ESPN NATIONAL GOLF CHALLENGE 2010 :: Searching for America's Best 2 some :: Q & A
 

1. So what's in it for me? 
Everyone wins – your club, the players and your golf professional. An exciting event means increased exposure which results in more revenues and more prospects for your club. Be one of the few if not the only club in your area to participate. Get another (non competing) club to sign up and receive an incentive – see question 14. 

Your pro ALSO is a winner as he may receive up to $1000 upon local site settlement for reaching certain player thresholds from combined events. Additionally, up to two of your professional staff will receive an invitation to play in the $125,000 Pro Invitational that will be run in conjunction with the ESPN National Finals which also includes a skins game. These invitations are also based on combined player thresholds.

Host 60 or more cumulative players – receive $500 and 1 pro receives an invitation to the National Finals.
Host 100 or more cumulative players – receive $1000 and 2 pros receive an invitation to the National Finals.
Host 160 or more cumulative players – receive $1500 and 2 pros receive an invitation to the National Finals.  

Your club pro may also qualify by following your Local Host site winning teams who win the regional event and then advance to the National Finals (subject to your site hosting a minimum of 24 players). 

Attending pros will receive $250 Free Play Chips (plus $200 more for staying at the host hotel). They will also receive a gift bag and invitations to all sponsored functions. Hotel, airfare, and airport transfers are at the pro's own expense. They will be offered reduced rates at the host hotel and transportation to and from the Paiute Resort and the hotel are complimentary.

Finals are October 21 – 23, 2010 at the Las Vegas Paiute Resort.

Your club may be selected to host a Regional Qualifier. These sites are selected in the spring from the local sites that have strong player participation. Priority consideration will be given to Legendary Marketing Partner sites. 

2. What are some highlights?
The published entry fee in ESPN promotional materials and website is $60 however the fee to be remitted back to ESPN per player is $49. You may charge anything you desire above the $49 rate that is to be remitted back to ESPN. Your fee needs to include cart, applicable guest fees and any other service or amenity that you would like to add.

A new Senior division has been added for players 55 years and older. To be eligible, you must be at least 55 this year. Both players must be 55 years or older to compete.

Juniors are allowed to play as long as there is one person over the age of 21 in the twosome. Promote this to your junior members

Callaway is again the title sponsor and tee prizes remain the same: a dozen Callaway Tour iz golf balls (MSRP - $54) and an annual subscription to Golf Magazine ($48.00 value at the newsstand). Tee prize fulfillment for golf balls will be done on day of play for those who register at least two weeks in advance for your event! 

Your participants may take advantage of the triple play program where they can play with three other players. They pay another $49 they triple their chances of winning – see question 10 for more information.

The close out procedure is explained in ESPN National Golf Challenge tournament kit. $358 must be collected by each Local Site for any team advancing to the Regional Qualifying events. All advancing teams and/or the top 3 winners' scorecards in each division need to be copied and forwarded to ESPN. 

3. What is the difference between a “PRIVATE-Members Only” and an “OPEN to the Public” event/site? 

The PRIVATE site is strictly for your members and their invited guests. An OPEN site will take any outside players as well as members. An open event is a perfect “create your own” event on an available Monday or slow weekend afternoon, which would generate additional guest and cart fees. Additionally the exposure (and access) to non-members could possibly create membership prospects.

Don't forget to invite area clubs (that aren't hosting an ESPN National Golf Challenge) to bring teams to play.

Statement stuffers, counter displays, press releases, newsletter inserts and best practices have been developed for both open and closed events and will be forwarded to you in later emails. You will want to do your own blurb in your newsletter and e-mail blasts giving more details about your event(s).

Please note that only your OPEN date is posted on the ESPN National Golf Challenge  website.

4. How do I sign my club up? 

Go to www.espngolf.com and register your club under “Register Now” or “Register Your Site” under “Professional”. In the comments section, you must type in LEGENDARY PARTNER. This ensures that we will be able to promote your club to our nationwide database of 3 million golfers. Additionally, this gives your club priority consideration for hosting a regional qualifier which is means more tournament dollars for your club.

Only open events will be posted on the www.espngolf.com website.

5. What is the format of the tournament?  

The format is a net better ball of the twosome. Handicap is a maximum of 24 per player. Each participant MUST be an amateur under USGA guidelines and will be required to have a valid USGA (or other recognized handicap issued by a regional or state handicap organization). All participants will receive 100% of their handicap adjusted to course handicap at club played in the Net and Senior Divisions.

Each local site must advance at least two teams including one Net and one Gross to the regional qualifier from every local qualifying site. At 12+ teams advance 3 teams including one Net and one Gross, 20+ teams advance 4 teams including one Net and one Gross, 30+ teams advance 5 teams including one Net and one Gross and so on. Advancing teams may be any combination of Net or Gross as determined by the local qualifying site's Head Golf Professional. Ties will advance.

Regional qualifiers will advance one Net and one Gross two-person team to the National Finals in Las Vegas in November. Ties will advance also. 

