How The ‘Withrow Football Tiger Classic’ Golf Tournament Raised $37K to Help Fuel the Futures of Deserving Teens

The information on: How The ‘Withrow Football Tiger Classic’ Golf Tournament Raised $37K to Help Fuel the Futures of Deserving Teens is sourced from Event Caddy’s Golf Blog

“Every Sunday I would go and pick up the dirty uniforms from the Friday night game, wash them all, and then sit and watch Sunday night TV and sew all the jerseys because they were so ripped and tattered,” recalls tournament organizer Nicole Fredrick when we asked her why she’s dedicated herself to supporting the Withrow Tigers Football Team of Withrow Highschool.

A mother figure and mentor of ten years to a young man who recently graduated from the Cincinnati highschool, Nicole became heavily involved with team after attending a parent meeting and realizing how little funding the school had for their sports and extracurriculars:

“Their big challenge is when it comes to their education budget, things that are low on the totem pole are extracurricular activities and sports. These kids hadn’t had new uniforms knocking on 8 years,” recalls Nicole.

Not only was the school lacking the resources for required equipment – they were also in dire need of food to fuel the teens before practice or a big game.

“I went to the parent meeting, and found out how desperate they were for something as simple as food. They were asking if anyone could donate a jar or peanut butter or jelly for these boys after school.”

Knowing how much sports and access to good nutrition can change the lives of these deserving kids, Nicole knew she wanted to take action.

“We’ve got growing teenage boys playing a sport in the heat on an empty stomach. And that became my mission. That is unacceptable, and we need to fix it. And we can fix it.”

Watch as Nicole shares her experience planning a golf tournament for the first time using Event Caddy Software

 

Why a golf tournament fundraiser?

After doing some initial community outreach, the desire to support these young men was undeniable, Nicole told us. As a start, she was able to work with her local grocery store to donate peanut butter, jelly and bread every week. And this effort alone made a profound impact on these young men:

“These boys are so happy now. Their grades are as high as the team has ever been in 13 years, their morale is high and they started winning games. From a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s amazing. That’s why we need to keep this going. We needed to raise some more money,” she explains.

The Withrow Tigers Football Team, Photo Credit: Nicole Fredrick

Nicole was looking for a fundraising solution that would help the team collect donations for new equipment, access to good nutrition and opportunities like skill camps or college visits for these highschoolers, all in one event.

With new team uniforms alone ringing it at $11,500, she knew that more basic fundraising efforts – like selling candy bars – simply wouldn’t cut it.

That’s when, seeing it prove successful for another school, she came across the idea of a charity golf tournament. Which – turned out to be the perfect facilitator for the neighborhood in which the school was located:

“There’s a country club right around it. So we knew that golf could be a great way to bridge the two communities (the school and the neighborhood).”

And, with that, the Withrow Football Tiger Classic concept was born.

 

From newbie to pro

As with many Event Caddy partners, Nicole was a self-proclaimed newbie when it came to golf tournaments (and golf, for that matter!)

“I don’t even play golf. I didn’t know a thing about golf!” Jokes Nicole when recalling her knowledge before taking a deep dive into the world of charity golf tournaments.

That’s why, with her analytical personality, she was seeking “some sort of program that could facilitate a golf tournament, that could tell me where we were at any given point. And had a point where people could register online. In researching that, that’s how I came across and decided upon Event Caddy.”

 

The tournament planning process

Taking on an inaugural charity golf tournament is a big feat – and with the unexpected challenge of COVID-19, Nicole found the capabilities of her Event Caddy software to be a huge help in many aspects including contact-free online registration and pre-purchases:

“I liked that it had the online platform so if somebody wanted to register online and pay with a credit card, they could. We also had paper registration and people would mail us some checks as well – but online was definitely the best. We tried to encourage as much online registration and pre-purchasing of raffle tickets and mulligans as possible.” she explains.

Not only was her Event Caddy platform useful for player registration – Nicole was also able to collect tens of thousands from sponsorship packages that were simple to register for in just a few clicks.

