Teeing Up Some Golf For Charity | Lake of the Ozarks Style

We all have played in golf tournaments for charity. We send in a form and a check, then show up and play the 18 holes and hope we go home with a prize. First or second place is great, or a “Closest to the Hole” is sure to win a nice surprise. The dream, however, is that elusive Hole-in-On, because in many of the events there are huge cash prizes or new cars given for an ace. I actually played in a high school father-son tournament where a very nonathletic freshman hit a grounder that rolled down a hill and went in the hole for a $25,000 prize. Such is life.

The amazing thing is how we all take these tournaments for granted and never give much thought to the work that goes into putting them together. So let us take a peek behind the scenes into the planning and effort required to organize a successful charity golf tournament.

The first step is choosing a venue. Tournaments are almost always held during the prime season, and the courses depend on these tee times for their revenue. So it is a very rare occasion for a club to completely donate its course. They will, however, give you great discounts on the regular green fees. So, one of the first
actions of the tournament director should always be a search for the best deal. However, the cheapest deal is not always the best for fundraising, for several reasons. The first is that an upscale course is apt to draw more people, and more players equals more funds. Second, the better the course the higher the entry fee, and this can result in a higher profit margin. The next item on the agenda is to get sponsors for each hole, as well as for the Hole in One contest, the tournament freebies, etc. This is a lot of work because it entails approaching the same businesses that are hit time and time again for every tournament. That makes it very important to have a great pitch as to why your charity is the most deserving.

Then, if you want to advertise a big prize to lure in more players, you’ll want Hole in One insurance. Depending on the yardage and number of players, a $7,500 prize can cost as little as $180. A $30,000 prize or BMW can run about $450. This is where you really want a sponsor to step up and offer the prize, so you can save the money for the charity. Once you have these big items all arranged, then you only have about a thousand other smaller chores to attend to. Make a list: media advertising; design, printing and distribution of the flyers; collection of funds; enlisting course volunteers; and flighting of players. And don’t forget, someone will need to work with the club professionals to set up the course, scoreboard and refreshments. Once all that is done, you are pretty much good to go.

The beauty of our community here at the Lake of the Ozarks is that there are always people ready to step up to these challenges that’s why we have so many diverse charity tournaments here at the Lake. There is the Marine Corps Tournament and Woody’s Tavern Tournament that raise funds for Toys For Tots and other needy children. John Lasito, Carl Hubble and Woody have all worked for years to make these outings a success. The Clown Tournament has been a Lake staple for years, fulfilling the dreams of young children. The Bogies and Beers outing put on by Jeff Carroll, Mark Barrett and RJ Rau is also directed at bettering the lives of individual children through Christmas for Kids. The Rally for Breast Cancer and HK’s Hospital Tournament are equally well known and need no explanation. The Lake Valley Scholarship Benefit Tournament and the Dogwood Festival Band Boosters Tournament are aimed at area teens.
The Annual Rally to Cure Breast Cancer is going on its 16th year and gets stronger every year, as does the Citizens Against Domestic Violence Tournament held at Old Kinderhook.

The list goes on and on, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention The Cure For Life outing that raises funds for the cure and treatment of brain cancer, and Susie Sawyer’s efforts in the C.O.P.S. Tournament that raises money for the surviving spouses and children of police officers killed in the line of duty. This organization provides a plethora of benefits including support groups, college scholarships, retreats and children’s camps. It’s a national organization headquartered at the Lake that started in 1984 and has grown from an initial membership of 110 individuals to more than 15,000 survivors. That’s how it works folks. So the next time you write out that check at the registration table, be sure and thank the volunteers working there, because they are the backbone of our community.

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