“Picking the right format for your company golf event is important. You want your key clients to be thinking about how many orders to place, not how many balls they are losing.”

Sue Cvijanovich

As we have been preaching in this column, playing or talking about golf is the best way to show appreciation to existing clients, get to know new clients or cultivate potential clients. When playing golf, you are in beautiful surroundings creating indelible, positive memories with those in your foursome. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Unless you multiply your foursome count dramatically. And you can do this effectively by organizing a golf event. The end result of a successful golf event can have a lasting impact on your clients, and most importantly, your bottom line.

“To me, you can take someone out to dinner or to a show, but that doesn’t come close to comparing to hosting someone for a round of golf at a great course,” says Sue Cvijanovich (see-yahn-oh-vitch), Event and Tournament Manager at Cascata, one of Southern Nevada’s—and the world’s-- finest golf facilities.

She sees the positive impact that golf has on people and business every day. Her job is to help companies organize and manage golf tournaments, and the events that go along with them. She has been doing the job for more than a decade since coming into the business without much of a golf background.

“My family has a long history in basketball, and at one time I wanted to be a college basketball coach, but when I was introduced to golf, I realized that it really is a lifetime activity,” says Sue, who was the academic advisor to the UNLV Golf team and whose brother Stacey played on the 1990 UNLV NCAA Champion basketball team. “Playing golf creates memories for players, and forms bonds between people.”

Once you have decided to entertain through golf and organize an event, there are a few important decisions to make. What is the goal of the event? Is it to solicit new business? Do you want to show appreciation to loyal customers? Is it an employee appreciation event? Will the event coincide with a new product launch? Is it part of a conference?

Another decision to make is what course to play. There are several variables that come into play when picking a course. What’s the budget? Do you need to play a course like Cascata, the best of the best? Are most of your players beginners or is it an experienced group of golfers? What is the post-round banquet facility like? How good and involved will the course event planner be? Then there are decisions on the format, rules, tee gifts, menu, beverages, signage, invitations, etc. that need to be made.

Running a golf event can be a daunting task, but the end result is worth the struggle. Cvijanovich offered five tips to help you get started.

1. Determine the goal of the event. 2. Appoint a specific person to communicate with the course and spearhead the tournament. 3. Make sure as many details as possible are provided to the course at the start of the planning process. 4. Give yourself enough lead time to send out invitations, giving people enough time to clear their schedule. A save-the-date card should be sent a minimum of six months in advance. Invitations can go out two or three months in advance. 5. Work hard to get commitments from players so day-of organization goes smoothly.

Possibly the most important detail of the event is the pairings. Take special care in putting people together in the groups. Not only are you having an event to solidify your relationships, but the people that are playing in the event can possibly create new relationships within their foursome. If you know one of your clients could be helped by another, then pair them together. Their bond will be created, and they will remember it was because you had the forethought to introduce them. Everybody wins!

A personal opinion is that sometimes it is a good idea for key company employees and owners to not play in the tournament, but rather spend the day walking the course and interacting with every group. Maybe hit a few shots with some of the groups, and make sure everyone is enjoying themselves.

People like Sue can be found at most courses, and they are available to serve as your event consultant and they will walk you through everything. You should rely on their vast experience to help make the day special.

A beautiful day. A great course. And your best clients gathered together. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Golf world challenge: Are you thinking about starting golf lessons? Here’s what the late, great Harvey Penick had to say about the subject: When I ask you to take an aspirin, please don’t take the whole bottle. In the golf swing a tiny change can make a huge difference. The natural inclination is to begin to overdo the tiny change that has brought success. So you exaggerate in an effort to improve even more, and soon you are lost and confused again. Lessons are not to take the place of practice but to make practice worthwhile.