Written by George Keklik, Certified Golf Tournament Planner Golf Tournament Association of America (GTAA). George helps event organizers across the country plan and outfit their outings. Have a question about your event? Reach out and ask him directly.

The day-before final prep

A smooth event day is built the night before. Load the car, confirm your people, and walk the plan once so the morning runs itself.

• The load-out. Pack cart signs, tee and hole sponsor signs, the sponsor banner, scorecards, rules sheets, the leaderboard, registration and welcome signage, tee gifts, the cash box, a first-aid kit, and a small kit of tape, zip ties, markers, and pens.
• Confirm your people. Call the course pro or outing coordinator, the caterer, and your volunteer leads. Confirm the shotgun time, cart count, and food timing.
• Walk the plan. Map your contest holes, your check-in layout, and where the awards happen, so every volunteer knows their spot before they arrive.

Event-day timeline, hour by hour

Anchor everything to the horn. The table below is built around a 9:00 AM shotgun start. Shift the clock to match your start time and hand a copy to every volunteer lead.

Registration and check-in setup

Check-in is the first thing every player sees, so make it fast and friendly. Open it 90 minutes before the shotgun. For a 9:00 AM start, that means 7:30 AM.

Split the table into stations

Lines form when one person does everything. Spread the work across stations so players move through quickly.

What goes in the foursome packet

Have one packet ready per team: a scorecard, a cart sign with the team name, a rules sheet, drink or meal tickets, and a tee gift for each player. The tee gift is the one thing every player carries home, so make it personalized to the event. Browse golf tournament gifts and golf gift sets to build yours.

Volunteer roles and assignments

Plan about one volunteer for every 8 to 12 players, plus your fixed roles. A 100-player outing usually needs 12 to 18 volunteers. Give each person one job and one spot.

Running the shotgun start

A shotgun start sends every team out at once from a different hole, so the whole field finishes together. It is the right call for any outing with a shared meal or awards. It needs about 72 players to fill an 18-hole course, four per hole.

• Stage carts in reverse order. Line them up so the carts for hole 18 leave first and hole 1 leaves last. It clears the staging area cleanly.
• Cart ratio. Plan one cart for every two players, so a foursome takes two carts.
• Announcements first. Gather everyone 15 to 20 minutes before the horn. Cover the format, the contests, the local rules, the pace expectation, and where lunch and awards happen.
• The horn. Sound an air horn to start. Every group tees off on their assigned hole at the same moment.

Scoring a scramble and breaking ties

Decide your scoring method before the round and print it on the rules sheet. For a four-person scramble, the team writes one score per hole using the best of the four shots.

Gross vs. net

Gross is the raw team score. For net scoring that keeps mixed teams close, apply a team handicap of 25 percent of the A player's course handicap, plus 20 percent of B, 15 percent of C, and 10 percent of D, with A as the lowest handicap. Subtract that from the gross total. As an example, handicaps of 4, 10, 18, and 24 give a team allowance of about 8 strokes.

Breaking a tie

Use a scorecard playoff. Compare net scores on the back nine first, then the last six holes, then the last three, then the 18th hole, until one team is lower. Print the tiebreaker order on the rules sheet so there is no argument at the awards.

Everything you need to print and bring

Printed materials are what make the day look run by professionals. Here is the manifest with quantities.

We produce custom cart signs, hole and tee sponsor signs, sponsor banners, and personalized tee gifts for outings. Send George your sign list and headcount for a quote.

When things go wrong

Something always shifts on event day. A short plan keeps a hiccup from becoming a crisis.

• Weather. Agree a horn signal for a lightning hold with the course. Know where players shelter and how you resume.
• A slow group. Send a marshal to help, and use a pick-up rule at a set max score per hole, such as double par, to hold pace.
• A no-show team. Fill the spot with walk-ups or pair up singles so the field stays even.
• A scorecard dispute. Point to the printed tiebreaker order and the rules sheet. That is why you printed them.
• An injury. Keep the first-aid kit at check-in and the course's emergency contact on your phone.

Post-round and awards flow

The awards turn a good round into next year's event. Run them tight and warm.

• Score while they eat. Open the buffet as groups finish so scoring can verify cards in the background.
• Start about 30 minutes after the last group finishes. With a full field that may be later than your timeline shows, so watch the course, not just the clock. Keep the ceremony itself to 30 to 45 minutes, run by an MC from smaller awards up to the winning team.
• Award real categories. Winning team, runner-up, and each contest winner. A personalized award makes the moment.
• Thank sponsors by name. Out loud and on the banner. They want to be seen.
• Follow up within a week. Send results, photos, a thank-you, and a save-the-date.

For winner gifts and trophies made for your event, browse golf gift sets and personalized golf gifts, or ask George for custom awards with free mockups.

Frequently asked questions

What time should check-in open before a shotgun start?

Open registration 90 minutes before the shotgun. That gives players time to check in, drop bags, hit the range, grab food, and reach their hole. For a 9:00 AM shotgun, open check-in at 7:30 AM and release carts about 10 to 15 minutes before the horn.

How does a shotgun start work?

A shotgun start places one group on every hole at the same time, so all teams begin together when an air horn sounds. Groups play from their starting hole back around to it, so everyone finishes within the same short window, which is ideal for one awards ceremony.

How long does an 18-hole shotgun scramble take?

A four-person shotgun scramble usually takes about 4 to 4.5 hours because every group tees off at once and finishes around the same time. A large field or congestion on the par 3s and par 5s can push it to 5 to 5.5 hours.

How do you score a four-person golf scramble?

The team records one score per hole using the best of the four shots. For net scoring, take 25 percent of the A player's course handicap, plus 20 percent of B, 15 percent of C, and 10 percent of D, then subtract that from the team's gross total. Lowest net wins.

How many volunteers do you need to run a golf tournament?

Plan about one volunteer per 8 to 12 players, plus fixed roles. A 100-player outing usually needs 12 to 18 volunteers: 3 to 4 at check-in, 2 at scoring, 2 to 4 marshals and contest spotters, 1 to 2 for raffle, plus a roving cart and a photographer.

How do you break a tie in a golf scramble?

Use a scorecard playoff. Compare net scores on the back nine first, then the last six holes, then the last three, then the 18th, until one team is lower. Decide the method before play and print it on the rules sheet so there is no dispute.

Related reading: how to plan a golf outing, the golf outing planning checklist, golf tournament formats, and golf tournament games and contests.