Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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SAP Golfathon FAQ's (click to view Els for Autism FAQ's)
Can I get reimbursed If I play in an E4A Event?
Yes. SAP employees who form teams with a partner, customer or prospect for their two man team can expense the base entry fee for their team. If the team is comprised of SAP employees only or anyone other than a customer or partner, the entry fee cannot be reimbursed.
How do I win an invite to go to Las Vegas?
You have 3 ways to win a slot to join Ernie Els for golf in Las Vegas:
How do I register for an E4A Event?
Visit this link (www.E4Agolf.com) to register your team of two at the venue of your choice. Once registered, you can set up your own team website in 5 minutes and start spreading the word to get donations.
How does the SAP Matching program work?
Payments to participate in Regional Els for Autism events are made directly to “Els for Autism” and participants receive receipts as such. Therefore, to summarize on EasyMatch and Reimbursement payments:
  • SAP employee pays (only for self) to participate in one of the Regional Els for Autism events. Employee can request an SAP Match thru EasyMatch. Personal donations over $50 can be submitted for matching.
  • SAP Employee pays for self and an SAP partner or client as his/her playing partner. Employee can claim expense reimbursement from SAP but cannot request SAP match thru EasyMatch. Unfortunately, charitable donations cannot made by employees cannot be expensed per the CSR Policy. They would have to be made as “field donations” – the employee should follow the SRM process.
How will I know when the match is made?
To help visibility of funds raised, each week the Els for Autism staff will login to the SAP Matching Portal and confirm all donation amounts that had been made by SAP employees to Els for Autism in the previous week.
  • If the employee made their donation directly to the Matching Portal the amount will be doubled and added it to their team on the website as an “unconfirmed gift”. An unconfirmed gift still shows in the donation total on their team page. The only difference is we can see it as unconfirmed on the back end.
  • If the employee made their donation directly to the Els website (e.g., paid for self), this amount will be added to their team page as a donation from SAP Matching. This will also be an “unconfirmed gift”.

    • At the end of the quarter, when check is received from SAP with a list that includes who’s donation the check matches, “unconfirmed” donations from that check will be changed to “confirmed”

How do I retrieve SAP Match for my donations?
SAP employees’ personal donations can be matched at www.easymatch.com/sap. The Els Foundation is a listed, eligible charity and in the notes section, be sure to state the name of the team and at which venue you are supporting.
What are Pars-or-better points? Do I need to calculate them?
You are awarded points by the GolfChamp DB based on your hole-by-hole performances. You enter your total number of strokes for each hole played and, using a same-formula-for-all system, the DB does all the calculations and tracking for you. You earn points as follows:
  • Double Eagle = 16pts
  • Eagle = 8pts
  • Birdie = 4pt
  • Par = 2 pt
  • Net Par = 1pt
How do I raise money for the Els for Autism Center of Excellence?
Three ways. For each point you earn:
  • SAP Americas donate a few cents, on your behalf, up to a maximum of $25,000 for all players.
  • You pledge a few cents per point for yourself
  • You challenge your peers, friends, family, etc. to sponsor you by pledging a few cents per point
Can I also pledge money per point and have friends and family sponsor me?
Yes! It is a golfathon. It is an opportunity to celebrate all your pars-or-better scores and make them count towards something meaningful. We therefore encourage you to pledge for yourself and solicit as many pledges as you can from friends, family and peers.
How does my peers, friends and family sponsor me?
They select Sponsor a player from the "Pledges" menu link at the top of this screen. They identity themselves, select a player from the list of valid participants. If they work for any of our sponsoring organizations that will match their employee donation, they can indicate this. The databank will track and provide 24/7 status of what they owe.
Can I - and how do I change my pledge per point?
Yes!
  • Click Here
  • Login using your golfname and password
  • Follow the prompts
  • The databank will recalculate your total pledge
Can I view current detail status on all my pledges?
Yes!
  • Under "Pledges" - Click on "Your/Player Pledge"
  • Login with your golfname and password
  • You will see a summary of your pledge status. You can also change your pledge
What charity will my personal donations go to?
Els for Autism Center of Excellence At the end of the golf-a-thon, the ParsforCharity databank will notify you of how much you owe as well as how to donate to the Els for Autism Center of Excellence. You will be mailed a receipt for tax purposes. SAP employees should also note that SAP will match their personal donations.
Is this a traditional, one day golf tournament?
No, the 2012 SAP Golfathon Autism Challenge runs from March 1st – September 30th. Every round you play, regardless of where, when or with whom you play count.
Who is eligible to play?
All employees of SAP Americas, clients, suppliers, partners and their immediate families!
What is the competitive team structure?
Divisions, Regions, Teams. There are four divisions - SAP Employees, SAP Clients, SAP Suppliers, SAP Partners and SAP Guests. The SAP Employees division currently has 7 regions - Sales/Marketing, Administration, Services/Support, Retail Group, Financial Services, Public Sector and Manufacturing
Can participants from clients and partners see how they rank against each other?
Yes! At registration, each participant identifies his/her organization. The GolfChamp databank ranks all individuals and teams by against each other
Do I need a handicap?
No, players do not need to have an established handicap, everyone is welcome to join. The Pars for Charity database will calculate for you a Golf Ability Rating (GAR) based upon the scorecards you turn in. The Els 4 Autism regional events uses the Callaway Handicapping System. Your handicap for this competition is based on your average Callaway handicap from the best of your last nine rounds entered in date sequence.
Do I need to have a team selected before I can play?
Yes, You need to select a team as well as an employer - or sponsor if you are a family participant. If you are a family participant, you will also need to select an employee and indicate your relationship with that employee
Do I need to play with other participants for my scores to count?
No, players do not need to play with other team members for their round to count, but the score needs to be a full round (18 holes). It can also be the combination of two nine hole scores that was played within a ten day period. Howeveer, since you are competing against other team member, we strongly suggest that you play a few rounds with them
How and where do I pay my pledges at the end of the golf-a-thon?
Canadian SAP Employees (Note: the minimum pledge is $50 with maximum of $250/year). At the end of the event, please send your pledged donation directly to the charity and complete the Charitable Donation Form. This form should be submitted to Erin Gillard in the Communication department or the SAP Canada Controller's office for approval. When approved, a corporate match will be issued. Only employee contributions will be matched.

