Golf days are a fun way to entertain clients and are the perfect networking opportunity. Experts provide some tips on ensuring a successful day.
- Book well in advance and prepare timeously, as lastminute bookings are often tricky to pull together. Get your booking in writing and comply with the golf course’s booking requirements, i.e. if they require a deposit or green fees in advance, pay the deposit and secure your booking.
- Take note of the golf club’s green fee structures. If your numbers go down, the green fee rate per player may well go up. Also take note of the club’s deadline date for the submission of final numbers of golfers and people attending the prize-giving. Make sure you are clear on the cancellation policy.
- Visit the golf club. The event co-ordinator will be pleased to show off the venue and the course. Ask for a course inspection or, failing that, a course layout diagram so that you have an understanding of where you can or can’t have branding, sponsored holes or promo people.
- Ask the golf club for a timesheet according to their specifications and then use that to enter your guests’ names. That way everyone shares the same info and you won’t have players missing their times.
- Remember that the golfing experience is to be enjoyed by all. Try to avoid inviting so-called ‘non-golfers’ or ‘hangerson’ who aren’t really golfers and who don’t necessarily understand the rules and the concomitant etiquette of golf, as this can spoil the experience for others.
- Prizes, Prizes, Prizes… Source quality prizes of a varied nature and never allow prize-giving to be long and drawn out. Suggest limiting the prizes to the first five or six places, as while prizes for the entire field are attractive, this can become extremely expensive and results in some people losing interest in the prize-giving when 30th place is being handed out and there are still 29 to go!
- Follow the recommendations of the golf event co-ordinator, pro-shop staff and green-keeper as they have first-hand knowledge of things which can impact on the success of your day, such as playing times and the available light at that time of the year, weather conditions such as lightning, and activities on the course which may hamper the pace of play, etc.
- Establish whether carts and caddies are optional.
- Ensure you are clear as to the club’s restrictions on branding and sponsored holes as most clubs do not allow you to bring your own food and drinks to the course.
- The more advance planning you do, the better chance of a great day for all. Start small and improve on your event annually. If you are happy with the day and the service provided by the golf club, book your event for the next year and try to negotiate a better rate.
Our pick of the month
Beachwood
Durban Country Club’s second course, Beachwood is a hidden gem offering a superb challenge for the golfer that enjoys a typical links layout. It is currently rated one of the Top 25 courses in South Africa. This course is a very good challenge to the handicap, for the fairways are narrow and long, and require precision tee shots and lay-ups. The course’s signature hole is hole 6. It is one of the most demanding par 4s you will find anywhere. At 410m from the back tee, set high in the dunes, the hole doglegs left, with a stream, bush and water hazard to be negotiated en route to the green. The Par 72 course was designed by Sid Brews in 1930, but was redesigned by the Gary Player Design Group in 1994. Some of the other facilities available include a practice range and greens, wellstocked pro-shop, a resident pro who is able to offer lessons, and golf cart and club hire.
Green Fees: For a visitor with a SAGA card: R450 per round For a visitor without a SAGA card: R585 per round
Location: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
Contact Details
Tel:+27 31 313 1777
Website: dcclub.co.za