Golf outing tips: planning your corporate golfing event.

• Author: Held, Shari
• Position: INDIANA GOLF

THERE'S A LOT MORE TO throwing a corporate golf outing than finding a venue that meets your budget and schedule. Here are some tips from the pros to help make your next golf outing a SUCCESS.

"You can never plan too early," says PGA pro Brian Nicholoff, director of golf and general manager of Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. He suggests using a guideline that lists the "tucks of the trade"--what needs to be done before, during and after the event. Consider the "who, what, when, where and whys" for starters: Who are you going to invite? What is your bottom line? Why are you doing a golf outing?

"I now see a lot of companies using golf outings for character building, meeting people in the company and just to go out and have fun once a year," says PGA pro Tony VanNess of Salt Creek Golf Retreat in Nashville "Just a little getaway, a little breath of fresh air."

Once you've got a plan, do your research.

"Go play the course," says VanNess. "Check everything out. A lot of people from Indianapolis call us and they just want price information. I ask them if they can come to see us, play a little golf and meet our staff. A course is a course. Ninety percent of the courses people look at are going to be in good shape, so I want them to see the extras we offer."

Nicholoff says the importance of research can't be stressed enough. Things to consider that add to the experience are location, amenities and services. "Insist on meeting with the golf professional and the food and beverage people," he says. "Ask them for some references. You don't want to be embarrassed in front of your client. It's your company image on the line."

Rich Love, assistant golf pro and outing coordinator for Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend, says companies with limited budgets must make choices. "You don't want to skimp on the quality of the golf," he says. "That should be first and foremost. You can cut back on an outing giveaway, but the overall golf experience is key."

Be sure to include non-golfers in that overall golf experience.

"That's what's nice about outings," says VanNess. "Even if someone has never played golf before, they can still help the team by just putting in a scramble in which they take the best shot of the four players. The guy who has never played golf before can still putt. It's a fellowship."

Once you've made your decision on the course, Milan Kruszynski, director of Hammond Port Authority, which manages the Lost Marsh Golf Course in Hammond, says to...