United States SAP Employees (Note: the minimum pledge is $50 with maximum of $10,000/year). At the end of the event, go to www.easymatch.com/sap and submit your pledge at the site. To request a match, select Credit Card -> New Request -> Select Your Organization. Your gift and the corporate match will be completed in one transaction. Only employee contributions will be matched.

Clients, Partners, Suppliers, Family employees/members At the end of the event, please follow your organizations charitable donations policies to honor your pledges.
Will anyone else be able to see my scores?
The top five scores from each player will be available for viewing. This is to ensure the competitive nature of the SAP Americas Golf Challenge. However, the number of rounds that each player has played will be kept strictly confidential.
What does the $35 registration fee cover?
$25 Membership To Golfchamp Databank and $10 donation to Els for Autism The $25 Fee will cover all administrative costs associated with SAP Americas Golf Challenge, including prizes, awards and keeping as many scores as you'd like to enter. It will also provide you additional access to Pars for Charity for 1 year - Jan 1 - Dec 31 to enable you to track all your cards and playing statistics.

You will be provided with a golfname and password for the GolfChamp databank upon receipt of your payment. To view and maintain your individual scores and data profile, access the Personal Databank . Upon entering, click on the "Members" logo located on both the top and side menu bar and enter your golfname and password. Then, select any menu-item from your personalized menu bar.
How do I enter my scores?
You can log on and enter your own new scorecard here
Els for Autism FAQ's (return to page top)
What is the participant center?
The participant center serves as a “home page” once you are logged in. It allows you to edit your personal and team page, send emails to friends, family, and co-workers and track your fundraising progress.
How do I access my participant center?
After entering e4agolf.com login with your username and password on the top right corner of your screen. After logging in, a link right under the login box will become available to access your participant center.
Is it required that I use my participant center?
It is strongly recommended. It is a great tool for communicating with team members, requesting donations from family members, sending out thank you notices, creating a personal profile for other golfers to see, creating a team page for other teams to see, and monitoring your progress in reaching your donation goal.
What is the difference between the team and personal page that I have access to?
We suggest that you direct donors to your team page when sending out emails. Use your team page to highlight your honorary captain, a child on the autism spectrum that your team has decided to play in honor of. You may also include your reason for supporting Els for Autism and participating in the Golf Challenge. You may include the same information on your personal page, just be aware that people are more likely to navigate to your team page because this is the link provided in the donation leaderboards. When editing these pages, make sure to add a photo or video to each page.
How do I distinguish between my team progress and personal progress toward my fundraising goal?
Click on the progress tab in the center of the participant center. On the right side of the screen you are given the option of team or personal. Click on each one to see your team and personal progress. People have the ability to donate to either your team page or personal page. All donations will go towards your total team fundraising goal though. We suggest encouraging donors to donate to your team page.
Are there suggested emails that I can use to send to team members and family members?
Yes. Click on the email tab in center of the participant center to open a blank email. Below the subject line there is a link entitled “Use a Template”. Select this link and the suggested messages will appear. The messages have blanks where personable information can be added, and the messages can be edited.
How does the SAP Matching program work?
Payments to participate in Regional Els for Autism events are made directly to “Els for Autism” and participants receive receipts as such. Therefore, to summarize on EasyMatch and Reimbursement payments:
  • SAP employee pays (only for self) to participate in one of the Regional Els for Autism events. Employee can request an SAP Match thru EasyMatch. Personal donations over $50 can be submitted for matching.