Using her tournament management software, Nicole was able to build a great tournament website that helped her host online registrations and continue to attract players and sponsors who wanted to give back to the Withrow Football team.

Plus, once golfers were registered, she was thrilled that her Event Caddy account could automatically send an email invoice complete with a personalized message – allowing for significant time savings.

 

The big day (safety first!)

With COVID-19 safety top-of-mind, “we knew we had to be extra diligent”, explains Nicole when recalling tournament day.

Here are some of the key steps Nicole and her team took to host a safer tournament – while keeping it enjoyable and memorable for their golfers:*

Pre-tournament

• Check-in was held at a long table with 3 volunteers spaced out
• Volunteers had gloves and masks on
• They put down Xs with orange tape to encourage spacing out
• They had extra masks available for anyone who felt more comfortable wearing one
• They had small bottles of hand sanitizer they passed out to every golfer so they always had sanitizer with them

Photo credit: Withrow Tigers Football Facebook Group

Post-tournament

• Dinner was modified from a traditional buffet to individual takeout containers with lids
• They opted for bottled water over glasses
• Silverware was pre-rolled to avoid touching
• The football players would open the doors when the golfers would come so nobody was touching any knobs or handrails
• Because the dinner facility was a restaurant, they followed their Ohio state mandated protocols for table and seat spacing
• Volunteers encouraged golfers to stay spaced out

Photo credit: Nicole Frederick

Overall, Nicole says, “I feel like people walked away thinking ‘okay I felt as safe as I could have felt. They did what they needed to do and I feel good about it’.”

 

Impactful results

The Withrow Football Tiger Classic wound up attracting 165 golfers, dozens of sponsors and raising over $37,000 to help these young men access the resources they deserve.

If you’d like to personally donate to the Withrow Tigers Football Team, simply visit their tournament website and hit “donate”!

Congratulations to Nicole and Withrow Tigers for hosting such an incredible inaugural event! We can’t wait to hear how you do next year.

 

Goooooo, Tigers!

*The coronavirus is a very fluid situation, affecting each community in different ways, at different times. So, when taking tournament safety protocols into account, please always follow the preventative measures recommended by the WHO, your local authorities and public health agencies like the CDC.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2FiCdty

How 3 Charity Golf Tournament Organizers Found Success Amidst COVID-19

This blog post: How 3 Charity Golf Tournament Organizers Found Success Amidst COVID-19 was available on See full article

The developments of the coronavirus have forced society at large to put many things on hold.

…But these adaptive event organizers prove that golf tournaments don’t have to be one of them!

With golf’s natural ability to adhere to social distancing and best practices, many charity golf tournament organizers have been able to safely move forward with their events, while continuing to give back to the causes that move them.

…Needless to say, they had to make some adjustments!

Here’s what we can learn from the real-life experience of three Event Caddy tournament planners who were able to proactively adjust to a new normal, and host safe, successful tournaments in support of their noble causes.

---

About the Tournament Organizers & Their Causes:

Nicole Fredrick
Withrow Football Tiger Classic

A mentor and mother figure to a young man formerly on the Withrow Highschool Football Team, Nicole was on a mission to help fuel the futures of these highschoolers through better access to equipment, nutrition and educational opportunities.

As a first-time golf tournament organizer, Nicole used her Event Caddy software to help attract 165 golfers, dozens of sponsors and raise $37,000 at her June 2020 outing!

Charley Ward
4 Pete’s Sake Golf Outing

Charley started the 4 Pete’s Sake charity back when a childhood friend had been diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma. With his friend now in remission for over 12 years, Charley continues the tradition of the fundraiser with all proceeds donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

After starting out with 5K run fundraisers, 4 years ago, Charley decided to switch gears to golf and kicked off the 1st Annual 4 Pete’s Sake Golf Outing. With the help of Event Caddy, he was able to sell out every single past year of the tournament.

Although his event had to look a little bit different this year, he was still able to attain 72 golfers and raise $8,000 for his admirable cause!

Carmen Pitcock
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo 30th Annual Golf Outing

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo have hosted a charity tournament for 30 years straight, with proceeds going right back to their community.

