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A “From Experience” Guide to Planning a
GOLF SCRAMBLE
The term “scramble” is a golf format typically used for fund raising events to accommodate players of all skill
levels. It is usually played with four person teams. Each player hits a tee shot. The best tee shot is chosen and
all team members hit their second shots from the chosen spot. This process is repeated until the hole and 18hole round is completed. The total stroke score for each hole is reported for the entire team. Most golf
courses require at least 100 golfers to conduct a “shotgun start” scramble golf tournament. With a “shotgun”
start, all teams begin play on a different hole on the course, so all teams will finish at the same time. It
normally takes 5 hours to complete 18 holes.
Organizing a Tournament
(1) Volunteers: A golf scramble is definitely a lot of work and the success or failure can be directly correlated
to the volunteer base. Choosing an effective committee chair and a friendly, committed core of volunteers is
essential. A typical golf committee consists of 6 to 10 active members. It is a good idea to begin the
tournament planning at least 6 months in advance.
(2) Choosing where and when to hold the tournament: Depending on the time of year, choosing a date for
the scramble can be difficult. Typically, golf courses do not want to close an entire weekend day to host a
tournament due to losing the income normally generated on a Saturday or Sunday. As a general rule, private
courses close on Monday’s for maintenance but will try to accommodate a tournament if possible. Public
courses will generally charge much less than private courses so the committee should review and fully
understand the cost and income streams of various golf courses before selecting one. You should reserve the
golf course at least 6 months in advance and most clubs require a deposit of $500 to $1000 to hold a date.
(3) Establishing the Golfer registration fee: Most golf courses have their standard tournament rate already
established based on the number of anticipated golfers and the other services provided (number of meals,
gratuities, driving range privileges, on-course beverages, etc). These prices are some what negotiable and will
be priced as “per golfer”. A golfer registration fee is determined based on the course’s price quote and the
targeted amount of money to be raised for the fund raiser. Costs will generally run from $60 to $125 per
golfer, including meals. Entry fees generally range from $80 to $200 per person.
(4) Golf brochure (see attachment # 1): A nicely printed and informative golf brochure is very helpful in
advertising the details of the golf tournament. A full color, tri-fold brochure can cost from $0.50 to $0.75 each.
Usually 750 to 1000 brochures are required and distributed while promoting a tournament. You should
approach local printing companies to see if they would donate printing services to cover the printing cost. The
finished brochures should be made available 4 months before the tournament is held. The brochure should
provide information about The Dream Factory, the costs and details of the tournament, the benefits each
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registered golfer will receive, a registration form, sponsorship opportunities and possibly recognition of
past sponsors and/or donors of previous tournaments or other fund raising events.
(5) “Save The Date Letter” (see attachment # 2): In most mid sized cities, at least 100 charity golf tournament
are held each year. Hence, the golf committee needs to recognize your tournament is competing for the same
pool of golfers as other tournaments in the area. It is not uncommon for 5 to 6 tournaments to be held on the
same day. Once the golf course, tournament date and start time have been chosen, and golfer fees finalized,
an informative letter should be mailed to loyal chapter supporters, dream recipient families as well as golfers
who have played in previous golf tournaments. This mailing should be sent out at least 4 months before the
tournament and is a reminder to the golfer to “save the date”. The mailing should include the letter and at
least two brochures; one that can be returned by the golfer when they register and the other they can give to a
relative, friend or co-worker.
(6) Soliciting Corporate and Hole Sponsors: The financial key to any charity golf tournament is securing
corporate and hole sponsorships. Companies like to sponsor charity golf tournaments. It provides good
“press” for the company as well as can provide a fun and competitive environment for their employees,
generating camaraderie and goodwill. Typical corporate sponsorships can run from $500 to $5000 each, and
include benefits such as free registration golfer fees, advertisement on printed materials used during the
tournament, as well as public recognition in public advertisements. Hole sponsorships generally cost $100 to
$200 each, and advertisement signs (see attachment # 3) are generally placed at the tee boxes throughout the
golf course, the day of the tournament, recognizing their contribution. These signs can generally be produced
for $15 to $20 each and are printed on weather resistant 24” by 18” plastic board stock so they can be reused
in subsequent tournaments. The signs (similar in design to political campaign signs) are placed on metal
wickets and stuck in the ground at the tee box.