  • SAP Employee pays for self and an SAP partner or client as his/her playing partner. Employee can claim expense reimbursement from SAP but cannot request SAP match thru EasyMatch. Unfortunately, charitable donations cannot made by employees cannot be expensed per the CSR Policy. They would have to be made as “field donations” – the employee should follow the SRM process.
How will I know when the match is made?
To help visibility of funds raised, each week the Els for Autism staff will login to the SAP Matching Portal and confirm all donation amounts that had been made by SAP employees to Els for Autism in the previous week.
  • If the employee made their donation directly to the Matching Portal the amount will be doubled and added it to their team on the website as an “unconfirmed gift”. An unconfirmed gift still shows in the donation total on their team page. The only difference is we can see it as unconfirmed on the back end.
  • If the employee made their donation directly to the Els website (e.g., paid for self), this amount will be added to their team page as a donation from SAP Matching. This will also be an “unconfirmed gift”.

    • At the end of the quarter, when check is received from SAP with a list that includes who’s donation the check matches, “unconfirmed” donations from that check will be changed to “confirmed”

Can I track my team’s statistics?
Yes, at the bottom of the participant center there are links to view teammates, team roster, and download team statistics.
Can I change my team name after I have registered?
Yes. Click on the team page tab and look to the right portion of the screen. You should see your team name listed and a link to edit. Click edit, adjust your team name, and click update.
Is my fundraising goal editable?
Yes. To edit your fundraising goal, click the home tab in the center of screen and select the “change” link under your current fundraising goal.
What is the process for signing up for an event?
Registration Process:
  • On the e4agolf.com homepage select “event schedule” on the top navigation bar.
  • This will take you to the list of courses in the 2012 Els for Autism Golf Challenge. Here you can explore each specific event by clicking on the course names or search by zip code at the top.
  • Once you decide on an event click on the course name to go to the regional event page.
  • On the right side of the screen select “sign up”. This will allow you to start the registration process.
  • If your playing partner has already signed up, click “join a team” and search his/her name. If you are the first of your twosome to sign up, click “start a team”.
  • From here you can choose a team name and a fundraising goal. It is suggested that $10,000 be each team’s goal because this is the amount needed to automatically qualify for the Grand Finale in Las Vegas. Select next to move to the next screen.
  • The participation options screen allows you to enter player code, donate an additional gift, and select an individual fundraising goal. Select next to move to the next screen.
  • Choose if you are a new or returning user. New users must complete the registration form on the next page that includes personal information, a login, and additional information. (Please note that if you played in the 2011 Golf Challenge, your username and password did not carry over). Select next to move to the next screen.
  • The registration summary page lets you look back and verify the information provided for you is correct. Additionally you can register another person.
  • **If you would like to register your teammate as well, type in their name on the “registration summary” page and click “register” (not complete registration). This will take you through the same process of questions for your teammate and then you can complete registration.
  • To complete your registration select complete registration.
Can I register another participant without them being present?
Process to Register another Participant:
  • Upon reaching the registration summary page in the registration process, type in the name of the other person you would like to register.
  • Select “register” and repeat the registration process. The registration form is slightly condensed from the personal one you did for yourself but still requires the additional participant’s personal information.
  • Select next to return to the updated registration summary page with both participants set to be registered.
Ernie Els and Steve Peck

SAP Understands that the dedication, experience, skill and performance that make us the leading provider of business solutions are equally important to athletes who strive to be leaders in their sports.

We appreciate the competitive spirit, the drive to succeed, the power of endurance, the importance of teamwork and the determination to be the very best.