So, with 30 years of history behind her, Carmen had to make some adjustments to successfully lead this year’s tournament through it’s new reality and set of standards.

With the help of Event Caddy Software, her July 2020 tournament was still able to attract 160 golfers and raise $61,000!

Watch as Nicole and Charley share their experience hosting a tournament amidst COVID-19.

---

Q: How did you approach your registration and check-in process while adhering to social distancing recommendations?

Carmen:

“I was trying to make it so golfers didn’t have to check in with us unless they really needed to. Which makes it better even when you’re not in a pandemic… because in years’ past we’ve had people lining up for no reason, really. Most people pay online before arrival.”

Photo credit: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamzoo Facebook Page

Charley:

“We tried to make everything automated and technology based. Everything was contactless in that sense. This year, we didn’t have any volunteers, as we wanted to limit the amount of people we were bringing to the course, to put the golfers more at ease as far as those things go… (Golfers were) required to wear a mask at registration and up until you’re on a cart and at your first tee box for the shotgun start.”

Photo credit: Charley Ward

Nicole:

“We knew we had to be extra, extra diligent. We tried to encourage as much online registration and pre-purchasing of raffle tickets and mulligans as possible… I liked that (Event Caddy) had the online platform so if somebody wanted to register online and pay with a credit card, they could. (For registration), we had a long 8 foot table and we had 3 volunteers. And we put down orange duct tape Xs on the pavement just to show we were spacing out. Our volunteers all had masks and gloves on.”

---

Q: What safety protocols did you have in place for golfers on the green?

Nicole:

“This was a feat: I got 140 small bottles of hand sanitizer! So we passed them out to every golfer so they would always have their own hand sanitizer with them. We had masks available for anyone who wanted a mask… and there was no bag drop.”

Photo credit: Withrow Tigers Football Facebook Page

Charley:

“We had the rangers coming around, making sure people are wearing their masks, and if they’re not wearing their masks that they’re practicing social distancing. We had hand sanitizer available for everyone.”

---

Q: What kind of adjustments did you make to your post-event banquet?

Charley:

“We weren’t able to do the banquet at the course itself, so I partnered up with Stitch House Brewery, which is a local brewery by the golf course. They were able to do 60% capacity to follow Delware’s protocol. Since there were only 72 of us, the whole back of the restaurant was ours. Once you were at your table, the same protocol goes for any restaurant business. You can’t get up without a mask, and just kind of limit your interaction. Tacos were provided as part of (the golfer’s) ticket.”

Photo credit: Charley Ward

Nicole:

“Our dinner had to be completely modified from what a regular tournament dinner would be. I ordered off of Amazon compartmented takeout boxes with lids, and I got round salad ones. Our caterers gave us big pans of our meal that we had and I had volunteers in the kitchen – all their (safety) stuff on – plating up these meals. And then we had brownies that were in baggies that we passed around. We did not do any kind of glasses with water – we just did bottled waters, and then we pre-rolled all the silverware so no one would be picking it up. The facility, because they are a restaurant, knew from their state mandates how far apart the tables should be and so forth.”

Photo credit: Nicole Fredrick

Carmen:

“We didn’t do a dinner… we used to have a banquet afterwards for awards and buffet. So we didn’t do any indoor activities. Everything was outside. We didn’t have any (post-event) gathering.”

---

Q: How did your golfers feel about the safety of your tournament fundraiser overall?

Nicole:

“I feel like people walked away thinking ‘okay, I felt as safe as I could have felt. They did what they needed to do and I feel good about it. They did everything they could have done for COVID’.”

---

Planning a charity golf tournament is no easy feat – and with the added challenge of COVID-19 in the mix, we commend these tournament organizers for their dedication to safety, golfer experience and their admirable causes.

Congratulations to these amazing Event Caddy partners on their successful 2020 events! We can’t wait to see what you do next year.

Can Event Caddy help make your tournament planning easier, and your big day safer? Get in touch with our tournament experts, and we’ll help you achieve an unforgettable event that gives back to your community.

