by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Corporate fundraising presents a valuable opportunity for nonprofits and businesses to make a meaningful impact on their communities. For nonprofits, it means additional funding, resources, and greater visibility. For businesses, raising money for charity as a third party boosts brand reputation, engages employees, and fosters connections with new audiences.

Whether you’re a nonprofit looking to secure corporate support or a company looking to give back, these key strategies and fundraising ideas will help you maximize your impact.

Skip to:

• Corporate Fundraising FAQ

• Top Corporate Fundraising Idea: Charity Golf Tournament

• Event-Based Corporate Fundraising Ideas

• Workplace Giving & Employee Engagement Fundraising Ideas

• Community-Focused Fundraising Ideas

• Virtual Fundraising Ideas

• Seasonal Corporate Fundraising Ideas

Corporate Fundraising FAQ

What is Corporate Fundraising?

Corporate fundraising is any effort where a business raises money or resources to support a nonprofit or charitable cause. It can take many forms, and the right approach depends on the company’s size, culture, budget, priorities, and goals. Some companies focus their corporate fundraising efforts on increasing employee engagement and strengthening community relationships, while others prioritize charitable impact and enhancing brand visibility.

What Are the Benefits of Corporate Fundraising?

For Corporate Entities

• Reputation boost. Corporate giving enhances your social responsibility profile, enhancing and strengthening your brand and reputation.

• Introduction to new audiences and customers. Supporting a nonprofit can help businesses engage with new customers. For instance, fundraising events that attract higher-net-worth individuals—like charity golf tournaments—help businesses attract valuable clientele.

• Improved employee engagement. Giving back can boost employee satisfaction and engagement, foster connections between teams, and improve team building.

• Diverse giving opportunities. There are multiple ways companies can support charitable causes, including in-kind donations, monetary sponsorships, cause marketing campaigns, and more.

For Nonprofits

• Increased funding and financial stability. Corporate sponsorships and donations create a reliable funding source for nonprofits.

• Expanded audience and brand awareness. Corporate partnerships introduce nonprofit causes to new audiences and raise awareness about important issues.

• Access to valuable resources and expertise. Corporate partners may provide helpful resources like in-kind donations or skilled volunteers, along with industry expertise.

• Long-term strategic partnerships. These collaborations provide ongoing support for sustained impact.

• Increased credibility and public trust. Aligning with respectable brands or well-known businesses helps build trust among the community and with donors.

Corporate partnerships have a number of benefits for businesses and noprofits.

What Are the Top Corporate Fundraising Best Practices?

For all parties to maximize the impact of charitable partnerships, the following best practices should be considered:

Nonprofits

• Educate partners on any other corporate giving opportunities that may exist to further maximize their charitable efforts, such as matching gifts, volunteer grants, or payroll giving.

• Mobilize your donor network to spread the word about your corporate partner’s contributions, share information about the upcoming fundraising event, and encourage participation.

• Set goals that are both ambitious and realistic, based on past fundraising efforts, successes, and lessons learned.

Businesses & Third-Party Fundraisers

• Be transparent about the scope of your support and involvement in the fundraising event.

• Align fundraising events with your company’s mission, brand, and audience.

• Collaborate with the nonprofit to create compelling event promotional materials, such as a compelling event website with storytelling, visuals, and many opportunities and tiers for involvement.

Both Parties

• Work with partners that share your goals and values for the best possible outcomes for everyone involved.

• Choose the right event that will appeal to each organization’s audiences.

• Follow up after the event to reflect on its success, demonstrate its impact, and express gratitude.

• Create an event plan that details event tasks, assignments, and timelines.

• Outline a budget so both parties are on the same page.

• Use purpose-built tech to effectively and efficiently streamline planning and event management. For example, if you choose a charity golf tournament, choose a solution built specifically for golf, like GolfStatus.

The Top Corporate Fundraising Idea: Charity Golf Tournament

What Is a Charity Golf Tournament?

A charity golf tournament is a premier fundraising event that offers numerous benefits for the host company and benefiting nonprofit. Golf events bring people together like no other event can, combining philanthropy with networking, camaraderie, and an activity people genuinely enjoy. Golfers pay a registration fee to participate as an individual or a team and businesses purchase sponsorships to support the cause.

