Sacred Heart Charity Golf Classic: Captain Guide
Who owns what, what to do and when. Five captains run the tournament, with a treasurer and a chair behind them. Every date below counts back from tournament day, so the plan works from the first day. Tournament day is Monday, September 20, 2027.
- Date, 2027: Monday, September 20, 2027
- Venue: Newcastle / China Creek Golf Course
- Field: Up to 36 foursomes (144 players)
- Beneficiaries: PREPARES and Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids
How we work
Each captain recruits a small team of Brothers and owns one area from start to finish.
Weekly check-inA 15-minute call or short written update each week from the first milestone until tournament day. Send blockers to the chair early.
One shared trackerKeep the roster, sponsor list, auction list and volunteer list in one shared spreadsheet so every captain sees the same numbers.
Hand-offs are namedWhere two areas touch (for example sponsor holes and course tents), both captains are listed. The first one named leads.
2026 benchmarks. About 30 foursomes (120 players) registered against a contracted maximum of 36. Gross golf income was roughly $61,000 against roughly $40,000 of event expense. Use these as the starting targets for 2027 and confirm the 2027 budget with the chair.
Registration & Tee Sheet Captain
Captain: ______________________Works with: Treasurer, Course captain, Day-of captain
Owns everything between a player deciding to play and that player teeing off: sign-up, payment, the roster, the tee sheet, scoring setup and the check-in tables.
Responsibilities
- Build and publish the online registration page (2026 used Kajabi with Stripe payments).
- Set packages with the chair. 2026 packages: Four Player + Hole Sponsor, Four Player, Three, Two and One Player, plus Mulligan / Move-Up add-ons.
- Track the cap of 36 foursomes and run a waitlist if it fills.
- Handle refunds, substitutions and name changes. Tell the treasurer about every refund the same day.
- Keep the master roster: team numbers, single players matched into teams, Mulligan buyers flagged.
- Set up Golf Genius scoring and send the player load sheet (Excel) to the course.
- Run the check-in tables: name list, player packets, contest information, Mulligan wristbands or cards.
Timeline
- T-24 wks Registration page and packages ready; test a payment and a refund.
- T-20 wks Registration opens. Send the link to last year's players first.
- T-8 wks Check count against the 144 cap and the course minimum. Report to chair.
- T-3 wks Registration closes. Draft team list and tee sheet.
- T-2 wks Send final player load sheet and headcount to the course.
- T-1 wk Final tee sheet, check-in lists and player packets printed.
- Day Check-in opens 45 minutes before tee-off.
- +3 days Send final results and roster to the treasurer.
Lessons from 2026
- A duplicate team number appeared late and every later team had to shift. Check for duplicates before the sheet goes to the course.
- Verify the final player count against the contracted maximum before sending anything.
Course & Newcastle Admin Captain
Captain: ______________________Works with: Chair, Treasurer, Registration captain, Sponsor captain
The council's single point of contact with the course. Owns the contract, the dinner, the on-course setup and every contest on the course, including its insurance.
Responsibilities
- Confirm September 20 with the course and agree a backup date. Agree a rain and wildfire-smoke policy and share it with registration.
- Review and sign the contract with the chair. Track the deposit, the final guarantee and the final invoice with the treasurer.
- Choose the menu, the dinner time, the bar arrangements, the room layout, microphone and tables for the auction.
- Complete and return the course requirements form and confirm the course's liability requirements.
- Set the contests. 2026 used a hole-in-one on Hole 2 (175 yards, Honda prize), closest-to-the-pin on Holes 9 (men) and 15 (women), and long drive on Holes 1 (men) and 10 (women).
- Obtain the hole-in-one insurance and keep the certificate with you on tournament day.
- Arrange carts (volunteer carts, two beverage carts), water stations with cups, tents and the snack shack.
- Agree hole assignments for sponsors with the Sponsor captain and give the course the tent list.
Timeline
- T-36 wks Request the contract for September 20, a backup date and a holding deposit.
- T-30 wks Contract signed. Deposit paid.
- T-16 wks Menu, dinner time, bar and room plan agreed.
- T-12 wks Contest holes chosen. Hole-in-one prize and insurance quote started.
- T-6 wks Course requirements form returned. Insurance bound.
- T-3 wks Water station count and placement finalized. Carts and tents confirmed.
- T-2 wks Final guarantee and dinner count sent. Load sheet confirmed received.
- T-1 wk Walk-through call with the course; confirm setup times.
- +1 wk Final invoice paid and reconciled with the treasurer.