*The coronavirus is a very fluid situation, affecting each community in different ways, at different times. So, when taking tournament safety protocols into account, please always follow the preventative measures recommended by the WHO, your local authorities and public health agencies like the CDC.*

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3kpNpon

5 Social Distancing-Friendly Sponsor Activation Ideas for Your Charity Golf Tournament

This information on: 5 Social Distancing-Friendly Sponsor Activation Ideas for Your Charity Golf Tournament was courtesy of Visit Event Caddy

From on-course putting contests to post-tournament banquet dinners, all of the best golf tournament activation ideas require close proximity, right?

…Wrong!

Just because your charity golf tournament needs to be social distancing-friendly, doesn’t mean it can’t have that extra layer of fun and fond memories only great activations can bring!

Stuck on ideas for safe yet fun sponsor activations for your tournament fundraiser? Read on for some creative inspiration. 

1. Host a Virtual Post-Event Awards Dinner 

Just because you had to cancel your in-person banquet dinner doesn’t mean you need to ditch the idea altogether! Hold a virtual Zoom where everyone can hang out and enjoy a meal or cold beverage from the safety of their homes. Tip: make an Uber Eats gift card (or a gift card to one of your food vendor sponsors who deliver!) a part of your registration package, so your guests can sit back and enjoy a great meal after their day on the course with no effort required. Or, in support of your host course, organize take-home meals right from their clubhouse restaurant. 

Plus, you can have some exciting raffle or draw prizes that you sell for your event and announce the giveaway winners during the Zoom dinner. Just be sure to make presence at the virtual dinner mandatory to be able to win these prizes! This gives an extra opportunity to thank and acknowledge sponsors in front of the group and for the sponsor to engage with your golfers if they desire.

2. Conduct a Social Media Raffle

Social media and social distancing go hand-in-hand! So, naturally, there’s a world of opportunity to hold different types of social media contests to provide value for your golfers as well as your sponsors. For instance, you can have players take selfies or team photos with sponsor branded signs or pin flags and post to social media with a sponsor #hashtag, entering them in a raffle draw for a great prize. And – bonus! – this helps give extra, measurable value to your sponsors. 

 

3. Have a ‘Wildest Golf Pic’ Contest 

Have your golfers take their wildest and most creative golf photo during the event and post to social media with a charity or sponsor hashtag. Just remember to remind your guests to please only touch their own equipment if they’re using props for the photo. Offer a great sponsor prize for the most unique picture!

 

4. Hold a ‘Best Dressed Golfer’ Competition 

Simply communicate this fun competition to your golfers before tournament day so they know to show up in their best! Then, activate by having the players or teams take selfies at various places on the course showing off their getup, and post to social media with a charity or sponsor hashtag. Even better if one of your sponsors happens to be in the clothing business! 

5. Scavenger hunt, anyone?

If you’ve chosen not to move forward with the traditional golf tournament format, and are still motivated to fundraise for your charity – we say, put your creativity hat on and go for it! 

Some inspiration: Event Caddy partner ‘Let’s Take a Drive at Cancer’ fundraiser decided to switch gears and make their charity tournament into a fun social distancing-friendly scavanger hunt where guests could visit designated locations to take pictures to post to their social media platform.

Plus, with a scavenger hunt, you have the opportunity to put “challenges” or activities at each stop – another great chance to activate your sponsors while maintaining social distancing! 

 

As you can see, social distancing doesn’t have to mean a lack of fun or sponsor awareness at your upcoming charity golf tournament! With these ideas, you’ll be sure to host a social distancing-friendly tournament everyone will remember for years to come. 

 

Can we help you bring these sponsor activation ideas and more to life? Contact us today and we’ll help you organize the successful (and safe) charity golf tournament you’ve envisioned! 

 

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2ZVaVzZ

Put The ‘Fun’ in Fundraiser: Up the Excitement at Your Golf Tournament with Live Scoring!

The article: Put The ‘Fun’ in Fundraiser: Up the Excitement at Your Golf Tournament with Live Scoring! is brought to you by Event Caddy’s Golf Tournament Blog

If you had to choose one word for your attendees to describe your future golf tournament, what would it be?

Exciting? Fulfilling? How about… FUN!