(7) Maintenance of information databases: It is very important to maintain several information databases
throughout the months leading up to the tournament. As corporate/ hole sponsors and golfers register for
the event, pertinent personal data should be recorded. This includes: name, address, telephone number,
email address, and whether payment has been received in full. It is advisable to collect all fees prior to the
tournament day. An additional database should be maintained recording similar information on all businesses
and individuals who contribute to the silent auction and raffle. This information will be used to send out
“thank you” letters following the tournament.
(8) Feedback to Golf Club: Most clubs require a final headcount for golf and dinner, one week prior to
tournament. However, it is not uncommon for golfers to sign up just days before the tournament, as their
personal schedules and the weather become more evident. Therefore, very good communication always
needs to be maintained with the golf club.
Insuring “Value”
(1) Goodie Bags and Giveaway Items: A typical “scramble” golfer expects to receive some type of gift(s) when
arriving at the tournament. As a general rule, a player expects to receive more goodie bags, gifts or giveaway
items as the entrance fee increases. Goodie bags can contain a sleeve of balls, snacks, golf tees and discount
coupons from donating vendors but are not limited to these products. Any free products donated to the
tournament can be put in the bag. Typical giveaway items can include golf umbrellas, golf shirts, hats, visors,
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coffee mugs, water bottles, travel bags, etc. Since these giveaway items can provide a useful means of
advertising for The Dream Factory, it is recommended all giveaway items have The Dream Factory logo
emblazed upon it.
(2) Silent auctions and raffles: Another way to provide value to the participating golfers and to raise funds is
to conduct a silent auction and/or raffle. Generally items bid on and won in these fund raising activities will
provide the winning golfer with items at 25 to 50% of their retail cost. When soliciting businesses for goods
and services to be donated for the auction and/or raffle, general solicitation guidelines (attachment # 4)
should be followed. Solicitations can also be made through the mail. A general solicitation letter (attachment
# 5) is sent along with a golf brochure, general information Dream Factory brochure as well as a copy of the
501(c)(3) non-profit status letter. Some national companies (like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, etc.) are
very generous with their donations, but solicitations need to be completed on-line on their web sites, and the
requests need to be submitted 60 to 90 days prior to the event. Solicitation letters should be printed on
Dream Factory letterhead. The starting bids of silent auction items should be set at around 25% of their retail
value and appropriate bid increments set. Bid sheets should be placed on clipboards and placed in front of
each item. A volunteer should be available to answer any questions regarding the item. “Chinese raffles” are
effective as the golfers can place their ticket stubs into only those bags of items they are interested in winning.
Winning raffle tickets can be drawn while the golfers are on the course or during/after the awards dinner.
(3) Refreshments: During the tournament, especially in the summer, it is very important to offer all
participants a wide variety of refreshments. Some courses will not allow donated drinks to be given away at
their tournaments. They require all drinks to be purchased from the course and will usually provide two
beverage carts and personnel during the tournament. If a course does allow the organization to bring
beverages, volunteers are needed to distribute them during the tournament or to have them available in
chilled buckets and positioned at various holes around the course.
(4) Hole-in-one Giveaway Opportunities: Quite often a local car dealership or other business will purchase
insurance and make an expensive item (like an automobile) available for use on a “hole-in-one” hole. The hole
is always a Par 3 and usually the minimum distance from the tee is set at 150 yards. If a player gets a hole-inone on this hole, they win the prize. Usually the organizing committee is required to provide 2-4 witnesses on
this hole to verify that indeed a legitimate hole-in-one was made.
Conducting the Tournament – Day of event checklist
(1) Set up prior to golfers arriving: Prior to golfers arriving, the golf club should set up several tables to be
used for registration, selling of “mulligans” and raffle tickets, displaying auction and raffle items, and
distribution of “goodie” bags and giveaway items. The golf club should also set up the driving range for use of
the golfers as they arrive, place hole sponsor signs on each hole, place player names along with a copy of the
golf rules (attachment # 6) and official score card on each golf cart, and ice down any free beverages that will
be made available to the golfers.
Mulligans: A mulligan in simple terms is a “do over” and a good way to raise extra funds. During checkin, players are asked to purchase mulligans ranging in cost from $5 to $10 and can be used to hit any
shot over again including a putt. For example, Bill Golfer attempts a five foot birdie putt and misses. If
Bill purchased a mulligan, he can try the putt again. Most golfers do not pass up this mulligan
opportunity. Mulligans are usually limited to no more than two per golfer. It is quite effective to have
a dream recipients sell mulligans, as well as raffle tickets during the golfer check-in process.
