Planning a successful golf outing — whether it's a corporate client day, charity tournament, or group event — requires coordination across dozens of details. Miss one and it can derail the entire event. Start too late and the best courses in your area will already be booked.
This complete checklist walks you through everything you need to do, starting six months before your event date. Bookmark this page and work through it systematically — your attendees will think you've been doing this for years.
6 Months Out — Lock in the Foundations
Set your date. Avoid holiday weekends, local competing events, and Monday mornings. Tuesday through Friday works best for corporate outings. Saturdays fill up fast for charity events.
Define your headcount. Get a realistic player estimate — not your wish number. Most outings run 72–144 players. Know your minimum before you contact courses.
Set your budget per person. Include green fees, cart, food and beverage, and extras. Most corporate outings budget $100–150 per player all-in. Charity outings vary widely based on sponsorship revenue.
Post your RFP on OutingRFP.com. Get competing bids from local golf courses before you commit to anything. Free and takes 3 minutes.
Choose your format. Shotgun scramble is most popular for outings. See our format guide for help deciding.
Book your venue. Once you've reviewed proposals, sign a contract and pay your deposit. Get cancellation terms in writing.
4 Months Out — Build Your Program
Confirm your food and beverage package. Get the menu in writing. Specify dietary accommodations. Confirm bar service hours and whether it's open bar or drink tickets.
Sell hole sponsorships. 18 holes at $150–300 each adds $2,700–$5,400 in pure revenue. Create sponsor sign templates to share with prospects.
Plan your contests and games. Closest to pin, longest drive, putting contest, hole-in-one insurance. These add energy and revenue. See our fundraising guide for dollar estimates.
Order awards and trophies. Allow 4–6 weeks for custom engraving. Budget $200–500 for a complete awards package.
Design your registration form. Collect name, handicap, shirt size, meal preference, and special requests. Use a free tool like Google Forms.
Open registration. Send invitations with a clear deadline. Include format, dress code, start time, and what's included in the fee.
2 Months Out — Fill Your Field
Track registrations weekly. If you're behind pace, increase outreach. Send a personal follow-up to anyone who hasn't responded.
Finalize hole sponsor list. Send confirmation letters with sign specs and deadline for logo submission.
Confirm mulligan sales strategy. Sell 3-mulligan packages at $20 per player. Pre-sell at registration or sell morning of event.
Plan your raffle or auction. Start collecting donated items now. Golf rounds, restaurant gift cards, experiences work best. Aim for 8–12 items.
Confirm photography. Decide if you want a photographer. On-course photos are a great post-event marketing tool and attendee keepsake.
Plan the awards ceremony. Who speaks and for how long. Order of awards. AV needs. Keep it under 30 minutes — golfers get restless.
2 Weeks Out — Final Details
Submit final headcount to the course. Most courses require this 7–10 days out for F&B planning.
Build your pairings. Group players by skill level if possible. Place sponsors and VIPs in featured groupings. Send pairings to players 5–7 days before.
Prepare your cart signs. Each cart gets a sign with player names, group number, and hole assignment. Print and laminate the day before.
Prepare scorecards. Custom scorecards with your event name and sponsor logos look professional and cost almost nothing to print.
Confirm volunteer assignments. Registration table, contest holes, raffle table, and awards setup all need coverage.
Prepare goodie bags. Optional but appreciated. Include a sleeve of balls, tees, a course guide, and sponsor materials.
Day Of — Run a Tight Ship
Arrive 90 minutes early. Set up registration, distribute cart signs, confirm F&B setup with the course.
Open registration 60 minutes before shotgun. Check in players, collect remaining payments, distribute pairings.
Run a player meeting at the first tee. Cover the format, rules, contest holes, and any announcements. Keep it to 5 minutes.
Collect scorecards as carts return. Have a designated person at the 18th green to collect and verify scores.
Run awards ceremony before dinner ends. Announce results while energy is high. Thank sponsors by name.
After the Event — Set Up Next Year
Send thank you emails within 48 hours. Thank players, sponsors, and the course. Include a save the date for next year.
Reconcile your finances. Total revenue vs total expenses. Note what worked and what didn't.
Send a post-event survey. Ask what attendees loved and what they'd change. Google Forms works great.
Lock in next year's date with the course. The best courses book up fast. Secure your date while you're still top of mind.
Use OutingRFP's Profit Optimizer. Enter this year's numbers and get AI-powered recommendations to maximize proceeds next year.
Pro tip: The biggest mistake first-time outing planners make is booking the venue too late. The best courses in any market are booked 6–12 months in advance for Saturday shotguns. If your preferred date is a weekend, start this checklist a full year out.
Ready to find your venue?
Post a free Request for Proposal and get competing bids from local golf courses in your area.