After all, a fun tournament means happy golfers and likely better fundraising results for your charity. 

There are many ways you can plan a fun golf tournament; from contest packages to raffles to unique sponsorship activations – all of these efforts are sure to keep your players smiling. 

But have you considered one of the most important aspects of planning a fun and exciting charity tournament?

 

Live Scoring!

 

Discover our guide to executing Live Scoring with golf tournament software, and why it should be an essential part of making your golf tournament fun for your players. 

 

What is Live Scoring?

Live Scoring is a digital form of keeping score that allows you to get rid of paper scoring altogether. With Live Scoring, you can let your players input and track scores LIVE on their smartphones, so you can put a leaderboard on your tournament website to track the excitement! 

 

How Will it Help Make my Tournament Fun? 

Live Scoring can up the excitement of your charity tournament by allowing players to track how they’re doing in comparison to others in real-time. This creates an atmosphere of friendly competition and ups the ante among players who came to win! Plus, they won’t be stuck dealing with frustrating paper scoring that can get damaged, lost or forgotten. 

 

… And it doesn’t hurt that manually counting scores will be wiped from your to-do list! 

 

How can I get Started with Live Scoring? 

To access digital scoring options, choose a golf tournament software with Live Scoring built right in, like Event Caddy. Track players, communications, scores and your tournament website from a single software to help make Live Scoring execution on tournament day as seamless as possible. 

If you’re interested in getting set up with Live Scoring for your upcoming tournament fundraiser, CONTACT US today! We’ll help you with this and more ways to help make your tournament fun and memorable for your golfers so they return year after year! 

 

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2AC4s41

Put The ‘Fun’ in Fundraiser: Up the Excitement at Your Golf Tournament with Live Scoring!

The following blog article: Put The ‘Fun’ in Fundraiser: Up the Excitement at Your Golf Tournament with Live Scoring! is courtesy of www.eventcaddy.com/blog

If you had to choose one word for your attendees to describe your future golf tournament, what would it be?

 

Exciting? Fulfilling? How about… FUN!

 

After all, a fun tournament means happy golfers and likely better fundraising results for your charity. 

 

There are many ways you can plan a fun golf tournament; from contest packages to raffles to unique sponsorship activations – all of these efforts are sure to keep your players smiling. 

 

But have you considered one of the most important aspects of planning a fun and exciting charity tournament?

 

Live Scoring!

 

Discover our guide to executing Live Scoring with golf tournament software, and why it should be an essential part of making your golf tournament fun for your players. 

 

What is Live Scoring?

 

Live Scoring is a digital form of keeping score that allows you to get rid of paper scoring altogether. With Live Scoring, you can let your players input and track scores LIVE on their smartphones, so you can put a leaderboard on your tournament website to track the excitement! 

 

How Will it Help Make my Tournament Fun? 

 

Live Scoring can up the excitement of your charity tournament by allowing players to track how they’re doing in comparison to others in real-time. This creates an atmosphere of friendly competition and ups the ante among players who came to win! Plus, they won’t be stuck dealing with frustrating paper scoring that can get damaged, lost or forgotten. 

 

… And it doesn’t hurt that manually counting scores will be wiped from your to-do list! 

 

How can I get Started with Live Scoring? 

 

To access digital scoring options, choose a golf tournament software with Live Scoring built right in, like Event Caddy. Track players, communications, scores and your tournament website from a single software to help make Live Scoring execution on tournament day as seamless as possible. 

 

If you’re interested in getting set up with Live Scoring for your upcoming tournament fundraiser, contact us today! We’ll help you with this and more ways to help make your tournament fun and memorable for your golfers so they return year after year! 

 

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2U9j4ic

COVID-19: Essential Charity Golf Tournament Safety Tips

The following post: COVID-19: Essential Charity Golf Tournament Safety Tips was brought to you by Event Caddy’s Golf Tournament Software Blog

You’ve been planning your charity golf tournament for months now – and perhaps for a while, you were feeling worried that coronavirus developments might bring these plans to a halt.