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(2) Golfer check-in: As golfers arrive at the course, golf club personnel usually will meet the golfers in the
parking lot, remove their clubs from their cars and place them on the appropriate pre-assigned golf cart. It
takes a cadre of 7 to 10 volunteers to complete the check-in process. Two volunteers verify the golfer is
registered, paid in full and capture any missing personal information. They give each golfer a welcome letter
(written to recognize corporate, hole sponsors as well as businesses that provided donations), inform the
golfer of lunch and/or dinner arrangements, driving range opportunities, and the hole on which they will begin
play. They are then directed to the table where mulligans and raffle tickets are sold, as well as where silent
auction and raffle items are displayed and to the area where they will receive their goodie bag and giveaway
item.
(3) Other Activities while golfers are playing: Several non-golfing volunteers are required to coordinate the
tournament while the players are on the course. All registration, mulligan and raffle ticket monies collected
during the sign-in process should be reconciled. All giveaway items should also be accounted for. Volunteers
need to monitor hole-in-one contest holes and relieve one another. The availability and variety of free
beverage should be monitored and replenished as required. Raffle and silent auction items may have to be
moved to the dinner / awards area.
(4) Scoring and Prizes: Once all of the teams have completed play, all scorecards will be turned into the club
pro shop so winners can be determined. The golf club course personnel will complete this task for you and
break any ties that may occur. Prizes can be given for closest to the pin, longest drive and closest to the line
contests, as well as 1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd places in flighted, mixed and/or all-women foursomes.
(5) Awards Presentations: During the awards presentation, it is advisable to have at least one dream family in
attendance. A brief overview of the chapter’s completed and planned dreams is a great way for the golfers to
understand how their contributions have and will be spent in the future. The awards presentation should
highlight all corporate, hole-in-one and hole sponsors, as well as the businesses and individuals who donated
items for the silent auction and raffle. The golf organizing committee should also be recognized for their hard
work.
Tournament Follow-up
(1) “Thank You” Letters: Thank you letters should be sent out to all corporate, hole-in-one and hole sponsors,
as well as golfers and donors of silent auction and raffle items. This should be completed within two months
after the tournament is held.
(2) Golf Committee Review: Shortly after the tournament has been completed, the golf committee should
convene and review the results of the tournament. Recommendations should be made aimed at improving
the tournament the following year.
Making Dreams Come True I
Past Corporate & Hole-in-One Sponsors
Cam's NY Pizzeria
Cognisight
Cortese Auto Group
Dorschel Auto Group
ExxonMobil Foundation
Flaum Management
Genesis Pediatrics
GRIPA (Greater Rochester
Independent Practice Assoc.)
Holiday mn-Airport
Jason Manufacturing
PAETEC
RJW Enterprises
Toshiba Business Solutions
Past Hole Sponsors
Appliance Tee
Cam's NY Pizzeria
Canandaigua Nat Bank
Campus Construction
Christa Construct/cm
DiPonzio Funeral Home
Draygon Enterprises
Edward Jones Investment
M&T Bank
Marathon Financial
The Dream Factory of Rochester is a
volunteer , not for profit organization dedicated
to fulfilling the dreams of critically and
chronically ill children in our community.
V)
In 2010, The Dream Factory completed a
circle when a 17 year old boy from Brockport
received new sports equipment and a laptop
computer. This young man is in the same
high school English class as our very first
dream recipient,Autumn , who received a trip
to central Florida when she was 7 years old.
Other dreams we have recently fulfilled
include meet & greets with the Miami
Dolphins and LA Lakers, several trips to
central Florida and shopping sprees at local
shopping malls.
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The Dream Factory of Rochester, a 501(c)(3)
tax exempt organization, relies on the
generosity of individuals and corporations for
financial
support .
As an all-volunteer
organization, we pride ourselves on extremely
low administrative costs and excellent service.
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A copy of The Dream Factory annual report may be
obtained, upon request, from The Dream Factory or from
the Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau,
120 Broadway, NY, NY 10271
Mary & Kevin Kirk
Nicosia Dental
Oburchay Memorial
Park Place Property Mgmt
Passero Associates
Rampe Construction
S&S Engineering, PC
T.Bell Construction
Teez to Pleez Embroidery
Wa.tnart
Past Donations
Applebee's Restaurant
Auburn Creek
Basch & Nickerson LLP
Bennucci's
Biaggi's
Big Oak Driving Range
Boylan Brown
Brookwood Inn
Bruce Day
Bugaboo Creek
C&R Vision
Cabot Creamery
Carrabbas Italian Grill
Casa Larga Winel}'
Century Pittsford Wines
Champps Restaurant
Cheesecake Factory
Chlli's
Cylinder Serv1ces, Inc.