Charity golf tournaments bring people together to raise money, make connections, and strengthen relationships.

Why Is a Charity Golf Tournament the Best Corporate Fundraising Idea?

• Golf events have high revenue potential. Player registrations, sponsorships, and add-ons such as contests, on-course games, mulligan sales, auctions, and raffles drive revenue.

• Golf tournaments appeal to sponsors. Golf events provide excellent branding and exposure opportunities for businesses of all types, plus access to an audience that can’t be found with any other event.

• Golf events attract decision-makers. Golf attracts corporate executives and higher-than-average net-worth individuals. 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs are golfers, and one in three golfers are in top-level management.

• Golf is more popular and inclusive than ever. Golf continues to see record popularity, attracting new audiences of beginners, women, and young adults.

• Golf builds relationships. Because the focus of the event is on an enjoyable activity, it’s easy for donors and sponsors to build relationships and positive memories that keep them coming back year after year.

• Golf events strengthen community engagement. Golf events planned by a third-party corporate partner deepen community ties and engagement.

• Golf tournaments are customizable. Choose the golf facility, format, and competition level that best suits your combined audiences.

• There are multiple opportunities for support. Golf tournaments offer a plethora of opportunities to support a nonprofit partner—monetary sponsorships, employee volunteering, in-kind donations, and more.

Tips for Launching a Charity Golf Tournament

With the right strategy and tools in place, it’s easier than ever to plan and execute a successful charity golf tournament. Follow these tips:

• Use an event website. A dedicated golf tournament website with online registration makes promotion, registration, sponsor onboarding and exposure, sharing information about your cause, and communication with supporters simple and efficient.

• Offer sponsorship packages at varying price points. This best practice allows businesses with different budget capabilities to support your tournament. High-end exposure, like a pin flag sponsorship, should be sold at a premium,

• Maximize additional fundraising. Incorporate tournament components such as mulligan sales, raffle tickets, auctions, on-course games, and hole-in-one contests to boost fundraising outcomes.

• Enlist volunteer help. Work to engage volunteers from both the corporate partner and nonprofit to help in tournament prep and day-of execution.

Most importantly, use a golf-specific event management platform. Golf tournaments come with a unique set of details that must be handled, including handicaps, hole assignments, team pairings, flighting, and scoring. Standard ticketing software and nonprofit CRMs simply aren’t built to handle this level of specificity without requiring time-consuming workarounds.

GolfStatus’ golf event management software addresses the golf specifics and has baked-in tools to save organizers time and opportunities to raise more money:

• Event websites with online registration, secure payment processing, broad digital sponsor exposure, the ability to collect donations, and more.

• Robust reporting and data management in one easily-accessible web-based platform.

• A user-friendly back end where team members can collaborate, manage payments, track team and sponsorship sales, make hole assignments, and more.

• Reliable live scoring that engages golfers throughout the tournament and makes the tournament more fun.

• Exclusive sponsorships and add-ons to raise thousands more dollars.

• A responsive, in-house client success team comprised of PGA Professionals and fundraising specialists.

For third party fundraisers like corporate entities, GolfStatus can essentially be the bank for the golf event. GolfStatus makes it simple to collect and hold funds that can be paid out directly to the nonprofit after the tournament concludes.

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Other Event-Based Corporate Fundraising Ideas

