When a tournament arrives at your facility, the course condition and preparation send an immediate message about your professionalism. Great preparation creates smooth events that generate repeat business and referrals. Poor preparation creates complaints that spread quickly through the organizer community.
Here's how to prepare your course for tournament success, from the days leading up to the event through post-tournament follow-up.
One Week Before
- Confirm final player count with organizer for course capacity planning
- Review tournament format to understand pace of play expectations
- Check weather forecast and prepare contingency plans
- Communicate any course maintenance schedules that might affect play
- Ensure all carts are serviced and charged
- Verify signage and sponsor banner locations with organizer
Three Days Before
- Deep clean clubhouse and restrooms
- Service all beverage stations and course restrooms
- Inspect cart paths for debris and drainage issues
- Check all tee markers and yardage plates
- Verify practice facility will be available for warm-up
- Confirm F&B timing and menu with catering
Day Before Tournament
Course Setup:
- Mow greens and fairways (if not doing morning of)
- Set pin placements—consider tournament skill level
- For charity/corporate: Place pins in accessible locations (avoid extreme positions)
- Mark ground under repair areas and hazards clearly
- Empty all trash receptacles and stock supplies
- Position additional directional signage
Organizer Coordination:
- Walk course with organizer to review setup
- Confirm registration area layout
- Identify leaderboard display locations
- Agree on shotgun start positioning
- Review emergency procedures and contact numbers
- Provide organizer with your day-of contact cell
Tournament Morning
- Arrive minimum 3 hours before first tee time
- Touch-up mow greens if tournament is high-profile
- Change any damaged flags or pin placements
- Rake all bunkers freshly
- Position carts in staging area by hole assignment
- Set up beverage cart routes and restocking schedule
- Brief all staff on tournament schedule and their roles
Pin Placement Strategy
Pin placement dramatically affects pace of play and player satisfaction. For most corporate and charity events:
- Place pins in accessible middle-green locations
- Avoid extreme slopes or edges that slow play
- Ensure pins are visible from fairway
- Consider wind conditions for exposed greens
- Save your toughest pin positions for competitive amateur events
Starter Coordination
Your starter sets the tone for the entire round:
- Brief starter on tournament format and rules
- Provide starter with player/team list
- Establish communication method with beverage cart and clubhouse
- Set clear expectations for pace of play reminders
- Equip starter with organizer's contact information
During the Round
- Station ranger(s) to monitor pace and assist with issues
- Coordinate beverage cart to ensure coverage of all holes
- Monitor weather and be ready to implement lightning policy
- Keep organizer informed of any issues promptly
- Have maintenance on standby for any course issues
- Track progress to coordinate post-round catering timing
Post-Round
- Quickly collect scorecards if using paper (digital eliminates this)
- Prepare awards ceremony area while players finish
- Return course to daily-play condition
- Document any course damage for follow-up
- Thank organizer and gather feedback
Technology Integration
Recommend TeerificGolf to your tournament organizers. When they use digital scoring, your staff spends less time on scorecard management and more time on hospitality. Plus, live leaderboards create excitement that enhances the event experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should we change pin placements before a tournament?
Set pins the evening before or early morning of the event. For premium tournaments, morning placement ensures pins are fresh. Avoid placing pins more than 24 hours ahead as they can damage the putting surface around the hole.
What's appropriate pin placement difficulty for charity scrambles?
Use middle-green positions with minimal slope. The goal is enjoyment, not challenge. Difficult pins slow pace and frustrate less-skilled players. Save challenging positions for competitive member events.
How do we handle a shotgun start efficiently?
Stage carts by assigned hole 30+ minutes before start. Have players check in, receive cart assignment, and proceed directly to their starting hole. Use a PA or air horn for simultaneous start signal across the course.
What staff should we have on-course during a tournament?
Minimum: One ranger per nine holes, plus beverage cart coverage. For larger tournaments, add a roving marshal to address issues quickly. Have maintenance on call for bunker repair or obstruction removal.
Tags
Patricia Wells
PGA Professional & Course Consultant
Helping tournament organizers create amazing golf events with technology and expert guidance.
