Competitive golfers look forward to golf tournaments. The handicap determines what class they will enter. Class A, B, C, D and the Ladies’ Division. But there’s another division that people forget to mention--one special division in which everyone is a part of—The Raffle Division! Yehey!!!
Usually, trophies and prizes are given to the Over-all champion, the Gross and Net champions and the 1st – 3rd runners-up for each class. If you count how many win in each tournament, including team competitions, that’s around 30 players or less. Only 30 golfers or less get to bring home a trophy or a special prize. Let us say that there is an average participation of about 120 players per tournament.
So what happens to the rest? What happens to the 90 other golfers who joined…better luck next time…again, and again, and again... hahaha! So you ask them, why they keep joining even if they have a very small chance of winning…it’s because of the ‘Raffle Division!’
You don’t have to play well to win a raffle prize. LUCK is what you need, lots of it! You can win all sorts of items, from a small face towel to a 21” TV set; from a set of golf balls to a microwave oven; you can also win hotel accommodations and airline tickets.
So never mind if you lose in the tournament. There’s still a chance to win a prize at the awards ceremony, and get free food plus a little entertainment. Wear your lucky shirt, bring your pregnant wife, say a prayer to your patron saint or the dearly departed—do what you have to do to get luck on your side.
At the clubhouse, the driving range, parties and other social gatherings, you hear people talk about the coming tournaments asking—“Are you joining this ‘so and so’ tournament?” This is usually answered with 3 more questions—“What’s the first prize?” “Is there a ‘hole-in-one’ prize?” and “What are the major raffle prizes?”
Future organizers of golf tournaments, my suggestion is, if you want plenty of golfers to participate, give importance to the Raffle Division. It is every golfer’s dream—to win a very expensive prize and still retain his incredibly high handicap, hahaha…..