But – you’ve since found relief in knowing that with proper measures in place, outdoor golf has continued to be recognized as a sport that can be easily played while practicing social distancing. And because of this, many courses have been able to remain open or have begun opening their doors again, while following the standards and procedures of their local leaders.

With this assuring news, you’ve made the decision to move forward with your charity tournament – hooray! – but you’re likely feeling unsure of the next steps necessary for guest safety come event day. 

As a means to support tournament planners just like you pull off a great event while maintaining safe procedure, we’ve summarized the below safety tips based on our industry experience along with guidelines from leading golf organizations:

Communicate with your Golf Course & Implement Safety Plan

Whether your tournament location has remained open throughout COVID-19, or they’ve recently re-opened their doors with strict regulations, it’s important to communicate with them and get on the same page regarding the safety measures of your event. We suggest covering at least the following areas: 

Compliance & Safety 

• Ask your course to provide you with the latest safety guidelines and to keep you in the loop of any modifications prior to event day. 
• Confirm that they have trained their staff on golf course safety restrictions.

On the Course 

• Ask the course to place blockers in all holes, so players don’t have to put their hands inside and always require pin flags to be in. 
• To eliminate scorecard contact, be sure to set up Live Scoring on your Event Caddy system. Not only does Live Scoring up the excitement of your tournament – this way, your players can use their own devices to keep score and track others, and your staff can keep score without the need to touch players’ physical scorecards. 
• Do your best to determine how many golf carts will be required so only guests who live together share one at the same time. Also, ask if push carts are available for players who would rather walk.
• Request removal of all communal apparatus’ such as rakes from sand bunkers and ball washers (if possible). 

Equipment & Handling

• Ensure the bag drop area is set up for appropriate social distancing.
• Require staff to ask guests before providing assistance with their equipment and suggest that they use disinfecting wipes on bags being unloaded and placed on carts. 

Food & Drink

• Ask if players should bring their own beverages in a small cooler or whether the location has a safe solution for serving beverages off the course. 
• After the tournament, offering cocktails can be optional (depending on course rules). If offered, space out the standing tables and promote social distancing. Use only disposable drinkware and avoid any communal ice or drink station. 
• While you should definitely cancel buffets or sit-down dinner plans, determine whether it is safe or compliant to provide food at your event. If you would like to, try individually portioned boxes golfers can enjoy at a safe distance. But first – ensure that the golf course or culinary provider is following acceptable safety guidelines.

Processing & Accepting Payments / Donations Online

To further limit interactions, require all registration, purchases and payments be completed on your Event Caddy tournament website and online store before the big day – things like:

• All Player or Team Registrations 
• Sponsorships
• Raffle Tickets
• Mulligans
• Entry to all Contests
• Super Ticket Packages
• Branded Merchandise 

A donation button and fundraising thermometer included directly on your tournament website will give supporters that may not be available to attend your live event an option to contribute to your cause. Be sure to acknowledge these donors by mailing them their gift bag or a special golf themed thank you gift that they can use once back on the course i.e. “Proud Supporter” Branded Towel…leaves them with a sense of PRIDE all season long!

Event Day Staff

• Bring your internal event day staff & volunteers up to speed on all safety precautions, suggest that they bring a mask & sanitizer and remind them to practice safe social distancing as much as possible throughout the event. 

Communicate with your Golfers 

Once you’ve reached safety measure conclusions with your course, staff and volunteers, be sure to communicate these guidelines and tips clearly with attendees via the Event Caddy email tool – especially the ones you’re asking of them to follow. 

To prevent the gathering of participants upon their arrival to the course, you can use the Event Caddy text message tool to send specific instructions, include a welcome message and real-time updates to your players from the safety of a mobile device.

