Article #66
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Dear Jitterbug:
There are five members at our club who together are willing to put up money for me to travel and play in mini-tour events. They have asked that I write up a proposal, but I don't really know where to start. Any thoughts?
Wayne Dullivan
Jitterbug Gang Fan
Jitterbug:
Your prospective sponsors are well within their rights, Wayne. They need to know things like, How much money will you need? Are we talking one year? Two? Three?
And, you need to know, too. After all, there are some arrangements that simply do not lend well to the ultimate goal of the player playing his best. For instance, I know a young man who was given sponsor money to play in a series of Carolina mini-tour events. His deal was as follows: If you make money this week, we'll give you money to play in the next event. If not, forget it.
That's better than nothing, but not much. If you cut a deal like this you can count on a case of nerves exactly like you had when you stood on the 18th hole needing par to beat your all time best score, except it will be for every shot of every tournament round you play. How's that for ease and comfort?
Rather, the idea behind good sponsorship is to take pressure off the player, remove the do-or-die element that buries the inexperienced tournament player.
My advice is that you work a deal that will best free you up so you can just play golf. This will be better for your game and better for those investing in you.
Mr. Vaughn:
Young golfers think because they can shoot 67 on their home course they can waltz out onto the tournament scene and do the same thing. And, they're right, they can. But, only after they've played enough tournaments so they are just as comfortable standing on the first tee at a big event as they are on Saturday morning at their home club.
Admittedly, it's a safe bet that most golfers who try won't ever make a decent living playing in tournaments. But, in many cases, the reason has less to do with the potential of the player and more to do with how soon he or she gave up. So, with regard to your question, the agreement you make should address the long-term with the understanding that you're simply not going to play well straight out of the gate.
Lord Berry:
Bobby Jones once said, "There is golf, and then there is tournament golf. Don't ever let someone tell you they're the same thing."
Enough said, I think.