How to Throw A Company Golf Outing
With our world opening up more each day, companies are looking for ways to bring their employees together again. Team building activities are always a great way to strengthen bonds within an organization and there is no better way to bond this spring than on the golf course.
When planning a company golf outing there are a number of things to keep in mind like budget, location, and swag. We love swag around here and we've got some great ideas for you!
Budgeting for Your Golf Event
There is a lot to consider when planning your company golf outing. How many people? How long will you play? Which golf course? Will you provide food and drinks? What kind of prizes will you award? What type of gear will you give your team? Below are some things to consider:
- Location - Contact several courses near your office and ask about group rates. Green fees range from $25 to $250 depending on where you go and the day of the week you choose. Most cities have a public course and their fees are usually pretty reasonable.
- Golf Carts - Most courses charge extra for carts. If you plan to provide carts for your outing, make sure you reserve enough carts to accommodate all of your players.
- Equipment Rentals - While some of your employees may have their own set of clubs, it's likely that most do not. If you plan to provide equipment, you will need to set up the rentals through the pro shop before the event.
- Food and Drinks - It is customary to provide some kind of food and drinks throughout the game. Some courses allow you to bring in your own beverages and snacks while others have strict policies against bringing items in from the outside. Check with your venue about the rules and then determine what you would like to provide.
- Gratuities - If you are providing caddies, using the services of a pro, or plan on purchasing drinks from the beverage carts, then include a line item for gratuities in your budget.
- Entertainment - If you would like to continue to the party off the golf course you can hire a DJ. Many golf courses have conference rooms or private rooms connected to a restaurant that can accommodate your group and entertainment.
- Golf Gear/Supplies - There are lots of options when it comes to golf gear. Your budget will determine what you are able to provide. Before the event consider sending each player a box filled with everything they need for the day including shirts and balls.
- Games & Prizes - There are an infinite number of games that can be played on the golf course! For example, Longest Drive, Hole in One, Dunk Tank Hole, Closest to the Pin, Beat the Pro, Speed Hole, and Guess Your Distance are just a few suggestions. Make a list of games you would like to play so you know how many prizes you will need. Great prizes include gift baskets, company engraved wine bottles, earbuds, happy hour kits, and functional awards like Bluetooth speakers featuring your company logo.
- Marketing Materials - If you plan to put up banners or create signs you will need to obtain a few quotes so you can factor this into your budget. Other marketing materials could include decorations, posters, flyers, certificates, programs, brochures, raffle tickets, and t-shirts.
Golf Course Selection
One of the things to consider when finding a location to host your team building golf outing is proximity. It's best not to choose a site too far from the office. Aside from price, the difficulty of the course is important to be mindful of as well especially if most of the players are inexperienced. Choose a course that matches the skill level of the majority of your team.
Invite Your Employees to Play Golf
Once you have determined your budget, picked a date, and secured a location, you're ready to invite your employees for a fun day of golf. You can send an email, evite, or create one like the sample below.
Get Your Employees Ready to Par-Tee
Several weeks before the event you can surprise your employees with a kit full of everything they need for the outing. A redemption site allows you to hand pick items that are customized with your company logo. Our most popular golf outing swag boxes include a polo shirt, golf balls, matchbox of tees, water bottle, and a towel. Other popular additions are ball markers, gloves, sunscreen, visor, and a divot tool.
The best thing about a redemption site is that you don't have to have the recipient's shirt size or even their address. A code is emailed to your employee which they use to redeem their gift. Before checking out they are asked their shirt size and their shipping address. Think about how much time you will save by not having to search for all of these items individually. Everything is kitted for you and you don't have to store a single thing.
May the Course be With You
Now you're ready to throw an un-fore-gettable company golf outing. The most important thing to remember is to have fun. If you use social media share pictures of the event throughout the day. Your followers and customers will enjoy seeing you all having fun and may be inspired to host their own team building golf outing!
Create a "Run of Show"
Creating a timeline of events for the day will help you stay on track and on budget. Use our handy Golf Outing Timeline & Task Checklist...just right click, save to your desktop, and print!
We would love to schedule a demo and create a virtual catalog for you so you can see how your logo will look on these products. Contact us at sales@buybluesky.com.
