. On the prizes, we have restaurant gift certificates for the various places. For first place this year, each player on the winning foursome received a $75 restaurant gift certificate; for second place, a $50 restaurant gift certificate; for third place, a $30 restaurant gift certificate; for eighth place and second to last, a $25 restaurant gift certificate. Each year we award the first three place and then change up the lower two places. We also gave six $50 restaurant gift certificates for three contests for the men and three for the women. This year it was longest drive, longest putt, and closest to the pin. We also give one prize to each player that purchases at least one mulligan. We buy prizes in various price categories, with the most is the up to $14.99 range, next most in the $15 - $29.99 range, one in the $30 - $35 range, and one in the $40 - $45 range. We worked this year to keep the average cost of all of the mulligan gifts below $11 to keep our costs down to maximize the proceeds that go into the scholarship program.
  • Held in the summer. We do it jointly with NAWIC each year for approximately the last eight years. We invite our members and their guests with a cost of $100 per person/$400 a foursome. They get lunch (or dinner), golf, cart. We sometimes do an 8 a.m. start, sometimes a Noon start. We switch courses every couple of years.
  • Our 2011 event is being held on September 15 in Clayton, NC with a 12:45 p.m. shotgun start. The cost of $390 per foursome includes mulligans, dinner, and drinks. We have more than $5,000 in prizes in cash, golf equipment, and certificates. We are expecting more than 100 golfers and have eight sponsor levels.
  • Usually held in August or September. Check is from mid-morning and we provide light lunch. Tee off from noon with a shotgun start and after the round we have an informal banquet with prizes and giveaways. Members and affiliates have been generous in contributing prizes in the past so nobody leaves empty-handed. We keep fees low and market it as a “fun” tournament, with many high-handicappers participating, as well as some serious golfers.
  • Held in late September. We provide awards for low score, closest to the pin, and then have a raffle with prizes. We get sponsors for lunch, breakfast, drinks, and snacks at various holes throughout.

How Many Years Has Your Chapter Done This?

  • 17 years
  • 14 years
  • I have records back to 2000. I do not know if it was held prior to that.
  • At least 20, basically every year our chapter has been in existence.
  • 15 years
  • At least 10 years, probably longer
  • Not sure, but many years

How Much Money Does Your Chapter Raise Annually from This Golf Tournament?

  • On average, $20,000
  • Usually $8,000 - $10,000
  • Varies each year. This year we are expecting to exceed $10,000 if we collect the remaining sponsorship fees. If not, we will exceed $9,000.
  • It nets about even. We make a little, but not much.
  • Net profit of $10,000
  • Approximately $8,000
  • Net $3,500

What Are the Major Uses for These Funds? (Scholarship Program, Etc.)

  • Scholarship assistance for college of Business Administration students at two local universities
  • Scholarship Program
  • It goes into our scholarship fund and is used to these purposes.
  • We used to raise the money for a scholarship fund, but don’t anymore. We found that trying to do a scholarship didn’t have a lot of value for our chapter.
  • Scholarships for four students in the construction education field at North Carolina State University and East Carolina University.
  • Helps subsidize other activities that have net costs, such as technical seminars, site tours, member social events, community service events.
  • Scholarships at a local university

Any Other Information You Would Like to Include

  • We usually assign committee members to man the registration table, mulligan and raffle sales, Golfer Prize registration, and coordinate volunteers. Because the outing is always around the birthday of one of our co-chairs, we have a long-standing tradition of stopping the raffle sometimes after the halfway point for a quick serving of birthday cake. Although there is always someone who grumbles, they always enjoy the break and the cake. We’ve been told by many repeat attendees that it brings a unique touch to our outing. If everything runs smooth, we are usually done with golf, dinner, cake, and raffle by 6:30 p.m. This allows attendees to still have plenty of time to enjoy the Friday evening segment of their weekend. We have been told by many professionals within our community that we run one of the best fund-raiser events in the area.
  • We have limited our tournament to 40 players in the past, but looking to increase this year as we have a new committee chair.
  • It is a fun day that is generally well-received.

CFMA Chapter “Best Practices” Model

Running a Successful Golf Tournament

Large Chapters (91-120 Members)

Does Your Chapter Hold an Annual Golf Tournament?

  • Yes (3)

If So, Please Describe in Detail (Time of Year, Awards Presented, Sponsors, Etc.)

  • Held every August. Awards consist of golf clubs and golf-related gifts, gift cards, and electronics. Sponsors are typically members of our chapter or related to construction or finance.
  • Held in early-to-mid September. No real awards, but we give money to first, second, and third places as well as men’s and women’s closest to the pin. There are five levels of sponsorships. Given the state of the economy, we have also had $25 and $50 contributing sponsors as well.
  • Held on the first Wednesday in June. Awards for first and second place and men’s and women’s longest drives and closest to the pin. We solicit door prizes and hole sponsorships. Entry fees are $85 for golf, cart, BBQ. We also sell mulligans at five maximum per player at $1 each.

How Many Years Has Your Chapter Done This?

  • 20 years
  • 11 years
  • 20 years

How Much Money Does Your Chapter Raise Annually from This Golf Tournament?

  • $11,000 - $20,000
  • We have averaged around $10,000 and are on pace to exceed that this year.
  • $3,000 - $4,000

What Are the Major Uses for These Funds? (Scholarship Program, Etc.)

  • Habitat for Humanity and Scholarship Programs
  • 100% of the proceeds go to the scholarship fund.
  • Send a member to CFMA’s Annual Conference & Exhibition and a scholarship to sit for the CCIFP Exam.

Any Other Information You Would Like to Include

  • We also have a 50/50 putting contest. 50% of those proceeds go to the winner and 50% to the scholarship fund. We also have a raffle with all proceeds going to the fund. We have raffled airline tickets, a Net Book, and an iPad in previous years.
  • Our chapter’s primary goal for the outing is to provide an opportunity to network and socialize with other CFMA members in a recreational, relaxed setting. Financial goals are secondary. The majority of our surplus is generated from elective events that have a fee for participation. For example, pay $5 to get $20 back if you hit a ball within a circle on a par three; pay extra to tee it up from two hundred yards out on a par five to get a chance for an eagle. The event is more about fun than fund raising.

CFMA Chapter “Best Practices” Model