Tuesday’s Tournament Tip: Safety 🚑

Golf Tournament Safety: How to Build a Plan That Protects Your Players

Safety is the part of tournament planning nobody thinks about until they need it — and by then it’s too late. A round of golf spreads 100-plus people across a wide-open course, exposed to weather and the occasional medical emergency, often far from the clubhouse. As the founder of Colorado Under Par, I’ve learned that a simple, well-prepared safety plan is what lets you run the day with confidence instead of crossing your fingers. Here’s how to build one.

Start by identifying the risks

Every course and every event is a little different, so begin by walking through your specific risks. Look at the course layout — water hazards, steep cart paths, blind holes, areas far from access roads. Factor in your field: a larger or older crowd changes your medical preparation. And consider your activities — a hole-in-one or long-drive contest may encourage bigger, riskier swings. Once you know where the risks are, you can plan for each one rather than reacting on the day.

Prepare for medical emergencies

The most important part of any safety plan is being ready if someone gets hurt or ill:

• Stock a well-supplied first-aid kit — bandages, antiseptic, pain relievers, instant cold packs, and basic supplies, kept somewhere central and known to your team.
• Have an AED on hand and know where it is. Cardiac events are the real risk at golf events, especially with an older field — an automated external defibrillator and someone who knows how to use it can save a life. Confirm whether the course has one and where.
• Train your team. Make sure key staff and volunteers know basic first aid and CPR, and assign clear emergency roles — one person calls 911, another meets and guides EMS to the exact spot on the course (location is the hard part on a sprawling property).
• Know your medical info. Note the nearest hospital and urgent care, keep emergency contacts handy, and be aware if any participants have flagged medical conditions or carry their own medication (like an epinephrine auto-injector or inhaler).

Share the essentials — nearest medical facilities, how to report an incident — in your event program and pre-event communications so players know what to do, too.

Plan for the weather

Golf is at the mercy of the sky, and weather is the safety issue you’re most likely to actually face:

Lightning and storms. This is the big one. Decide in advance how you’ll clear the course fast — a loud signal everyone recognizes (an air horn blast or siren), a designated shelter, and a communication channel to reach the whole field instantly. Players need to know before the round what the evacuation signal is and where to go. When lightning is in the area, get everyone off the course; no round is worth the risk.

Heat. Colorado sun is no joke. Put hydration stations around the course, encourage breaks in the shade, and for hot forecasts consider cooling towels or a misting station. Watch your volunteers too — they’re out there all day.

Communicate before and during

Most safety failures are really communication failures. Equip your staff and key volunteers with radios or phones and a plan for who to reach in an emergency, so a problem on the 14th hole gets help in minutes, not when someone drives back to the clubhouse. And hold a brief safety word at the start: point out first-aid help, explain the weather signal and shelter plan, and tell players how to report an incident. Sixty seconds of briefing makes the whole field part of your safety net.

Final thoughts

A safety plan isn’t about expecting the worst — it’s about being ready so a problem stays small. Identify your course’s risks, prepare for medical and weather emergencies, train your team, and brief your players. Do that, and you can focus on running a great event knowing that if something does happen, you’re ready to handle it.

When you’re ready to run your next one, you can list your golf tournament free on Colorado Under Par and reach players across the state.

Best regards, Andrew Mueller, Founder, Colorado Under Par