• Let players know that there won’t be any cash transactions, and to remember to register, pay for extras like mulligans, raffle tickets and contests on your tournament website before the tournament begins.
• Suggest that they bring a personal mask, hand cleaner, and disinfecting wipes.
• Refer them to the Live Scoring available on the Event Caddy app, and request that they track their scores digitally, with their own devices. 
• To ensure players are spread throughout the course properly, send them their PDF Start Sheet so they know exactly where to tee off without unnecessary interaction. 
• Remind them to please remain at least 6 feet away from other players at all times, and to only touch their own clubs, ball and equipment.
• Advise players if they will have the option to walk instead of sharing a cart.
• Let them know rakes and ball cleaners will be removed from the course.
• Tell them that there will be a two-putt rule (or whatever rule you are enforcing) to limit time on the green. 
• Let them know there will be no course-provided beverages or water coolers on the course. Depending on your specific course rules, point out where they can grab a personal beverage or if they should be bringing their own. 
• Notify participants that you will conduct team awards and prizing ceremonies via social media on a certain date following the event. Trophies and prizes will be mailed to winners. 

And, most importantly, communicate to all attendees and volunteers that if they’re feeling sick, experiencing symptoms, have been exposed or are caring for someone with COVID-19, that they should not attend the tournament. No exceptions.

 

If necessary, get creative with an alternate fundraising route!

Unfortunately despite these tips and best practices, there may be some factors outside your control keeping you from moving forward with your tournament. And if you’re still motivated to fundraise for your charity – we say, put your creativity hat on and go for it! 

Here’s some inspiration for you: Event Caddy partner ‘Let’s Take a Drive at Cancer’ fundraiser decided to switch gears and make their charity tournament into a fun scavenger hunt where participants will visit 9 locations to take pictures and post to a social media platform.

 

Safety Should be Your Top Priority 

Please know that our first priority is the health and safety of you, your loved ones and the communities you serve. The coronavirus is a very fluid situation, affecting each community in different ways. So we ask you to please monitor your local governmental guidelines and make decisions accordingly. 

As your dedicated tournament management solution, Event Caddy is fully committed to uninterrupted support as you navigate this new reality. As plans change and tournament management revolutionizes, please stay safe and contact us (https://ift.tt/3cMo97D) if you need anything at all. 

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2ZiStml

COVID-19: Essential Charity Golf Tournament Safety Tips

The article: COVID-19: Essential Charity Golf Tournament Safety Tips was sourced from Event Caddy Blog

You’ve been planning your charity golf tournament for months now – and perhaps for a while, you were feeling worried that coronavirus developments might bring these plans to a halt.

But – you’ve since found relief in knowing that with proper measures in place, outdoor golf has continued to be recognized as a sport that can be easily played while practicing social distancing. And because of this, many courses have been able to remain open or have begun opening their doors again, while following the standards and procedures of their local leaders.

With this assuring news, you’ve made the decision to move forward with your charity tournament – hooray! – but you’re likely feeling unsure of the next steps necessary for guest safety come event day. 

As a means to support tournament planners just like you pull off a great event while maintaining safe procedure, we’ve summarized the below safety tips based on our industry experience along with guidelines from leading golf organizations:

Communicate with your Golf Course & Implement Safety Plan

Whether your tournament location has remained open throughout COVID-19, or they’ve recently re-opened their doors with strict regulations, it’s important to communicate with them and get on the same page regarding the safety measures of your event. We suggest covering at least the following areas: 

Compliance & Safety 

• Ask your course to provide you with the latest safety guidelines and to keep you in the loop of any modifications prior to event day. 
• Confirm that they have trained their staff on golf course safety restrictions.

On the Course 

• Ask the course to place blockers in all holes, so players don’t have to put their hands inside and always require pin flags to be in. 
• To eliminate scorecard contact, be sure to set up Live Scoring on your Event Caddy system. Not only does Live Scoring up the excitement of your tournament – this way, your players can use their own devices to keep score and track others, and your staff can keep score without the need to touch players’ physical scorecards. 
• Do your best to determine how many golf carts will be required so only guests who live together share one at the same time. Also, ask if push carts are available for players who would rather walk.
• Request removal of all communal apparatus’ such as rakes from sand bunkers and ball washers (if possible). 

Equipment & Handling

• Ensure the bag drop area is set up for appropriate social distancing.
• Require staff to ask guests before providing assistance with their equipment and suggest that they use disinfecting wipes on bags being unloaded and placed on carts. 

