Lately I’ve been fielding calls for executive gift ideas. Some marketing directors are planning now which is an excellent idea. If you want a quantity of shirts in a popular color, plan on 4 month’s advance notice to be sure you can get the sizes, styles, and colors you want.

What are great gifts for CEO’s and executives?
If it’s not the right gift it will be re-gifted in minutes. During the holidays, I know some company President’s that select one item and then everything else is put into a holiday grab bag for employees.

The older the executive the more creative you need to be. If the CEO is a popular business leader, i.e. involved in the community, surely he or she will have received just about everything you can imagine, including lots of plaques and clocks. It helps to know a lot about your recipient and the best place to get that information is the executive assistant.

I’ve found two items that are still working strong. The first is the tour size Windbrella golf umbrella. Some have already received one, but maybe lost it or loaned one to a friend who didn’t return it. We’re planning a charity golf tournament now that we gave away the golf umbrella four years ago to. The committee was unanimous in getting the same umbrella because most no longer had their original. None broke, they just were lost over time. Everyone agreed it was the best umbrella they ever had and they really missed it. This is what you want- people remembering what a great gift it was, and where it came from!

The second item is a high quality shirt, which you have to give with forethought. By that, I mean you need to find out the shirt size, color, and style preferences in advance. Why buy all solid black shirts if most of them wear colorful or pinstripe shirts? What’s the risk of running out of large and having the wrong size left for someone who comes later to the registration table? Observe what your recipient wears when he’s not in the office. Take notes at the next tournament you play in, or simply look through the post- tournament pictures of what the executives you want to reach were wearing. Lastly, be careful about logo placement. Many won’t wear shirts with logos, unless it’s what I call a ‘badge of honor’ logo, such as Dan Marino’s Celebrity Golf Tournament.

If you must have a logo, then I recommend the Bugatchi polo golf shirt. If you’re willing to pass up the logo, or are OK with a subtle tonal logo on the sleeve, then I recommend the Bugatchi ribbed shirt. It’s the kind of shirt they always remember where it came from, because they love the shirt so much. Every time they wear it, they’ll feel good and associate those good feelings with your tournament or your company.

From the Fairway
By Christine Speedy

It’s golf tournament time- are you ready?

May kicks off the biggest charity golf tournament schedule of the year, with golf courses willing to make deals to keep the courses full after the snowbirds leave town. It’s also time for seeding and other course maintenance; so if you are a tournament host, verify again your course will be in playable condition since sometimes these schedules can change.

Golf is a game of honor…although if you listen to the chatter, laughs, and whining after a typical round at a charity tournament, you wonder if there is anyone at all who plays by the rules. Or who even knows the rules. Some tournaments, people just want to have fun and taking that improved lie from the rough is just part of their game. Or maybe they just ‘forgot’ how many mulligan’s they used up. For others, adhering to the strict rules of golf is part of the game.

Maybe it’s the amount of money invested (from zero to $2500) that drives the honesty factor, but I don’t think so. I think in large part it stems from how players play their weekly game. How frequently do you play every ball as it lies vs. giving yourself an improved lie since it’s only for fun? I’ve seen some guys who roll the ball with their club ON EVERY SHOT to get it to set up right. They don’t change their game at tournament time. Then there is the player who is having a great game, but has a few bad shots. “I’m not counting that one.” Do you see the trend?

Regardless of your weekly game with buddies, in tournaments players need to be mindful of the rules. Enjoy yourself and play any way you want. But if you turn in a scorecard to contend as a winner, make sure you are signing the card with an honest score. You may not win, but at least no one will be talking about how you cheat either.

Local event: March 20 – 23 PGA World Golf Championships-CA Championship Doral Golf Resort & Spa

Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
From the Fairway is published in a regional print magazine in the Lighthouse Pt. FL area.