Lessons from 2026
- These five items were still open a few days out: hole-in-one insurance, water station count and placement, the course requirements form (copy the course's coordinator), the player load sheet and the final player count. Close them by the dates above.
Sponsors & Marketing Captain
Captain: ______________________Works with: Course captain, Registration captain, Day-of captain
Owns hole sponsors and all outreach that fills the field: the announcement, email, parish and radio promotion, signage and the thank-yous afterward.
Responsibilities
- Set sponsor levels with the chair. 2026 offered a standalone hole sponsorship and a foursome with hole sponsorship.
- Contact last year's sponsors first, then new businesses. Keep a sponsor list with status, amount, logo received and hole assigned.
- Assign holes with the Course captain. Collect logos and order signs and banners.
- Arrange the sponsorship table and sponsor recognition script for dinner.
- Send the save-the-date once the date is chosen, then a registration email series to past players, parishes and councils.
- Produce the flyer, brochure and website text. Place bulletin announcements in the surrounding parishes.
- Promote on Sacred Heart Radio and social media.
- Arrange a photographer or video volunteer and share images with sponsors.
- Send thank-you emails to players and sponsors and a results summary after the event.
Timeline
- T-36 wks Send the save-the-date for Monday, September 20, 2027.
- T-28 wks Sponsor packet and list ready; first sponsor calls begin.
- T-20 wks Registration email launch, bulletin items and radio spots begin.
- T-12 wks Sponsor commitments due. Logos collected.
- T-8 wks Second push to players and parishes. Photographer confirmed.
- T-4 wks Sponsor hole assignments sent to the course. Signs ordered.
- T-1 wk Sponsor reminder: time, tent location, what to bring.
- +2 days Thank-you emails, photos and results out.
Lessons from 2026
- The tournament moved from early June to September 20 because the end of the school year made June hard for many players. Tell last year's players about the new date first, and explain the reason.
Auction, Donations & Mission Captain
Captain: ______________________Works with: Treasurer, Day-of captain, Sponsor captain
Owns the auction, the donation appeals and the story of why we play. This is where much of the evening's giving comes from.
Responsibilities
- Recruit auction items. 2026 included two vacation homes, a Dacels jewelry gift card, Kraken suite tickets, Mariners tickets and a signed magnum of Passing Time Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Write each item description: a short, vivid paragraph with value, minimum bid and the donor's name.
- Pick a format (live, silent or both). Keep a live auction to 5 to 8 items and line up an auctioneer.
- Set up the fund-a-need appeals. 2026 used Coats for Kids ($28 a coat, $170 half case, $340 full case) and PREPARES ($50, $150, $450, $900 levels).
- Confirm with the chair how the Knights of Columbus match will be described in all copy.
- Arrange the PREPARES and Coats for Kids speakers or stories for the mission moment, and confirm the donation links.
- Collect donated items before the event and keep a donor list for receipts.
- Plan payment at dinner: card terminal, bid numbers, checkout table and volunteers.
- Send donor thank-yous and receipts within one week, using wording from the treasurer.
Timeline
- T-28 wks Confirm beneficiaries and giving levels with the chair. Start item requests.
- T-16 wks Target list of 10 or more items committed.
- T-8 wks Item descriptions written; photos and values collected.
- T-6 wks Auction format, auctioneer and checkout plan set. Speakers invited.
- T-3 wks Brochure or program copy to the Sponsor captain. Payment terminal tested.
- T-1 wk All items in hand or confirmed. Bid sheets or numbers printed.
- Day Display items at check-in. Run auction and appeals at dinner.
- +1 wk Donor thank-yous and receipts out. Winners' items delivered.
Lessons from 2026
- Giving levels tied to a concrete result (for example, one case of diapers) were easy for guests to say yes to.
- Confirm the specific prize details early, such as the Honda model for the hole-in-one.
Day-of Event & Program Captain
Captain: ______________________Works with: All captains
Owns the volunteer roster and the run-of-show from setup through teardown, including prayers, speakers, the dinner program and awards.
Responsibilities
- Recruit Knights to the roles below and confirm each one in writing. Everyone gets a one-page job description.
- 2026 roles: greeting and check-in, sponsor hole coordination, hole-in-one car, Sacred Heart Radio table, sponsorship table setup, dinner speakers, awards, clergy coordination.
- Write the run-of-show with times and who cues whom. Print copies for every captain.