2. Corporate gala or charity ball

3. Trivia night

4. Charity game night

5. Wine and dine fundraiser

6. Benefit concert (could also accompany your charity golf tournament)

7. Networking event or conference

8. Executive challenges (like dunk tanks or pie-in-the-face challenges)

9. Giving days

10. Corporate field day

11. Charity bowling tournament

12. Corporate cook-off

13. Art auction featuring employee or local artist works

14. Charity fashion show highlighting local boutiques

15. Escape room challenge

16. Corporate talent show and dinner

17. Pancake breakfast fundraiser before the workday begins

18. Charity poker or casino night

19. Community outdoor movie night

20. Murder mystery dinner party

21. Charity cornhole tournament

22. Paint and sip fundraising event

23. Mini-golf tournament

24. Charity obstacle course race/field day

25. Bingo night fundraiser

Workplace Giving & Employee Engagement Fundraising Ideas

26. Donation matching

27. Payroll giving

28. Company-wide donation challenge

29. Internal company charity raffle

30. Company silent auction

31. Cause-related product sales

32. Peer-to-peer company-wide fundraising competition

33. Office bake sale

34. "Dress down" or casual dress days in exchange for a donation

35. Paid volunteer time off (VTO) campaigns tied to a financial match

36. CEO/Executive "jail" (employees donate to bail them out)

37. Lunch and learn sessions with a nonprofit guest speaker (catered lunch with suggested donation)

38. Office pet photo contest with voting via entry fees

39. Parking spot auction

40. Employee skill auction (e.g., bid on lessons for employees with niche skills, like guitar lessons or baking)

41. Spare change collection jars in the breakroom

42. Department vs. department penny wars

43. Used book or media sale at the office

44. Coffee cart sale (all coffee purchases are used as donations to a charity)

45. Company recipe book sales featuring employee submissions

Companies can further the impact of their charity golf tournament by holding an accompanying donation drive.

Community-Focused Fundraising Ideas

46. Charity car wash

47. Restaurant fundraising night

48. Food or in-kind item drive

49. Charity run

50. Community festival for charity

51. Charity dog wash or pet grooming event

52. Company-wide garage/yard sale

53. Community tree planting or park clean-up sponsorship

54. Local artisan craft fair with a portion of proceeds donated

55. Charity bike ride or cyclathon

56. Community scavenger hunt with local business sponsors

57. E-waste recycling drive (partnering with a local recycling firm)

58. Local business coupon book sales

59. Bottle and can recycling drive

Virtual Fundraising Ideas

60. Online fundraising gamification or rewards-based campaigns

61. Social media challenges

62. Crowdfunding campaigns

63. Livestream fundraising event

64. Virtual 5K or step challenge

65. Online cooking class hosted by a local chef

66. Virtual trivia or bingo hosted via Zoom

67. E-sports or video game tournament

68. Online peer-to-peer walkathon

69. Corporate branded merch sale

Seasonal Corporate Fundraising Ideas

70. Halloween costume contest

71. Valentine's candy-gram fundraiser

72. Holiday gift drive

73. Summer corporate BBQ fundraiser

74. Ugly holiday sweater contest with entry fees

75. Spring cleaning office garage sale

76. Pumpkin carving or decorating contest

77. Holiday wrapping paper service (executives wrap gifts for staff donations)

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Final Thoughts

Corporate fundraising strengthens communities, builds partnerships, and makes a lasting impact. Whether you’re hosting a charity golf tournament or launching another fundraising campaign, the right tools and strategies help ensure success.

GolfStatus simplifies golf event planning and management while maximizing fundraising potential. Click below to learn more!

Start Planning a Corporate Golf Event With GolfStatus!

Click Here to Get Started With a Free Event Website

About the Author

Jen Wemhoff - Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Jen Wemhoff accidentally discovered her passion for nonprofits in college. An internship while earning a degree in Communications from Doane University led to a 20 year career in the nonprofit sector, where she found a strong desire to be part of something bigger than herself. Her vast nonprofit experience includes roles in marketing, fundraising, and direct programming. When Jen came to GolfStatus as Communications Manager in 2020, she was struck by the power of the sport to raise money to power nonprofit missions. She tells GolfStatus’s story across platforms and channels and develops educational tools and resources to help nonprofits tap into golf’s giving power. Jen, her husband, and two daughters call Lincoln, Nebraska home.

By Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager

If your charity golf tournament is right around the corner but your golfer numbers aren’t where you need them to be, don’t panic. With the right outreach strategy (and a little hustle), you can still drive golfer registrations to fill your field.

Here are seven last-minute marketing tips to attract golfers to your tournament.

1. Segment Your List, Then Target Messaging

Blasting the same generic email to your entire contact list is a fast way to get ignored. Instead, break your audience into segments and tailor your messaging to the interests and needs of each group.

Think about your list in groups like:

• Past golfers. These are people who played in your tournament but haven’t yet signed up. A “We miss you!” note with a specific call to action (maybe a deadline-driven discount code or special rate) can nudge them off the fence.

• Other event participants. They’ve already had a great event experience with your organization, so a “We’d love to have you at the tournament” message with a link to your golf tournament website can go a long way.

