Golf Tournaments Offer Big Wins, Big Losses
Click here to check out the most profitable golf tournaments in Central Mass.
Success, it is said, breeds imitation. And that is why some fundraisers are finally putting away their putters and admitting the inevitable truth.
There are too many golf tournaments, and to actually make a profit on the links takes real persistence.
There's no doubt that charity golf tournaments are big business in Central Massachusetts. Over the past year, the Jimmy Fund cancer charity brought in more than $2 million from golf fundraisers in the area, including $825,000 raised at a single event. Worcester's Seven Hills Foundation raised $190,000 in just one of several tournaments it holds. And in its very first charity golf tournament, Junior Achievement netted $25,000.
"There's so many of them now, it's getting harder and harder," said Dave Harutunian, the course manager of the Kettle Brook Golf Club in Paxton. "You might get asked 10 times and they're all going to cost you $150, $200 to get in."
Even in this environment, tournament organizers say it is possible to make good money with a golf tournament, but it takes some serious work and some creativity.
Special Swag
Organizers said there are all kinds of extras that can make a difference in attracting participants year after year. Susan Cyr, director of the Mark R. Ungerer Driving for the Cure Memorial Golf Tournament, said the event, held at The International in Bolton, raised half a million dollars for the Jimmy Fund this year in part because of special treats like a cocktail-hour demonstration by long-drive champions or an appearance by American Idol contestant Ayla Brown. Cyr and Bill Stock, vice president for advancement at Seven Hills, both said it's important not to underestimate the draw of attractive gift baskets and raffle prizes.
Stock said another key is targeting a specific audience. One of the social service nonprofit's events costs $100 to enter while another runs $250, with fancier food, entertainment and gifts. That allows the nonprofit to sell tickets to different groups of people.
"We try not to go after the same people all the time," he said. "Know who you're going after and know what their capabilities are."
That applies to selecting the type of golf events as well, said Mike McGillicuddy, general manager at Sterling National Country Club.
"If it's well known that they're not professional golfers, they'll go toward a more fun format" like a scramble, he said.
But Harutunian said some organizers get too carried away with creative games.
"They're trying to get inventive, but it gets crazy," he said.
Harutunian said some tournament organizers choose Kettle Brook because the course is known for straightforward golf - and for making sure the game doesn't last all day.
Debora Hopkins, president of Junior Achievement of Central Massachusetts, said the organization was aware of the competitive field when it started its first tournament fundraiser this year. The group's leaders decided to distinguish their event by holding it at The International in Bolton, a members-only course where many avid golfers were eager to play.
Not So Easy
No matter how many people take part in a tournament, though, organizers won't raise any real money without sponsors. Generally, participants' entry fees are eaten up by the costs of putting the events on. The real money comes from promoting companies on signs, in promotional materials and even in the tournaments' names, according to Hopkins.
"Knowing that this money was coming out of their marketing," she said, "We wanted them to perceive it as a great investment."
To bring in enough sponsors, organizers and course managers said the key is a good event committee.
"Instead of one person doing all the work you might have five, six people with five, six different [sets of] contacts," Harutunian said.
Hopkins said she had eight people on her committee this year and plans to expand it next time around. She said having business people make peer-to-peer contacts with potential sponsors is crucial.
"Most people are used to hearing from me," she said. "I'm a nonprofit executive. They hear my name and it's like, 'Oh, what is she going to ask for?'"
As much as many organizers say they are thrilled with the results of their charity tournaments, without a lot of hard work, they can go seriously awry.
"I think the biggest mistake I've seen people make in the past is the assumption that it's an easy thing to do," McGillicuddy said.
Harutunian said he once hosted a group that failed to get participants' money in advance, instead bringing a credit card machine with them to collect fees on the day of the tournament. Unsurprisingly, they ended up with an attendance far lower than they had planned.
"Nobody's really committed, and nobody shows up," Harutunian said.
More Than Money
Clearly having nobody show up is a problem for any tournament, but some organizers declare their events successes even if they don't raise tons of money. Cathy Mogavero, executive vice president of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber organizes a tournament to promote camaraderie among its members. She declined to disclose the total income from the event.
"It kind of just is a fun way of getting together and really just enjoying life," she said.
The Central Massachusetts Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Chapter Annual Outing also has a second purpose beyond raising scholarship funds, according to organizer Patrick Cronin.
"Because of the number of chapter members that attend, we end up having very good attendance for the annual meeting that's held after the tournament," he said.
At Junior Achievement, the money the tournament brought in was significant, but Hopkins said the new relationships it created with sponsors were just as important. She said she hopes some companies will convert their one-time event sponsorships to long-term support for the group's classroom programs.
"For an agency like Junior Achievement that's 100 percent volunteer driven, any time that we can get our message out there to people is a double benefit," she said.
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