Free planning kit
Run the tournament before tournament day runs you.
A working plan from the first committee meeting through the final deposit and thank-you note.
For Google Sheets: download the workbook, upload it to Google Drive, then choose Open with Google Sheets.
Event snapshot
Complete this page before assigning work. It becomes the single source of truth for the committee.
| Decision | Your answer | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Event purpose and fundraising goal | ||
| Date, course and weather policy | ||
| Format: scramble, best ball, alternate shot or other | ||
| Capacity, player fee and registration deadline | ||
| Tee times or shotgun start | ||
| Refund, substitution and no-show policy |
Sixteen-week planning timeline
- 16–12 weeks: reserve course, approve purpose, goal, format, budget and leadership.
- 12–10 weeks: establish sponsor packages, registration price, refund terms and promotional plan.
- 10–8 weeks: open registration, begin sponsor outreach, confirm food and contest needs.
- 8–4 weeks: review pace, fill sponsor gaps, order signs and prizes, recruit volunteers.
- 4–2 weeks: confirm player list, payments, special requests, teams, vendors and course details.
- Final week: freeze print files, assign check-in roles, prepare cash controls and weather communications.
- Event day: reconcile arrivals, payments, extras, scores, prizes and incidents.
- Within 7 days: reconcile funds, thank sponsors and golfers, document improvements.
Budget and break-even plan
| Revenue | Quantity | Price | Projected | Actual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player/team entries | ||||
| Title and supporting sponsors | ||||
| Mulligans and add-ons | ||||
| Raffle, auction or donations | ||||
| Expense | Quantity | Unit cost | Projected | Actual |
| Golf, carts and food | ||||
| Prizes, signs and supplies |
Do not confuse revenue with proceeds. Track gross receipts, direct expenses, processing fees and net funds raised separately.
Sponsor fulfillment tracker
| Sponsor | Level | Amount | Paid? | Logo received? | Benefits delivered? | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example sponsor | Hole | $500 | Yes | Yes | Pending sign | Jordan |
Registration decisions
- Define individual versus team registration and who may pay for a foursome.
- Collect player name, email, phone, handicap if used, team request and accessibility needs.
- Publish what the entry includes and who controls refunds.
- Create a waitlist and substitution procedure before capacity is reached.
- Schedule confirmation, one-week reminder and morning-of messages.
Tournament-day run sheet
| Time | Action | Owner | Backup | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 min before | Open registration and payment stations | □ | ||
| 45 min before | Confirm course, contests and starting assignments | □ | ||
| 15 min before | Rules, safety and pace-of-play announcement | □ | ||
| Finish window | Collect/verify scores and contest markers | □ | ||
| Awards | Confirm winners before announcement | □ |
Closeout and lessons learned
- Reconcile card, cash, check and external payments against registrations and extras.
- Record prize and contest recipients before distributing awards.
- Send sponsor fulfillment proof and participant thank-you messages.
- Document attendance, gross revenue, expenses and net proceeds.
- Hold a 20-minute review: keep, stop and change for next year.
Your workbook is ready: download the editable Excel file above, then use it in Excel or upload it to Google Sheets. The guide on this page stays available to print.
When the repeated work grows
Keep the plan. Connect the day.
This workbook is yours to use without an account. When registration updates, scoring, and results become a weekly job, see how the managed product brings those tasks together.