We all know that golf tournaments are great events and can accomplish a bunch of different goals for tournament organizers and sponsors. They could be used to help increase awareness of a product or cause or act as a good fundraiser. Whatever your goals are, here are 4 simple things golf tournament marketing ideas you need to make your event memorable and leave a positive impression on everyone involved.

#1) Tournament Shirts

Shirts are a must-have for any golf tournament. These are usually included in the gift bags but shirts are good for a couple of reasons:

  • People love getting a free shirt
  • They can help increase the amount of money you make because its marketing power
  • It will help reinforce your brand (or cause) whenever they wear it in the future

Be sure to print the same shirts for volunteers as well and that they wear them during the event. You can also see if the course you’re at will allow their staff to wear them as well on the day of your tournament.

Here is a good resource and company for custom shirt screen printing (http://www.nakaapparel.com/screen-printing-las-vegas/) for your golf tournament.

#2 ) Golf Contests

Golf Tournament Marketing

Everyone loves to participate in contests where they can win something and contests are a great way to increase the player satisfaction and experience.

Hole-in-ones, longest drive and putting contests are all pretty standard and it’s another fun activity to keep your players engaged.

Prizes for contests can vary greatly but, in our experience, cash is always king. And, in case you’re wondering how to cover the costs for a cash prize or car giveaway, there are several insurance companies who specialize in covering prizes for golf tournaments.

Be creative. You know your players better than anyone so find out what they want, what keeps their attention and devise some fun, “out of the box” contests for them to participate in while they’re playing.

#3) Gift Bags And Swag

Ever wonder why Disneyland events are so popular and get a lot of participation? Other than the fact it’s at Disneyland and people plan their vacation around the particular event, another reason why participation and satisfaction levels are so high is because of the swag and gift bags participants receive.

A specific event that comes to mind is the Disneyland run held at Disneyland in California every Labor Day weekend.

Runners receive great giveaways, swag and gift bags for participating. If you ask people what they like about that particular run as opposed to other ones, you’ll often hear that the giveaways are very attractive to them.

But, how do you fill a gift bag with great items?

Create a sponsorship package specifically for gift bag inclusion. You know who will be golfing in your tournament so break your demographic down and reach out to corporations and businesses who may be interested in getting their products out to your players. Also, be sure to ask current sponsors if they’d be interested in including something.

#4) Prizes And Giveaways

Giveaways are similar to swag and gift bags but, unlike gift bags which is given to each participant, prizes and giveaways are larger in dollar amount and are intended for single winners.

Trips are always good giveaways and they’re not as budget consuming as you may think. Travel companies are always looking to reach out to the golfers so offer them a barter where they give you a free trip in exchange for advertising or equal-valued sponsorship. If some of your sponsors are larger corporations, be sure to ask them as they usually have good relationships with travel agents they may be able to set this up for you.

With so many aspects involved, running a golf tournament can be a little overwhelming but one aspect you can’t overlook is the player experience, especially if you’re planning on having the tournament each year.

Need help? Golf tournaments are something Sterling Golf Services specializes in and we’re here to help you get the most out of it. Contact us today to get started.