- Program order: opening prayer, welcome and mission moment, housekeeping, tee-off, dinner welcome, sponsor and council recognition, mission update, auction, awards, closing remarks and closing prayer.
- Coordinate the priest or chaplain for the opening and closing prayers.
- Collect scoring results from Golf Genius and prepare awards. 2026 paid first place only.
- Run the morning huddle, own the setup and teardown lists and the supply box (signs, tables, tablecloths, cash box, markers, tape).
Timeline
- T-16 wks Role list drafted. Ask for volunteers at the council meeting.
- T-8 wks Roster filled. Chaplain and speakers confirmed.
- T-4 wks Draft run-of-show to all captains for comment.
- T-2 wks Volunteer briefing call (30 minutes). Job descriptions sent.
- T-1 wk Final run-of-show and supply box packed. Reminder to all volunteers.
- Day Setup 11:00 AM and morning huddle. Cue the program.
- +1 wk Thank volunteers. Hold a debrief with all captains.
Lessons from 2026
- Keep each speaking segment short; players are tired and hungry by dinner. The mission moment is the most important thing said all day.
Treasurer and Chair
Two supporting roles that keep the five captains on track.
Treasurer
- Set the budget with the chair and track it against actual spending.
- Be the only person who pays course invoices, deposits and prize costs.
- Reconcile registrations, refunds, terminal sales and checks weekly. In 2026 the totals drifted and needed a line-by-line audit.
- Supply receipt and acknowledgment wording, including the value of items bought at auction.
- Handle the Knights of Columbus match paperwork and file the final financial report.
- Report income and expense to the chair at T-12, T-4 and +2 weeks.
Chair
- Appoint the five captains and confirm September 20 is on every calendar.
- Approve packages, pricing, beneficiaries and budget.
- Chair the weekly check-ins and clear blockers.
- Confirm insurance and compliance. Ask the state council whether any raffle or game of chance needs a license; an auction generally does not, but check.
- Be the council's voice for sponsors, the course and the beneficiaries.
- Lead the debrief and write next year's lessons into this guide.
Master timeline
T-minus counts weeks before tournament day, Monday, September 20, 2027. T-36 weeks falls on January 11, 2027, and T-20 weeks (registration opens) falls on May 3, 2027.
- T-36 wks Save-the-date sent. Course contract requested for September 20. (Chair, Sponsors, Course)
- T-30 wks Contract signed and deposit paid. Captains appointed and teams recruited. (Course, Chair)
- T-28 wks Sponsor outreach and item requests begin. Beneficiaries confirmed. (Sponsors, Auction)
- T-24 wks Registration page tested and ready. (Registration)
- T-20 wks Registration opens. Promotion starts. (Registration, Sponsors)
- T-16 wks Menu set. Role list drafted. 10 or more auction items committed. (Course, Day-of, Auction)
- T-12 wks Sponsor commitments due. Contest holes and insurance quote. Budget check. (Sponsors, Course, Treasurer)
- T-8 wks Registration count check. Roster filled. Item descriptions written. (Registration, Day-of, Auction)
- T-6 wks Insurance bound. Course requirements form returned. Auction format set. (Course, Auction)
- T-4 wks Hole assignments and signs. Draft run-of-show. Budget check. (Sponsors, Day-of, Treasurer)
- T-3 wks Registration closes. Water stations, carts and tents final. (Registration, Course)
- T-2 wks Load sheet and final headcount to the course. Volunteer briefing. (Registration, Course, Day-of)
- T-1 wk Tee sheet printed. All items in hand. Walk-through call with the course. (All)
- Day See the schedule below. (All)
- +2 days Thank-yous, photos and results out. (Sponsors)
- +1 wk Donor receipts. Final invoice paid. Debrief held. (Auction, Treasurer, Chair)
- +2 wks Final financial report to the council. Lessons added to this guide. (Treasurer, Chair)
Tournament day schedule
The 2026 schedule, used as the starting template. Confirm times with the course.
- 11:00 AM Early arrival, setup and team meeting. (Day-of)
- 12:15 PM Players arrive and check in near the putting green. (Registration)
- 1:15 PM Opening prayer, welcome, the Knights of Columbus and the mission for the day. (Day-of)
- 1:30 PM Tee-off. (Course)
- 6:30 PM Dinner, sponsor recognition, auction and appeals for Coats for Kids and PREPARES, awards, closing prayer. (Day-of, Auction)
Vivat Jesus. Knights of Columbus, Sacred Heart Council 8136. Dates and package details above are 2026 plans to be confirmed for 2027.