6. Do I have to run separate Gross, Net and Senior divisions? 

It is up to the individual facility to determine if this makes sense for them. If you only have a few "legitimate" scratch teams, you may prefer to host your event as a combined event and Gross, Net and Senior winners will come from the entire field. Therefore players would not have to designate up front if they are playing in the Gross or Net Divisions.

7.  How do my members and outside players register? 

The ESPN web site hot links the viewers to the clubs' web sites which will ALL have the ESPN National Golf Challenge icon on them. Legendary Marketing Full Service Partners will have a registration site on their website for players which will be a two step process to pre-register with the club online. 

Pre-registration is not complete until payment has been made by the player. Payment cannot be done online but can be collected at the club for all players anyway the club would like to do so. It is recommended that you collect a deposit or payment in full in advance from the daily fee participants. Members can be billed on their monthly statements.

If you are not a Legendary Marketing Full Service Partner, then you will have to devise your own registration plan for players.

8. Golf ball fulfillment is done on day of play.  How does that work? 

ESPN will contact the club 2 weeks to 10 days out asking for the player sign up at that point. Players signed up at this point will have golf ball fulfillment on day of play.  ESPN will send via 2 day UPS, in 12 dozen increments, enough balls to cover your count.  You are responsible for these balls including any ones leftover after giving each participant their dozen.  ANY LEFTOVERS ARE TO BE SENT BACK TO ESPN.  Or they may be purchased for $25.  If purchased, they may only be used as prizes or giveaways at other events. THEY MAY NOT BE SOLD AS IT MAY JEOPARDIZE YOUR AGREEMENT WITH YOUR OTHER VENDORS SUCH AS TITLEIST. They may only be sold if you are permitted to sell Callaway balls. If they aren't returned (or bought), you will be charged per dozen for the overage.

If you are short balls the day of your event due to last minute sign up, you will need to notify ESPN and they will send the balls to the club to distribute at a later time to your last minute sign ups. You will be responsible for this fulfillment afterwards so encourage sign up at least two weeks in advance so that they get their golf balls that day and be sure to get accurate information from OPEN event players in case you have to do fulfillment afterwards.


9. What else can I include to “beef up” the entry fee? 

You may include (bundle) any other amenity of service that your desire such as a boxed lunch, tickets for beverage cart, range balls, “Member for a Day” repeat play invitation for a foursome at another time (if applicable), merchandise discount certificate for that day, etc. Have a closest to the pin and long drive contest with prizes. Make it an event!

10. Other than cart signs, posters, and a table display in the club, what are some other ways that I can promote my event to my members? 

The most successful events INCLUDE the regional fees into the local site entry fee so that the advancing teams to have to pay anything. You can also beef up your event with such things mentioned above along with other on course games, price it appropriately and PROMOTE it. The easiest way to succeed is to pair the CLOSED EVENT with another scheduled club event such as a member – member or member – guest.  Talk it up with your members. Remember that by fielding 60+ players, you earn a spot at the $125,000 Club Pro event during the Finals and a check for $500 when closing out your local event. 100+ players gets a second invitation and a $1000 check. 160+ players gets an invitation and a $1500 check.

11. How else can I increase participation at my event? 

Your participants may, as an option, “triple play”  their foursome. This allows each player to partner with the other 3 players in their foursome during the event. Each player of that foursome must pay an additional $49 entry fee. Your club would be credited with 8 players instead of 4. Each player would receive an additional gift.

Legendary Marketing Partners will also receive promotion of their events through our 3 million golfer databases.

12. What materials will be available this year? 

ESPN will be sending out the tournament kit along with window decal clings, posters and information cards as soon as you register your site. Legendary Marketing will supply best practices, statement stuffers, counter display, press release newsletter inserts when you register at www.legendaryespngolf.com.

13. What about regional qualifiers? How can I host one? 

The regional qualifiers will be held in late August through early September around the country. The sites are selected by ESPN in the spring as a result of where the areas with the highest local qualifying sites are so that they are convenient to the teams advancing. If you are interested in hosting one of these prestigious events, register online after you have registered your site and date. Legendary Marketing Partners will be given preference do to the relationship in place with Legendary Marketing. 

14. What do I get if I sign up another club that won't be competing with mine for players? 

Make sure your facility is already registered at www.legendaryespngolf.com and www.espngolf.com. Then each facility you convince to participate and host at least 24 players, you will receive an additional $150 in free play chips at the 2010 National Finals IF YOU QUALIFY IN YOUR OWN RIGHT (reaching player count thresholds or your home club team advancing to the finals with a minimum of 24 players in your local qualifier). Your referred club will need to go through the same registration process as you did through www.legendaryespngolf.com and www.espngolf.com. They MUST include your site name in the comments section of their registration form on the www.espngolf.com site. Sites already registered with us for 2010 are not eligible. 

15. What if I still have questions? 

Direct questions to Leslie Devitz at leslie@legendarymarketing.com or 727-421-6069.