ADVICE FOR THE CHAIRMAN….

1. Reach out and make personal contact with the host course/resort’s Golf Pros / Tournament Directors months in advance.  Establish a relationship and send him past tournament guides and formats so that he understands our traditions.  That Pro will then be more inclined to assist us on the front end with customized scorecards; live scoring; group photo arrangements and the like.  He will be more invested in our event – invite him to the Opening Ceremonies and/or grab coffee with him prior to a round.  You may even get a crucial swing tip after establishing the bond.   The Pro is a valuable resource and also a guy you want in your corner!
2. Being a Chairman means striking that balance of diplomacy and dictatorship.  You and the Emeritus need to be firm with the group in everything from format to team composition; to dinner itineraries; to tee times.  16 guys prefer direction and being told where to be more than you would think.  However, there are occasions where feeling the pulse of the group of 16 is important – i.e. gauging their preference on allowing RangeFinders in competitive rounds.  If there is an overwhelming sentiment one way or the other, than perhaps you adopt the players’ opinion as rule prior to tournament play.  However, if the feelings are split on an issue that you open up to the floor, then you must have the conviction to stand by a hard and fast rule. You will never keep all 16 players perfectly happy – whether you enact a rule or decide against it – but you must stand firm.
3. Just as it is important to make the host Pro and/or keynote speakers etc feel “invested” in the Ponce, one of my strongest beliefs is that each player enjoys “ownership” over the tournament.  A lot of that is manifested in the rotating Chairman system.  A good Chairman will always welcome new ideas from the group on the fly, just as a good Chairman will feel empowered to bring his own “wrinkles” to each annual event.  Ideally, these tweaks – while still carrying forth the traditions – reflect that Chairman’s personality so that he can add his own legacy to the Ponce.
4. Tournament Scoreboards – requires good coordination with the Tournament Director.
5. Make sure they are posted somewhere central for post tourney cocktails where everyone can view and get the chatter going. Have them posted at the Champions Dinner.
6. Set-up a keg or a barrel of beer at the 18th hole and let people know they should stick around and watch all the groups come through for one, two or all of the days. If you build it, they will come.  Create a real “finishing hole.”
7. Live scoring during singles – a cart and a motivated pro!
8. Tournament Players Guide – This takes time, but is a huge value add for everyone tournament week.
9. Be creative with the Champions Dinner. Don’t just make a reservation at a restaurant, but plan an event. Done well – this is the culmination of the weekend – it is raucous, tasty and fun. Set a budget for the menu that you and Neil think is appropriate for the losing team to have to afford. It doesn’t need to have caviar and $1000 champagne, (If somebody wants that – that’s fine – they just have to pay for it individually) but people should drink as much table wine as they want, have a steak dinner and the winning team should pop some bubble to drink from the cup. The amount should be set at the opening ceremony so there’s no bad blood. Expectations are key. There is no reason this should cause any bad blood at the Champions Dinner.
10. The little touches that you think of will differentiate your tournament. For example, Johnny Mac brought us to Sea Island, but Palmore brought Golf Digest, made the Tournament Players Guide and had Live Scoring the next year, which made his tournament, at the same venue, the very next year, unique.
11. Put some thought and effort into the gear that you buy. There is nothing people like more than good Ponce gear and nothing they despise more than crappy gear they’ll never wear again. Although a good shirt is the norm, think outside the box and look at stuff we’ve never or rarely done like a sweater, golf towel, Patagonia vest or fleece, hats, visors, gym bags, etc. Although it is nice to commemorate the year and venue you are hosting, talk to Neil about how to do it subtley so you can and want to wear this stuff again. Good gear takes lead-time so start 6 months in advance.
12. Pick a charity that is one that either ties into to the venue or the game of golf at-large, an important current event or international need or your personal philanthropic interests. I recommend that you set $100 as a minimum contribution and collect from everyone at the site and make a lump sum donation from the PDL. You will want to announce the charity at the opening ceremony. It was embarrassing when the Chairman one year “forgot.”

Being Chairman of the Ponce should be fun. We already have a great format – just be yourself, be creative and put some energy and effort into it and it will be memorable and incredible