There is such an amazing selection of world class Links and Parkland golf courses in Ireland - why not bring the corporate meeting or event to the golf course.  It delivers a captive audience with decision makers for the entire day. Research our selection of Golf Event Venues in the “Find Your Venue” – tick Golf as an optional search to find your Corporate Event Venue. Or call us and we shall share our experience.

Take some Planning Tips from the following…

Identify the maximum number of attendees.  There are some good guidelines to consider:
• 72 players (18 foursomes) will create a nice pace of play.
• Player count should include at least one corporate representative in each pairing
• Ensure to take account of the non-golfing staff who will be present at the event, as this will impact overall costs. 

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What to consider when choosing the golf site location.

• Ensure to consider guest travel times to/from the course.
• Inspect everything - the clubhouse locker rooms, banquet and meeting facilities.
• Taste the food.
• Get to know the club sales manager, catering manager and golf pro.
• Inspect the course and confirm that the club has sufficient equipment, golf rentals, and carts.
• Confirm the club's course maintenance timetable.
• For very VIP guests, circulate their photo to the Venue staff so that they know who they are talking to.
• Do you need overnight accommodation – are you offering evening entertainment, if inviting guests from afar, convenient overnight accommodation should be an option.  Tick Golf as a search item on this website to view a list of accommodation with golf venues.
• Do you need to consider alternative activities such as a Spousal Program, what are the options for these? 

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Decide on event timelines.
Group tee times are usually held with an 8 a.m. or 1 p.m. start time; 1 p.m. is the most popular. A sample itinerary may include the following:
• 9:30 a.m. - Registration & Breakfast
• 10:30 a.m. - Welcome Remarks & Business Meeting
• Noon - Putting Greens Open, Box Lunch
• 1 p.m. – Tee off
• 4:30 p.m. - Cocktails & Hors D'oeuvres
• 5:30 p.m. - Awards Ceremony

Select the tournament format.
The most popular golf format is the Scramble, this allows each player to tee off and then play is continued from the best tee shot.   This continues until the ball is holed.

Another popular format is Best Ball which allows all players to play their own ball, but only the best score in a foursome is recorded.

Add contests and prizes. The Majority of golfers are competitive and enjoy competing for prizes.

Tip - Upon arrival, all golfers should receive corporate gifts from the host company -
• Popular merchandise includes sleeves of golf balls (place those on carts), golf shirts, and golf accessories. (Further branding opportunities with logos)
• Include special event contests, such as longest drive (par 5 hole), shortest drive (par 5 hole), closest to the pin (first par 3 hole in the back 9), and longest putt (use the putting green for this).
• Negotiate tournament prizes and gift certificates from the golf shop. This will save on transportation and the Venue can arrange this for you. They will also know what the popular item is.
• Identify a low score gag gift.

Selecting the food and beverage.
This is where catering costs can add up, so pay attention to detail here.
• A continental breakfast buffet, order extra bottles of water charged on consumption.
• Order box lunches with multiple sandwich options.
• Have beverage carts placed at strategic parts of the course.
• Plan reception food as a theme; for example, BBQ or Traditional Irish.
• It is a great idea to plan a little surprise at a particular green – theme it with your branding and logo or offer it as an opportunity to one of your suppliers to sponsor this.
• Cover reception "bar" expenses on consumption, up to three hours. 

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Make the business meeting a highlight.
While the emphasis of the day is on having fun and building relationships, it is important to incorporate a business element to the day.  Have the hosting executive deliver opening remarks for a maximum of 10-15 minutes.
• Invite the company CEO or another C-level executive to deliver an update.
• Hire an outside motivational speaker or theatre company to deliver your message.
• Recognise everyone in attendance.

Invite guests.
Online event registration forms are becoming more popular for inviting and registering golfers for golf meetings. Include the following information on the invitation and RSVP, these may sound obvious however they are commonly omitted.
• State the date, time, and location very clearly.
• List the event agenda.
• Include RSVP contact name, phone, and e-mail.
• Ask if club rentals are needed, left or right-handed.
• Request for handicap information, if available.

Confirm your budget.
Golf events are usually not a cheap budget event, get a handle on costs such as:
• Green fees per person.
• Food and beverage.
• Tournament gifts and prizes.
• Signage and promotional materials.
• Guest speaker honorarium and fees.
• Gratuities.
• Golf car rental.
• Insurance.

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Determine who is playing with who.
The inviting hosts are the ones who will put the final foursomes together.  The following considerations should be taken into account:
• Player handicaps in a Scramble.
• VIP guests should be placed at holes 1, 18, 2, and 17 (closest to the clubhouse at start).
• The list of pairings is due to the golf course 24 hours prior to event; course should anticipate the possibility of significant changes on morning of event.
• A host player should be with every foursome.

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Determine the pairings.
Luckily for the event planner, the inviting hosts are the ones who will put the final foursomes together. Still, a good event planner should understand the following considerations:

• Pairings in a Scramble should consider player handicaps.
• VIP guests should be placed at holes 1, 18, 2, and 17 (closest to the clubhouse at start).
• Pairings are due to the golf course 24 hours prior to event; course should understand and anticipate the possibility of significant changes on morning of event.
• A host player should be with every foursome.
  
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Tips
• Invite 72 or 108 players. Generally18-holes of golf will take more than 4 hours. Most 18 hole courses can handle 144 maximum players; however, it could take up to an additional hour of play.  Guests may not enjoy this slow pace of play.
• Avoid 27 hole courses. Typically, these courses allow for more players, but usually offer an 18-hole championship course with a 9 hole fun, yet challenging course. 18-holes of golf will take about 5 hours. If you're planning a larger event with more players, find a 36-hole course that includes two championship courses.
• Rely on a private club membership discount. Most executives already have a club membership, and their standing at the club will help with negotiating flexibility with fees, tee times and other services.

 

 Special thanks for contributions by Rob Hard, RH Communications, Inc. (RHCI), in Chicago. RHCI provides marketing communications and event management services. Rob is also event planning columnist for About.com at http://eventplanning.about.com. Rob is available to serve as public relations representative based in the U.S. for hotels and businesses in the United Kingdom. He can be reached at 00-1-312-663-4800 or by e-mail at r.hard@rhcommunications.com.