How To Buy Golf Awards

So, you've been a member of your golf club for years now. You have become a regular participant in every tournament that is offered to you. You are really enjoying the social aspects of club membership and now somehow (you're not really sure how) you volunteered to head the awards committee. Screw this up and you can be sure you won't find yourself on the top of anyone's party invite list. Don't fear, here is an easy to follow guide on how to organize the task.

O.K., so where to begin? Let's start by taking inventory of the situation:

- When is the awards ceremony?

Why is this the first item on the list? Because most likely whatever it is you select is going to need to be personalized, and that takes time. Some items take longer than others, but no matter what you select, you won't be able to walk into an awards store or shop on line for personalized awards and walk out the door with your awards. You have to plan ahead. Sometimes, the last tournament of the season is very close to the awards event, what do you do then? The answer is to work well in advance with your awards source. Just because you don't have the winner's name for every last event, doesn't mean you can't place your order. Your source for awards should be flexible and willing to accommodate your last minute submission of names for one or two events, so long as you have selected all of the items and submitted the personalization for the majority of events in advance.

- Who are you buying for?

The men, the women, the juniors, all? This will probably have an influence on the type of items you shop for, particularly if you plan to get creative. If you are buying a traditional trophy, it won't make much difference, but these days most recipients will be hoping for something a little more useful than the traditional old dust collector. Today there are more and more types of items that can be personalized in unique ways.

For women, consider more feminine selections that either have a practical use or, can be proudly displayed in a living room, great room, or collector's case. For men, think more in terms of something that can be used by the recipients on a regular basis such as barware or desk accessories. Even embroidered sportswear can be used.

- What to buy?

For men or women, trophies can take many forms. For golf some of the more popular items include hollowware made from pewter or silver plated metal. These items can include trophy cups, Jefferson cups, Mint Julep cups, revere bowls, and trays. Bowls and trays are available in a range of sizes and that can be helpful when buying for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. All of these items can be engraved to create a treasured keepsake that the recipient will value. Pewter is a soft metal that engraves beautifully. Silver plated items have a brighter finish, but will require regular polishing and are therefore less popular. Also, the quality of silver plate has diminished steadily in recent years as cheap imports have displaced old line suppliers from the United States.

Crystal and glass has become more and more popular in recent years. There are a number of reasons for this - the high perceived value, the vast variety of items available, and the appeal to both men and women for starters. Crystal is also available in a wide range of prices. Even when personalized, you will probably find that you can address all of your needs and remain within your budget using personalized crystal. And unlike engraving on metal, which is usually priced by the letter, crystal etching usually allows you fill an allotted space with any number of letters you desire, all for the same price. Barware, trays, bowls, tabletop items, clocks, picture frames, vases, trophies, art glass, plaques are all examples of items made from crystal that make great golf awards when personalized.

- Deciding how to personalize

When it comes to deciding what to engrave, the guideline is less is better. The club name or crest, the event name, the winner(s) name, and the year. Leave out the score or any testimonials describing the nature of the accomplishment. Be prepared with acceptable abbreviations, just in case an item you've selected has a limited space for adding personalization. Having the recipient's name is a great touch when you have the time, just be sure to triple check the spelling of names. If your award supplier is willing to except this information over the telephone, run away as fast as you can. Submit your personalization in written form, a word processing file being the very best way to go.

As you can see, with a little advance planning you will be able to look like a shinning star on awards day, just select your awards provider carefully. Trust your instincts, if you don't feel confident in the merchant's ability to supply your selections on time and correctly personalized move on to the next one. The same goes for shopping on-line. How is the appearance of the web site? Is it well organized? Are the product descriptions complete? Are the product photos large and clear? Is the price including personalization clearly displayed? Do they charge to ship your order? Call them - are you able to speak to a knowledgeable representative, or are you sent to voice mail? If these kinds of details are not well handled, then most likely, neither will your awards be produced to your satisfaction.