How to Run a Charity Golf Day: A Step-by-Step Guide

A charity golf day is one of the best fundraising events you can run. The format practically sells itself — people get a day out on the course, a meal, and some prizes, all while supporting a good cause. But behind every successful charity golf day is a well-organised plan.

Whether you've run dozens of events or this is your first, this guide will walk you through the key steps to make sure your day raises money, runs smoothly, and leaves everyone wanting to come back next year.

Start with the Basics

Set Your Goals

Before anything else, get clear on two things:

How much do you want to raise? This determines your ticket price, how aggressively you pursue sponsorship, and what kind of venue you can afford.
How many players do you want? Most charity golf days aim for 72 to 120 players (18 to 30 four-balls). This is enough to create a great atmosphere without being overwhelming to manage.

Set a Date

Avoid bank holidays, major sporting events, and the peak of summer when families are on holiday. Late spring (May) and early autumn (September/October) tend to work well — the weather is reasonable and people are available.

Book at least four to six months in advance, especially if you want a desirable course.

Choose Your Venue

When approaching a golf club, ask about their charity day packages. Many clubs offer reduced green fees for charitable events, especially midweek. Your package should ideally include:

Coffee and bacon rolls on arrival
18 holes of golf
A sit-down meal afterwards (for the presentation and auction)
Use of a function room

Get quotes from three or four clubs and compare. Don't just go for the cheapest — think about the experience you're offering and whether the club is well-equipped to handle a large society.

Pick the Right Format

For a charity day, the format needs to be inclusive and social. You'll have a wide range of abilities, from single-figure handicappers to people who play twice a year.

Texas Scramble is the go-to choice for charity events. Teams of four, everyone hits, pick the best ball. It's fast, fun, and nobody feels out of their depth. It also keeps pace of play manageable because weaker players aren't holding up the course.

If you want something slightly more competitive, Better Ball (pairs) works well too.

Avoid individual Strokeplay for charity days — it's too serious for the occasion and can be demoralising for occasional golfers.

Revenue Streams

A well-run charity golf day doesn't just rely on entry fees. Here's where the money comes from:

Entry Fees

Typically £50 to £150 per person depending on the venue and what's included. Price it so that the entry fee covers (or nearly covers) the cost of the day — green fees, catering, prizes. Your profit comes from the extras.

Sponsorship

This is often the biggest fundraiser. Offer tiered packages:

Hole sponsors (£50–£200 per hole) — Company branding on a tee sign. You have 18 holes, so that's up to 18 sponsors.
Main sponsor (£500–£2,000) — Branding on all materials, signage, and the event page. Usually one headline sponsor.
Prize sponsors — Ask local businesses to donate prizes in exchange for promotion. Golf shops, restaurants, and hotels are often happy to contribute.

On-the-Day Fundraising

Nearest the pin — Charge £5 per entry on one or two par 3s.
Longest drive — Same idea, charge a small fee to enter.
Raffle — Sell tickets during the meal. Source prizes from sponsors and local businesses.
Auction — If you have high-value prizes (signed memorabilia, holiday packages, golf experiences), a live auction during dinner can raise serious money.
Mulligans — Sell "mulligan" cards (a free re-take of one shot) for £5 each. Set a limit of two per player.

Registration and Payments

Don't underestimate how much time you'll spend chasing registrations and payments if you do it manually. For a 100-person event, that's dozens of emails, bank transfers to reconcile, and a spreadsheet that constantly needs updating.

Use an event platform that handles this for you. With Golfify, you can create your event, set the entry fee, and share a registration link. Players sign up, pay online, and you get a clear dashboard showing exactly who's registered and who's paid. No chasing. No spreadsheets.

You can also share the event link on social media, in emails, and on your charity's website — making it easy for people to sign up and share with friends.

Scoring and Results

On the day itself, scoring is often the biggest source of stress for organisers. Paper scorecards get lost, handicaps are wrong, the maths takes forever, and the presentation gets pushed back while someone frantically adds up numbers in the clubhouse.

Live scoring eliminates all of this. With Golfify:

Players score on their phones as they play
A live leaderboard updates in real time — display it on a screen in the clubhouse for spectators and early finishers
Results are ready the instant the last group finishes
No manual calculations, no lost scorecards, no delays

This means you can go straight from the course to the meal to the presentation without a 45-minute gap while someone does the admin.

On-the-Day Checklist

Here's what a smooth charity golf day looks like:

Morning

Arrive at least 1 hour before the first tee time
Set up registration desk, signage, and any sponsor branding
Place nearest-the-pin and longest-drive markers on the appropriate holes
Brief the club on pace of play expectations

Before Tee-Off

Welcome everyone briefly — thank sponsors, explain the format, remind people about on-course competitions and pace of play
Confirm groups and tee times (ideally sent out the day before)
Start selling raffle tickets

During the Round

Monitor the leaderboard via live scoring
Prepare the function room for the meal and presentation
Continue selling raffle tickets to spectators and non-players

After the Round

Allow 20–30 minutes for people to freshen up and get drinks
Meal and presentation: announce results, award prizes, run the raffle and auction
Thank everyone — especially sponsors, the golf club, and volunteers

After the Event

Within a week of the event:

Announce the total raised — Share on social media and email. People love knowing their day made a difference.
Thank sponsors personally — A quick email or call goes a long way towards securing them again next year.
Share photos — Post them where your attendees can see them.
Book next year's date — Strike while the iron is hot. If people had a great time, getting them to commit early is much easier than starting from scratch.

Final Thoughts

The most successful charity golf days are the ones that feel effortless to attend. Great course, simple format, smooth scoring, good food, and a well-run presentation. All of that comes down to preparation.

The more you can take off your plate on the day — automated registrations, digital payments, live scoring — the more you can focus on the things that actually matter: your guests, your sponsors, and raising as much money as possible for your cause.

Golfify is free to try and takes minutes to set up. If you're planning a charity golf day, give it a go — your future self will thank you.