Piggybacking a Tournament Into a Golf Trip
Lance Botthof breaks down how he turned Ram's Hill's amateur 'Ramateur' tournament into a full group trip — growing it from 4 guys to 12, with welcome parties, meals, and handicap flights all built in.
- Guest
- Lance Botthof
- Destination
- Ram's Hill, Borrego Springs, California
- Location
- CA
The Setup
Lance Botthof is Berkley’s Sunday league buddy and the unofficial trip captain for a crew that started as four guys and has ballooned to twelve. Every December, Lance loads up a caravan and drives two hours east from San Diego to Borrego Springs for the Ram’s Hill “Ramateur” — a two-day amateur tournament that he’s quietly turned into one of the most seamless group trips his crew does all year.
The Format
Ram’s Hill runs the Ramateur twice a year: a scramble in June and an individual stroke-play event in December. Lance’s group targets the December edition, which splits the field into three handicap flights with separate gross and net prizes. The tournament includes a Friday-night welcome party, Saturday and Sunday rounds with breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, plus breakfast and lunch on Sunday. When the on-property houses can’t fit the whole crew, Lance books the Borrego Springs Inn — a former resort with a restaurant and bar that keeps the group centralized.
The Hot Takes
- The easiest trip you’ll ever organize. Lance sends one text to his golf group: “I’ve got 12 spots booked, who’s in?” It takes two or three days to fill. Ram’s Hill handles the tee times, meals, and scoring — the organizer just needs bodies.
- Handicap flights keep it competitive. Three flights based on handicap, plus a white-tee option for players over 60. Nobody gets blown out, and the side bets stay friendly.
- Side action runs parallel to the tournament. Skins, nassaus, and individual matchups happen within each foursome. “Just about everybody has side bets with other people in their group.”
- Ram’s Hill punches above its weight. Lance rates it as a course he’d drive out to play three times a year — and he’s already plotting a Sand Valley trip for next June.
The Run-It-Back
Lance is already thinking bigger: 16 spots next year instead of 12. The Ramateur has become a fixture on his group’s calendar because it removes every friction point — no tee-time battles, no restaurant reservations, no chasing Venmos. Just show up, play two rounds, and settle up at the bar. “It’s very simple from our end putting a group together.”