Food & Drink

• Ask if players should bring their own beverages in a small cooler or whether the location has a safe solution for serving beverages off the course. 
• After the tournament, offering cocktails can be optional (depending on course rules). If offered, space out the standing tables and promote social distancing. Use only disposable drinkware and avoid any communal ice or drink station. 
• While you should definitely cancel buffets or sit-down dinner plans, determine whether it is safe or compliant to provide food at your event. If you would like to, try individually portioned boxes golfers can enjoy at a safe distance. But first – ensure that the golf course or culinary provider is following acceptable safety guidelines.

Processing & Accepting Payments / Donations Online

To further limit interactions, require all registration, purchases and payments be completed on your Event Caddy tournament website and online store before the big day – things like:

• All Player or Team Registrations 
• Sponsorships
• Raffle Tickets
• Mulligans
• Entry to all Contests
• Super Ticket Packages
• Branded Merchandise 

A donation button and fundraising thermometer included directly on your tournament website will give supporters that may not be available to attend your live event an option to contribute to your cause. Be sure to acknowledge these donors by mailing them their gift bag or a special golf themed thank you gift that they can use once back on the course i.e. “Proud Supporter” Branded Towel…leaves them with a sense of PRIDE all season long!

Event Day Staff

• Bring your internal event day staff & volunteers up to speed on all safety precautions, suggest that they bring a mask & sanitizer and remind them to practice safe social distancing as much as possible throughout the event. 

Communicate with your Golfers 

Once you’ve reached safety measure conclusions with your course, staff and volunteers, be sure to communicate these guidelines and tips clearly with attendees via the Event Caddy email tool – especially the ones you’re asking of them to follow. 

To prevent the gathering of participants upon their arrival to the course, you can use the Event Caddy text message tool to send specific instructions, include a welcome message and real-time updates to your players from the safety of a mobile device.

• Let players know that there won’t be any cash transactions, and to remember to register, pay for extras like mulligans, raffle tickets and contests on your tournament website before the tournament begins.
• Suggest that they bring a personal mask, hand cleaner, and disinfecting wipes.
• Refer them to the Live Scoring available on the Event Caddy app, and request that they track their scores digitally, with their own devices. 
• To ensure players are spread throughout the course properly, send them their PDF Start Sheet so they know exactly where to tee off without unnecessary interaction. 
• Remind them to please remain at least 6 feet away from other players at all times, and to only touch their own clubs, ball and equipment.
• Advise players if they will have the option to walk instead of sharing a cart.
• Let them know rakes and ball cleaners will be removed from the course.
• Tell them that there will be a two-putt rule (or whatever rule you are enforcing) to limit time on the green. 
• Let them know there will be no course-provided beverages or water coolers on the course. Depending on your specific course rules, point out where they can grab a personal beverage or if they should be bringing their own. 
• Notify participants that you will conduct team awards and prizing ceremonies via social media on a certain date following the event. Trophies and prizes will be mailed to winners. 

And, most importantly, communicate to all attendees and volunteers that if they’re feeling sick, experiencing symptoms, have been exposed or are caring for someone with COVID-19, that they should not attend the tournament. No exceptions.

If necessary, get creative with an alternate fundraising route!

Unfortunately despite these tips and best practices, there may be some factors outside your control keeping you from moving forward with your tournament. And if you’re still motivated to fundraise for your charity – we say, put your creativity hat on and go for it! 

Here’s some inspiration for you: Event Caddy partner ‘Let’s Take a Drive at Cancer’ fundraiser decided to switch gears and make their charity tournament into a fun scavenger hunt where participants will visit 9 locations to take pictures and post to a social media platform.

Please know that our first priority is the health and safety of you, your loved ones and the communities you serve. The coronavirus is a very fluid situation, affecting each community in different ways. So we ask you to please monitor your local governmental guidelines and make decisions accordingly. 

As your dedicated tournament management solution, Event Caddy is fully committed to uninterrupted support as you navigate this new reality. As plans change and tournament management revolutionizes, please stay safe and contact us (https://ift.tt/3cMo97D) if you need anything at all. 

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Z5oKwY