Golf is a popular sport, to say the least of it. According to Statista, as many as 25.6 million people around the country played golf in 2022 alone – that is, almost 8% of the total population. It also was on course for the highest participation in more than ten years.
So, golf is not only popular, but potentially increasing in popularity. That makes golf a solid bet if you need to host a fundraiser to support a cause. You’ll be likely to get a lot of participation.
But, to do so, you need a plan – and this goes well beyond custom golf products to support it.
Planning
First, you need to establish what it is you’re going to host, how, where and when you’re going to host it, and what your goal is. You’ll need to be ready with much more than just branded golf equipment!
One of the key components in planning a successful golf tournament/fundraiser is being ready with a venue. This will likely be one of your most significant costs. Make sure to choose a venue that will be able to accommodate your expected number of participants, and which is close enough that it won’t discourage people from attending/signing up.
One other aspect in planning is to determine whether or not you want to allow participants to sign up the day of or not. This can be tough because by allowing people to sign up at the last minute, you may be able to raise more funds – but you also run the risk of low turnout.
Planning ahead by requiring registration is safer, and it will also give you better ability to plan because you will know ahead of time at most how many people will be attending. Just make sure you clear this with the venue and that you also have a contingency plan for rain – and clear that with the venue, too.
In addition to accepting donations from participants/attendees, it might also be worth your while to work with your outreach team to get some local corporate sponsors who can help pull off the event and generate some revenue for your cause.
Since you don’t want to turn off amateurs/beginners, consider a System 36, which is similar to the Peoria System. It will allow players without an official handicap to compete effectively. Remember, you want people to enjoy this and feel good about donating to your cause – not get discouraged.
Preparing
You want people to have a good time, so preparing should go beyond getting the venue ready and in order for the big day.
Consider working with a local band or setting up a sound system for music, and work with local caterers or food venues or even a food truck to be sure refreshments are close at hand for participants.
Another good tip is to host a raffle so that everyone has a chance to win – whether or not they perform well during the actual contest/tournament.
Promoting: Make Sure Your Custom Golf Products Are Ready
You need to make sure people know about your golf fundraiser if you want it to generate money for your cause, and the truth is it costs money to make money.
First, you want to get the word out – follow your conventional marketing channels for this. Flyers, brochures, and local advertisements are best for this. You can also promote the event in your blog, company newsletter, on social media, or through email.
You also want to be ready to promote your actual cause during the event. For this, custom golf products are key.
We carry a wide range of branded golf equipment to make your event go off with a bang, including custom Titleist products, as well as Nike and Under Armour promo products. We also carry custom golf balls and ball markers, golf bags, golf tees, misting fans, umbrellas, golf sticks, Powerstick Infinity Pencils, drinkware, and so much more.
Our high-quality, customized promotional golf accessories are perfect for spreading awareness for your cause. Distribute these to participants and attendees to spread brand awareness during – and after – the event.
Ideas for Pulling It Off
You’ll also want to be ready with a plan for what sort of contest or tournament you’ll want to go with. There are plenty of options here:
- Nearest to the pin, a contest in which players attempt to putt the ball closest to a small flag pinned on the green.
- Hole-in-one prize, more of a game of luck than skill, but fun for all.
- Hole sponsorships, in which each hole is sponsored by a specific organization; a fun and unique way to benefit sponsors as well as your own cause.
- A pink ball contest, a common contest in which a pink ball is rotated between players at each hole; players try to score using the pink ball and anyone that loses it is eliminated.
You can also sell mulligans – which basically gives players the ability to “buy” away bad swings, which can raise more money for your event.
In addition to that, you can also use the event as a venue to sell branded golf equipment and custom golf products. Since we sell equipment from the top brands, like Ogio golf bags, custom Titleist golf balls, and gear from Pitchfix, TaylorMade, and others, it should be easy to ramp up funds with custom promotional products like these.
Get Started Planning Your Best Golf Fundraiser Yet!
Planning a fundraiser around a golf tournament or competition is a lot of work, and you can get it done – but you’d better start today!
Whatever your goals are for your organization, we can help you spread brand awareness and possibly even generate additional funds through custom golf accessories for your event, perfected with your brand or company logo, design or slogan.
Just contact us today at 888-984-7766 if you have any questions about our promo products and we’ll help you out.