See it and Sell it First at ASI Show Orlando – January 4-6, 2025.   Register Now.

Strategy

Charles River Apparel Builds Teamwork Through Mini Golf

Top 40 supplier Charles River Apparel (asi/44620) understands the old adage “drive for show, putt for dough.”

The Sharon, MA-based apparel maker held its second annual Charles River Mini Golf Tournament on Wednesday. The nine-hole course stretching throughout the office was designed by each department as a team-building exercise. The departments each received a $40 budget and three weeks to prepare. They then designed their golf holes around themes such as the beach, casino, Fortnite and North Pole.

“Some of the teams start planning from day one, while others enjoy the thrill of last-minute ideas and the challenge of getting it done,” said Tracy Lehnen, vice president of marketing. “It allowed people to get creative, have some fun, and take a break from our daily routines,” added Mark Watts, an inside sales rep.

Of course, the true challenge was avoiding a double bogey as each department played the course as a team, cheering each member on. After evaluation of the scorecards, the participant with the lowest score from each team was added to the leaderboard. The top three participants earned prizes.

“The teams have fun, they laugh and they really enjoy working together and interacting with the other departments,” said Julie Crawley, director of product development. “We even heard one team say they can’t wait until next year after seeing what the customer service department created for their hole.”