Step 1:

Start your planning by holding a brainstorming meeting with your entire Lions Club. These are the main questions to be answered:

A happy golfer from the
Sunnyside Lions Club
tournament

• Who will chair the event?
• What course will you use? And to help you decide, do you want to do a "formal" golf tournament or a putt-putt challenge?
• How many members per team? How many holes to play? Scramble or best ball?
• How will money be raised? (Pay-to-play, pledges, raffle prize, etc.)
• What will the prizes be for the raffle and tournament winners?
• Will you serve/sell food and drinks?
  (Don't forget about alcohol permits!)
• Who are potential volunteers and participants?
• Where and how will you advertise?
• How will you work in hearing awareness?
• What's the back-up plan for bad weather?
  (Worst case scenario, you could hold a putting tournament with a plastic cup at your next meeting. First person to hit the mark while blindfolded gets the prize, fame, and glory.)

Make it a goal to have an event chair by the end of the meeting, and start on other key volunteers.

Step 2:

Secure your location. If you're doing a putt-putt tournament, keep in mind that many party rental companies offer indoor courses.

Step 3:

Pick the date that works best.

Step 4:

Finalize your fundraising plans. As applicable…
Decide on the entry fee and how much you'll challenge teams to raise in donations. Submit requests for corporate sponsorships and/or matching gifts.

Step 5:

The Sunnyside Lions
passed out sign-up sheets
like the one above.

Secure prizes, food, and drinks as necessary. Think about your group's business connections and places where you personally shop. Prizes could be an autographed "Caddyshack" poster, gold-plated putter, or even free golf lessons for the worst team. (For the Foundation staff tournament, we'll give a prize to the team that raises the most in pledges and to the team with the best score.)

As for food, tap into places where you eat and restaurants that have recently opened. Would the new sandwich shop be willing to donate boxed lunches in exchange for free advertising?

Step 6:

Publicize! Have Club members get family and friends to create a team. Enlist the help and energy of the high school golf team to hand out flyers. Maybe even challenge other Lions Clubs or groups to a competition.

Step 7:

Finalize how to work hearing awareness into the game. You could have a trivia question at every other hole. Answer the question correctly and get a few strokes off your score. Or you could hand out ear plugs to block out the curses of players who always hit it in the water.

Step 8:

Sunnyside gave out thank
you notes that announced
this year's date.

Week of the event… Last-minute check-in with volunteers and players (or team captains). If your event is pay-to-play, put in a reminder call to people who haven't sent their check yet.

Step 9:

Day of the event… Have fun, and go get 'em, Tiger!

Step 10:

After the event… Meet with your Club to discuss what worked well and what can be improved for next time. Send thank you notes to all involved, or provide us with a list and we'll take care of it. Finally, submit the money and Final Report to the Foundation. Let us know who really stood out for their level of sponsorship or participation so we can recognize them.