Extra Guidelines For Running Away Tournaments

The first thing to understand about away tournaments is that each one has a contract and each contract is different.  This applies particularly to pre tournament deposits, payment schedules, and cancellation policies.  Read the contract carefully to make sure that the price we charge our players is correct and that the sign-up deadline will give the TC time to accurately estimate the number of players.

Also pay particular attention to any money which must be spent on gift certificates at the away pro shop.  This will affect our price and will also affect the way the prize fund is set up.

One thing to always do is reconfirm the tournament date a month or so beforehand.  There have been instances where the course lost the contract or have reset the starting times or, more important, raised the price without letting us know.

Also try to understand any flexibility the course may have on guaranteed number of players.  Some contracts will not charge for missing players if we have at least 80% of the committed number; others will charge only if they can't fill the time. So be sure to discuss this issue ahead of time with the course.  Depending on their policies it may be possible to add some late entrants to the tournament.

Try to get a copy of the scorecard early.  This makes it easier to setup the laptop for the tournament.  Some courses have their cards on their web site so you may want to check there first.  If there is already a course definition on TPP be sure to compare it to the current scorecard.  Stroke allocations, yardage or ratings may have changed.

Determine the proper tees based on the players and the yardage and difficulty of the course, We want our players to enjoy the round, not be embarrassed.

Some TC's may wish to use a credit card to pay the away fees.  Lots of airline miles are available using this technique.  Be sure to check with the course to make sure that credit cards are acceptable.

Take a copy of the contract with you to the tournament.  It won't weigh much and may come in handy if there is some difference of opinion on the terms of the contract.

Send a copy of the tee times to the course ahead of time, especially if that requirement is stated in the contract. This may be in an e-mail or fax or you may be able to direct them to the web to get a copy.  The tee time list serves as a good reminder that the club is coming and it also helps them get set up when it comes to carts and signing in.

The week of the tournament, call ahead and discuss any local rules that you might need.  It may be that the course recommends lift, clean, and place because of recent weather conditions.  Also you need to be aware of any special conditions which should be put on the information sheet.  Some courses also have a strict pace of play policy which authorizes their course marshals to move a group ahead.  (This is true of Poppy Hills and Poppy Ridge and it is in our signed contract.)  Be ready to handle this situation.

The TC should always be in the first group since he must do the scoring for the tournament. A flight by flight results sheet is an excellent thing to prepare ahead of time.  The laptop has some reports which will help with this.

Last Updated on 12/07/2008