Golf tournaments often help charities

NEW GROOVE: Steve Diemoz, golf professional at Montaup Country Club in Portsmouth, says charitable events have largely replaced corporate outings at the club. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
NEW GROOVE: Steve Diemoz, golf professional at Montaup Country Club in Portsmouth, says charitable events have largely replaced corporate outings at the club. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

The traditional corporate golf outing isn’t what it used to be, and for nonprofit and charitable causes, that has turned into a beneficial trend.

Companies are organizing charitable golf tournaments to benefit philanthropic causes, including scholarship funds or efforts to research cancer treatment, rather than sponsoring traditional, recreational outings for employees.

Of the seven to eight golf outings scheduled this summer at the semiprivate Montaup Country Club in Portsmouth, all are charitable events, said Steve Diemoz, golf professional.

Before the recession, the special events would be more tilted toward companies, he said.

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A large insurance company and an association for pharmacists in Rhode Island are among the corporate outings that have dropped off, he said. Now, events at the country club are scheduled by groups such as the Tiverton Boosters, which will raise funds for the town’s athletic teams.

Many companies don’t have the discretionary dollars to spend or are directing them in different ways, he said.

“I don’t see the corporate outings coming back,” he said. “I see the charitable [events] continuing, but I don’t see the ‘just for fun’ corporate events.”

The charitable golf tournament, organized by companies, sometimes is designed to include employees. It can become like a corporate outing, in that co-workers can play together and build team dynamics. At other times, these tournaments may be organized by a company but directed at supporters and clients, more as a fundraiser than a team-building exercise.

The Newport National Golf Club, a semiprivate, highly ranked facility, does have corporate outings, but the numbers that are booked have declined since the beginning of the Great Recession, said Robin Hyson, general manager.

“It just isn’t the same,” she said. Instead, companies are more likely to host philanthropic golf events, where employees and invitees raise funds for a given, worthy cause. “Employees get together, and the proceeds go to a well-deserved charity. That seems to be the future of that type of play.”

Golf outings remain popular among companies for networking and promoting relationships, she said, because in comparison to other choices in corporate outings, an 18-hole round of golf takes more than four hours and puts a client in close proximity to the hosts. “It keeps them directly with their clients,” she said.

At Warwick Country Club, tournaments are scheduled through the summer, said Lisa Wright, the clubhouse manager at the private golf course. “The charity golf tournaments are very prevalent,” she said. For a fee, the companies can host a charitable event at the country club, where guests are feted with fine food and treated to a day on the course, with areas set up on the course to allow the golfers to take a break.

It’s designed to be a fun, community-building outing, she said, in addition to raising funds.

“We have one every Monday all summer long,” she said. “All of our outings are corporate outings that are tied into fundraising. I do about 15 a season.”

Some of the recent companies that have used the country club include Saint Elizabeth Community, a nonprofit charitable organization focused on elder care. Its organizer said in the previous three years, the golf events have raised $25,000 to $30,000 for the organization.

“It provides good income for us,” said Sharon Garland, chief philanthropy officer for Saint Elizabeth Community.

At the state’s highest-ranked private golf clubs, corporate outings are more limited and almost always at the invitation of a club member. In these clubs, the members expect a degree of exclusivity, so the management is more selective in allowing special events.

The Carnegie Abbey Club, in Portsmouth, recently agreed to host a corporate event for BMW in the fall, according to General Manager Dean Chase. In September, the private club will host Roger Williams University, for a university-related event for donors, alumni and prominent university officials.

The club has the advantage of having multiple recreational facilities, including a full-service spa, a riding stable and outdoor trails, as well as tennis and other amenities. Often, he said, corporations will arrange for outings that allow employees to choose among these options.

Most corporate outings involve 12-16 people at Carnegie Abbey, Chase said. “Some employees will play golf. Some will use the spa,” he said. “We have tennis and equestrian facilities as well, trail rides, outdoor and indoor riding facilities.” •

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