Ward Sutton, a PGA Master Professional, is the PGA general manager at Hidden Valley Country Club in Reno, Nevada.

Like a lot of golf facilities around the country, we at Hidden Valley Country Club try our hardest to make sure our member-guest and member-member tournaments are the best around, and give our golfers a reason to participate year after year. We recently started offering long drive and closest to the hole contests during these tournaments in hopes of keeping our golfers entertained and engaged while at the club. However, unlike a lot of similar contests, we use our FlightScope system’s game functions indoors with a net near our restaurant. We hold the contests indoors for two reasons: First, logistically, it’s easier than having members of our staff out on the range or a green measuring each shot, which also helps eliminate human error. Secondly, it helps keep people near the restaurant, keeping food & beverage busy.

We have been offering these indoor technology-oriented contests during our member-guest and member-member tournaments for the past four years and have seen the participation rate grow each year. This past year, we had 120 players participate, which shows how popular these contests have become. In addition to the increased food & beverage sales, which is quite substantial compared to what it used to be prior to these contests, we charge $5 per contestant and pay out approximately one-third of the field in golf shop credit. So not only are the golfers ordering more food & beverage, but they are helping to move our golf shop inventory as well.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email wardsutton@pga.com

Editor’s note: The above comments reflect the opinion and experiences of the submitting PGA Professional and are not endorsed by PGA Magazine or the PGA of America.