If you’re trying to think of a unique way to get your next party started, thrill your friends, family, or co-workers with an evening of night golf in your backyard. Nothing turns strangers into friends and gets everyone having a great time like a little friendly competition, but put that Pictionary box down and prepare your backyard for a night golf transformation.

You can set up a night golf course in your backyard any time of year, in snow, rain, or ideal weather. There are products ranging from mini-golf putting kits for small backyards to full tournament packages for major events. Because you can fully customize your experience, you’re bound to find products and a layout that matches your style, budget, and the size of event you’re planning.

Themes and Events

Here are just a few perfect opportunities to break out your Premier Glow equipment, make new friends or catch up with old ones, get your family members out in the fresh air, and build fun-filled memories that will last a lifetime.

• Birthday Parties: Why throw a mid-afternoon birthday party for the kids when you can kick it up a notch and make the event fun for the whole family? Night golf can be the perfect event for a co-worker’s birthday party, as well, especially if your office is already full of golf enthusiasts.

• Graduation Parties: Not only can you serve up a safe evening of fun entertainment, but you could also host one charity round of golf to raise a little cash for your proud graduate’s new future. Just make sure to include this information in your invitations, so that everyone can come prepared for some family-friendly competition.

• Holiday Fun: Whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve, or Fourth of July, you can turn holidays typically spent indoors at a home, restaurant, or a bar into an excuse to have a rollicking backyard get-together, no matter what the weather.

• Local Fundraisers: Get your neighbors, church, co-workers, or extended family together to have a great time while supporting a worthy cause. Raise money or awareness to help your local homeless shelter, to support a cancer foundation, to raise money for a school team or upcoming event, or your local fire department.

Party Checklist

To make sure your party goes off without a hitch, here are some essentials to have on hand. If you’ll be having an especially big party, don’t forget to delegate so you can get in on the fun, as well.

• External Lighting: For the parts of your yard where people will congregate, you can dig out your Christmas lights, deploy some inexpensive electric tealights, or even rearrange your solar walkway lights to make sure commonly-travelled areas will have plenty of light near the ground surface and by potential obstacles like stairs or decks. If you cannot adequately light areas with uneven footing or that represent trip hazards, don’t be afraid to use caution tape to keep your guests on solid ground.

You can even buy colored outdoor LED bulbs from most home improvement stores to spice up your garage or walkway fixtures and add to the ambiance. Peel-and-stick lights can come in handy in various places, as well, as can battery-operated string-lights or battery-powered candles.

• Food and Beverages: Always make sure to provide plenty of bottled water and outdoor recycling cans or receptacles so your guests can stay well-hydrated while racking up points. Enlist some of your guests to bring snacks or desserts, or to help with picking up your pizza order or catering.
  
  A hot chocolate bar is a perfect way to keep your guests comfortable if it becomes cold or drizzly, and you can be prepared to adjust your menu with things like soups or comfort food if the weather throws you curveballs. If you’ll be hosting a potluck during the event, make sure to have a few extension cords handy for people to plug in crockpots or other appliances like a blender for frozen beverages or a cotton candy machine.

The Little Things Count

You can pick up a bunch of individual-use items at a local dollar store, such as small bug-spray cans, party favors, handheld fans for hot nights, and theme-related decorations. Have a few small throw-blankets handy in case any of your less-active guests get chilly, or be ready to lend out a few sweaters or fleeces.

Ask friends or family members if you can borrow their outdoor collapsing fabric chairs, folding chairs, or lightweight patio furniture if you won’t have enough seating or get quotes from a party rental business for a more professional look. Mood music appropriate to the crowd is always a great idea if you won’t run afoul of your neighbors—sometimes the best way to keep them from complaining is to invite them, as well.

Plan Logistics in Advance

Avoid stress for you and your guests by planning parking arrangements in advance, especially if space is limited. Also, make sure designated drivers are established ahead of time if alcohol will be involved. Provide a small incentive for people to volunteer for cleanup duty before the party starts, and make sure you have plenty of supplies like trash bags and paper towels on hand.

Make your next party the talk of the town with a night golfing kit from Premier Glow. You and your guests will have so much fun, you’ll be planning the next party before the first one is finished.