Crystal Barn
Darien Lake
Delta Sonic
DiBella's Submarines
Dick's Sporting Goods
Edgerton Floral Co.
Faust's USA Karate
Flaherty's Three Flags Inn
Fox Run Vineyards
Gander Mountain
Garth Fagan
Goff Galaxy
Harter, Secrest & Emery
Holiday Inn-Airport
Home Depot
Hunt Country Vineyard
Jasmine 's Asian Restaurant
Joey B's Restaurant
Keenan's Restaurant
LiDestri Foods
Lisa's Liquor Barn
London Bear Chimney Sweep
Mark's Pizzeria
Messenger Post Newspapers
Mill Creek Goff CllJb
Monroe Muffler
Mud About You
P.F.Chang
Panera Bread
Park Ave. Knit Creations
Peter Geyer Steakhouse
Pettis Pools
Pomodoro Grill
Ravenwood Goff Club
Rochester Phllhannonlc
Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Rhinos
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Scott Laraby
Seneca Park Zoo Society
Sleep City USA
Sticky Lips BBQ
Strong National Museum
Tantalo Photography
Target
Teez to Pleez Embroidery
The Biiis Store
The Lodge at Woodcliff
Time to Heal Day Spa
Vision Dodge
Walmart
Wendy's Restaurants
Winfield Grill
Dream Factory
of Rochester
5th annual
Golf Tournament
Monday, July 19, 2010
1:00 p.m. Scramble Format
Ravenwood Golf Club
929 Lynaugh Road
Victor, NY 14564
(585) 924-5100
www.ravenwoodgolf.com
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DREAM
FA C T O R Y
Creating the moment of a lifetime
for critically ill children
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Attachment # 2
Save the date!
Dream Factory of Rochester Golf Tournament
Monday, July 19, 2010
Ravenwood Golf Club
929 Lynaugh Road, Victor, NY 14564
The Dream Factory of Rochester, a volunteer organization that fulfills the dreams of critically and chronically
ill children, will once again be holding its annual charity golf tournament on Monday, July 19, at 1 pm. at
Ravenwood Golf Club.
Ravenwood Golf Club is an award-winning course located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region. In 2003, Golf
Digest rated Ravenwood as the 5th “Best New Public Course” in America. We will be using a Prolink's GPS
system, which continually displays each hole including sand, water, bunkers, trees, roughs and yardage to the
daily pin placement. Tournament play is even more fun because the system provides a scoreboard. You'll
always know exactly how well you have to play to catch up to the first place team!
In 2010, The Dream Factory came full circle when a 17-year old boy from Brockport received new sports
equipment and a laptop computer. This young man is in the same high school English class as our very first
dream recipient, Autumn, who received a trip to central Florida, in 1999, when she was 7 years old. The
proceeds from last years’ tournament allowed us to fulfill a variety of dreams. These included meet and
greets with the Miami Dolphins and LA Lakers, several trips to central Florida and shopping sprees at local
shopping malls.
As a player in one of our previous tournaments, we would like your help in spreading the word and assisting us
in making this years’ tournament an even bigger success. Here are a few things you could do:
(1) Sign up to play, as an individual ($95 per golfer) or foursome, in our 2010 tournament.
(2) Distribute one of the enclosed brochures to relatives and friends who may have an interest in playing
in the tournament or attending the 6 pm sit-down dinner.
(3) Solicit individuals, small businesses and corporations to “sponsor” the tournament as hole sponsors
($100) or tournament sponsors ($750 - $2500). If you do business with, or know of someone who
would like to be a “sponsor”, please give them a brochure or have them contact us.
(4) We will be conducting a raffle. If you know of a business or individual who can donate items, services
or certificates, please give them a brochure or have them contact us.
Thank you in advance for helping The Dream Factory continue to provide dreams for critically and chronically
ill children in our community! We hope to see you again in July!
The Dream Factory Golf Committee
585-234-0740
585-425-3773
www.dreamfactoryincroc.org
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Attachment # 3
This Hole Sponsored By
This Hole Sponsored By
In memory of
Reid Carpentier
Gold Corporate Sponsor
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Attachment # 4
Solicitation Guidelines
Materials:
Assemble a Dream Factory 501 (c)(3) letter and a golf tournament brochure for
each solicitation. Make sure your name and telephone number are at the top of the 501 (c)(3)
Appearance: Be aware of your appearance when soliciting. Remember you are representing
The Dream Factory organization.
Approach:
Ask for the manager in charge. If unavailable, return later.
