Summary: Summertime is a popular time for benefit golf scrambles. What seems like a simple concept takes a lot of planning and teamwork, before the first golfer tees off.
You drive by the local golf course and see the sign for a scramble. Pictures of winning teams appear in the paper. But what is a golf scramble, and why are they popular forms of fundraising? Even though the economic downturn has hurt golf courses, the scramble has managed to survive, and in many cases, continue to thrive, as a money-making endeavor for nonprofit groups.
The basic rule of a golf scramble is that a team of four golfers, two per cart, plays nine or 18 holes on the golf course. The golfers pay a team or individual fee. At the recent CAMO golf outing at The Pines in Orrville, the fee was $75 per golfer, or $300 per team. Golfers start on a specific hole in what is known as a shotgun-start, or timed format. For example, a foursome would be assigned the hole 15 to start, and would finish on hole 14, and return to the clubhouse for a meal, prizes for the top three teams, and door prizes. The team with the lowest score wins. Usually teams receive a goodie bag at the start, filled with small items such as pens, notepads, promotional items from businesses, candy, a granola bar, a bottle of water, and golf-related items, such as tees, balls or a golf towel.
While individuals may form their own team, many businesses pay to be represented by employees in a scramble, especially if it is a large and well-known event. The Holmes County Chamber of Commerce scramble, one of the largest held at Fire Ridge Golf Course in Millersburg, features many teams from businesses. Shasta Mast, executive director of the chamber, said the annual event features a mix of individuals and corporate teams.
The event itself takes lots of planning. Mast said she and chamber staff begin planning about three months in advance. She said staffer Andrea Maddox and chamber board members do a lot of planning, securing prizes, hole and cart sponsors, and making sure things will go smoothly on the day of the event.
Marcia Murphy has been organizing the benefit golf outing for Central American Medical Outreach (CAMO) for six years. The event, which raises about $10,000 for the Orrville-based medical mission, is a labor of love for Murphy. She said it takes four months of part-time planning and at least a month of daily full-time work to make sure mailings have been sent and received, advertisements placed, prizes secured, along with sponsorships, and working with the golf course. The Pines Golf Club in Orrville has hosted the event for several years.
Scrambles, after a few years, tend to take on a regular following number of participants. For Murphy, the legwork done in the beginning has made things easier now. "Weve probably really streamlined it now because of the organization." Many of the golfers come every year, and the sponsors have also continued to support the event, donating money for food, offering prizes, donating cash to pay for a sign, which is placed on the course, etc. A hole-in-one contest is offered, and Murphy said Pallotta Ford in Wooster pays for the liability insurance. Scrambles that offer hole-in-one prizes such as cash or a car will take out specific insurance policy to cover the payout, in case there is a winner.
Volunteers are as important as golfers. Murphy has a detailed list for volunteers, who collect entry fees, sell raffle tickets, sit on the course to monitor contests, such as the hole-in-one, set up and take down, fill and distribute goodie bags, and secure prize or cash donations. "A lot of CAMO volunteers (for the scramble) are not golfers," Murphy noted. She said the CAMO outing is not a huge event, and doesnt have large corporate sponsors. "We do a little footwork to get local sponsorships." She also said the scramble format means that golfers of any skill level can participate and enjoy it while helping a good cause.
Craig McConnell is the manager and PGA professional at Oak Shadows Golf Club in New Philadelphia. He helps scramble organizers set up the event. "Its pretty much up to each individual tournament as to what they want to happen," McConnell said. He added the course likes help out benefits that are for scholarships, needy individuals and other charitable causes. Most of those scrambles, he noted, are held on the weekends. Ones held by businesses, to thank clients, or to give employees a day out, are held during the week, and those teams are usually corporate.
The largest number of golfers who can participate in a scramble is 144. That allows for 36 teams, with two placed on a hole to start the event. The golf course also provides, if the event organizers wish, a light meal at the turn (completion of the first nine holes), and a more substantial meal at the end, when prizes are awarded. Meals range from hamburgers and hot dogs to steak, with just about everything in between. The cost per golfer depends on the choice of meal, and whether the scramble is nine or 18 holes, plus cart fee. Locally, that may range between $35 and $55 per golfer, plus the additional amount fundraisers want to add for the purpose of the event. Some events secure donations of food, to save money and add more to the fundraising.
Golf courses like to keep scramble participants happy. "Renewable outings are a good thing," McConnell said. Mike Ditmars, general manager at Fire Ridge, said many scrambles, such as the recent Aimee Frenette-Rickly outing, have a set date each year, so teams plan to return. The benefit, which raises scholarship money in memory of Frenette-Rickly, is one of Fire Ridges largest events. The Mac Oil/TNC Enterprises outing and the chamber event round out the courses top three scrambles, with loyal repeat teams and corporate sponsors. Ditmars estimates in a season, the course has nearly 35 scrambles, on weekdays and weekends.
McConnell and Ditmars both noted their staffs take care of the details and setup for scrambles, which is no small feat. "Basically, when they show up, all they have to do is golf," Ditmars said. The scorecards, scoreboard, tags for carts, cart lineup, registration table, beverage cart, and post-event get-together are taken care of by the course staff. "The less they have to do the happier theyre going to be," he added.
Ditmars said his staff makes each scramble a success. "I have a great staff here (at Fire Ridge) .a fantastic crew. We take care of you. We cant affect how you golf, thats about it."
McConnell and Ditmars noted the recent economic downturn has affected the golf industry, but many longstanding scrambles have regulars. "People come back to play this scramble because its well-organized and like this course," added Murphy.
The next time you drive by a golf course advertising a scramble, or decide to participate in one, take a moment to appreciate the countless hours of effort put in to making it a success.
