Golf Outing Value… Who Are We To Decide?
Week after week in golf committee meetings all across the country the topic arises as to “what should we charge for this year’s event”?
Comments immediately come from around the table about the size of last year’s event, the fact that you are now having your outing on a Friday instead of a Monday, how the golf course is actually less expensive but the dinner is $3.00 per head more because Judy insisted on double baked potatoes instead of a tray of mashed like last year.
The old guy on the end of the table, that wasn’t at the last two meetings, but always has an opinion, is the first to bring the poor economy into the discussion, regardless of how the economy is actually doing and instantly everyone else leans back in their chairs and nods at the same time like a bunch of those bobble head dogs in the back window of some old guys car that just hit a pothole.
After the ten second awkward silence and the head nodding subsides, somehow a number is presented and amazingly it is the same as last year’s price, even though all of you realize that the double baked potatoes will make you lose $3.00 per player. This year you hope that the promise of “nicer potatoes” will somehow get you more players to make up for the shortfall. Clearly, “hope” is a golden ring that we all gladly reach for.
Everyone makes a note on their pad and feeling really good about accomplishing one thing at today’s meeting, even though they have agreed to lose money, they can move on to something more fun… player gifts. Or as “mashed potato Judy” likes to think of it…. SHOPPING.
She quickly starts…. “I was thinking tees, sunscreen, maybe a baseball cap with a logo on it…”
One can’t help notice that three of the people in the room must have hit that same pothole again as their heads are nodding as if they were puppets.
The Committee Chair pipes in that he has a guy that (because EVERYONE “knows a guy”) that can get them a deal on a nice shoe bag if they can find a sponsor.
The old guy on the end chimes in…. “We aren’t anywhere near talking about sponsors yet” as if the flow of the meeting was somehow slipping past his attention span.
And it goes on and on….
ALL of this could be easily avoided, you could make your event DIFFERENT, your players could CHOOSE THEIR OWN participation gift, and you actually MAKE MORE MONEY for your cause all at the same time. What a concept, huh? It is really far easier than filling gift bags. As you can either work with the golf shop staff or with us here at www.smtgolfoutings.com
Simply have several price levels to get into your golf outing.
Here is an example of the different levels for a recent event I put on:
Your $125 entry fee will get you a $10 golf shop gift card.
Your $200 entry fee will get you a Nike Golf Shirt.
Your $275 entry fee will get you a Ping Putter
Your $375 entry fee will get you a Callaway Stand Bag
Your $575 entry fee will get you a Taylor Made Driver
Your $1,200 entry fee will get you set of Taylor Made irons & foursome a Blackthorne
As a point of reference…. Buzz on this outing was tremendous. Play increased from 84 players to 108 from the previous year. The average green fee paid was $349. While nobody opted for the highest Green Fee offering, there were 33 players who were given their new Taylor Made driver at registration the day of the event.
Revenue for this event jumped from $27,500 to almost $63,000.
P.S. The committee didn’t have to buy any tees, goodie bags or transport any of these items as we had them delivered to the golf course for them, and their players got EXACTLY what they wanted as they did their own “shopping”.
P.P.S. Nobody cared about the double baked potatoes. That was $324 + tax & 18% gratuity down the toilet. I got the feeling that Judy will not be invited back.