Script:
“My name is ( ) and I am a volunteer for The Dream
Factory. The Dream Factory is a non-profit organization committed to fulfilling the dreams of
critically and chronically ill children, from the ages of 3 to 18. We are conducting a charity golf
tournament in July. We were wondering if you would be interested in being a sponsor for the
tournament or donating items for our raffle and silent auction? (hand them a brochure and
501(c)(3) letter)
Possible Responses:
(1) “No thank you … we already donate to several other organizations”. (Thank them – don’t
leave brochure/letter)
(2) “Let me give this information to the owner” or “let me think it over”. (Thank them. Indicate
that your name/number are at the top of the letter. Ask the manager/owner to call you back
at their convenience. Ask for a business card; follow up in 3-4 weeks.)
(3) “Sure, how can we help?”. (Show manager the brochure and describe sponsorship
opportunities. Mention the raffle and silent auction and the need for certificates, services or
items. Get a business card and thank them for their support. Turn in item(s) and business card
at the next volunteer meeting)
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Attachment # 5
Date:
To:
The Dream Factory of XXX, is a not for profit, volunteer organization which fulfills the
dreams of critically and chronically ill children, ages 3-18. We have been fulfilling dreams in
the community since May 1999.
For the past several years, The Dream Factory of XXX has hosted several very successful
fundraising events. Once again this year, we will conduct our annual charity golf
tournament. The scramble format tournament will be held on Monday July 19th, at
Ravenwood Golf Club.
We would appreciate your consideration of supporting our efforts by playing in the
tournament, becoming a sponsor of the tournament, or donating items, services or gift
certificates for our raffle and silent auction. The proceeds from last years’ tournament
allowed us to fulfill a variety of dreams. Several children traveled to Disney World, while
others received TVs, computers, and shopping sprees.
Currently there are several more children eagerly waiting for their dream to come true.
Enclosed is an informational brochure and a 501 (c)(3) letter for your review. I can be
reached at xxx-xxx-xxx to answer any questions for you.
We thank you in advance for your consideration in helping us to fulfill more dreams and
“creating the moment of a lifetime for critically ill children in our community”!
Sincerely,
Dream Factory of XXXX
Golf Tournament Committee
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Attachment # 6
The Dream Factory Golf Tournament
Scramble Rules
Each group competes as a team for the LOWEST TEAM SCORE for the 18 holes
Method of Play (Scramble format)
1. Each member of group tees off (men use black tees; women use silver tee)
2. The group decides which drive is the most desirable.
3. The members of the group pick up their balls and proceed to the spot of the selected drive,
where they hit their second shots.
4. The best of the second shots is then chosen. The group will then attempt all of their putts (or
their third shots) from that spot.
5. This procedure continues until the ball is holed.
6. At the end of each hole, the score for the group is recorded on the card.
Other Rules:
1. Place balls within 1 club length of the original ball when in the fairway or rough and within 6”
when on the green.
2. In placing the ball, you may not change the condition of the shot. If the selected ball is in a
hazard or rough, all members play their shot from this spot.
3. On the putting green, give each person a shot at making the first putt. Do not hole out a putt if
you have missed your putt. Mark your ball and wait. The first ball in the hole must count.
4. The will be a 2 drive minimum rule. This means that at least 2 drives from each player must be
selected during the 18-hole round.
5. If playing as a threesome, rotate players hitting or putting an extra shot, to compensate for
your fourth player. 3 drives from each player must be used.
6. MULLIGANS: each player was given the opportunity to purchase up to 2 mulligan certificates.
The one time use of a mulligan entitles that player only, to “re-do” any given shot (tee, fairway
or on the green).
Special Holes:
1.
Cam’s Pizzeria Hole-in-One Hole – a hole in one wins pizza for a year!
 Ladies and Men: Hole # 14 (mulligans can’t be used on the drive)
2. Toshiba Business Solutions Hole-in-One – hole in one wins a Toshiba 46” TV
 Ladies and Men: Hole # 4 (mulligans can’t be used on the drive)
3. Closest to the Pin: all par 3 Holes: (ball must be on the green)
 Ladies and Men: Holes # 4 , # 8 , #14 , # 17
4. Longest Drive Hole: (one hole per side)
 Ladies and Men: Holes # 6 and # 12 (men both over and under 60)
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Beverages: free water & soda will be stationed at holes # 1 and # 10.
the course and in the clubhouse.
Prepared by Dick Cianciotto, The Dream Factory of Rochester
(with assistance from The Dream Factory of Memphis, Inc.)
September, 2010
Beer can be purchased on