• Sponsors and partners. These folks are already invested in your mission, so ask if they have employees or clients who love golf and would benefit from a day on the golf course.

• General supporters. Your broader donor or email list may include golfers who have never played in your tournament. Remind them what they’re missing!

Segmentation takes a little extra effort upfront, but it produces significantly better results than a one-size-fits-all approach. Your messages will feel personal and relevant.

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PRO TIP:

Use your golf tournament management platform to access past years’ participant data.

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2. Send a Text

Email is a great tool to market your golf tournament, but text messages are another opportunity to reach golfers where they already look multiple times a day—their phones. If you have an opt-in SMS list, now is the perfect time to use it.

Keep texts short and direct, and link to your registration website. For example: “Spots are filling up for [Tournament Name] on [Date], and we’d love to have you there. Register today at [website link]. Questions? Reply to this text!”

You can also use SMS for countdown reminders and to create urgency that prompts action:

• “Only 5 teams remain!”

• “Registration closes Friday!”

• “Don’t miss the hole-in-one contest!”

If you don’t have an SMS list yet, start building one now for future events. Add an opt-in checkbox to your registration form, donor forms, mention it at events, and promote it on social media. The investment will pay off every time you need to drum up last-minute interest.

3. Go All-In on Social Media

Between now and tournament day, leverage your social channels to bring in golfers. A mix of organic content and paid campaigns can quickly generate real momentum.

Free, Organic Tactics That Work:

• Create a Facebook event. Invite your committee, board, members, and volunteers to 1. Mark themselves as “Going” and 2. Invite their networks. It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s underused by nonprofit event teams. Facebook Events show up in local search results and the feeds of attendees’ networks, giving you broad, free organic visibility.

• Post daily (or close to it). Share photos from past tournaments, sponsor spotlights, highlights from past tournaments, tournament prizes, raffle prize previews, tease the theme, or even give away a free team to someone who likes and shares the post. Use language that conveys urgency.

• Join relevant groups. Search Facebook and LinkedIn for local groups—golf, nonprofit networking, community events, etc. Post your tournament details (be sure to follow each group’s rules about self-promotion) and let members spread the word.

• Don’t overlook stories or LinkedIn. A well-timed Facebook or Instagram story with a link or a LinkedIn post from your organization’s page can reach people that other channels can miss, especially corporate golfers and potential foursomes from local businesses.

Paid Tactics Worth the Investment

Even a modest Facebook or Instagram ad budget ($100 - $300) can deliver strong results:

• Target ads by zip code so you’re reaching people who are local to your tournament

• Narrow ads to specific interests, like golf, charity, fundraisers, outdoors, and your specific cause (pets, environment, literacy, youth, etc.)

• Boost your highest-performing organic post

• Run a dedicated registration ad with a clear call to action (Register Now!)

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Free Social Media Resources

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4. Pick Up the Phone!

There’s no more powerful outreach tool than a real human asking another real human to show up. In the age of automated emails, social ads, and AI, a personal call or text from someone they know stands out and makes them feel valued.

Here’s how to mobilize your committee for personal outreach:

• Five and Five. Challenge every committee member, board member, staff member, and volunteer to send five texts and make five phone calls asking people to register. Provide a simple script so it’s as easy as possible to execute: “Hey [Name], I’m helping organize [Tournament Name] on [Date], and we’d love to have you join us. It’s a great day of golf for a great cause. Can I send you the link to register?”

• Leverage your past participants. Pull a list of past golf tournament (or other event) participants and prioritize reaching out to people who attended one or two years ago, but haven’t yet registered this time. These are essentially warm leads, since they already know your organization and event, since they liked it enough to come once.

• Make it a group effort. If you’re really close to a target number, consider a focused phone-a-thon day where your team spends a few hours making calls together. Friendly competition (“who can get the most registrations today?”) makes it more fun. People tend to respond to urgency when it feels genuine, so don’t be afraid to use language like “We need six more foursomes to have a full field, and I thought of you.”

5. Use AI to Find Community and Event Calendars

Local event calendars are an underutilized free marketing channel. Local news outlets, community organizations, chambers of commerce, visitors bureaus, and city websites often maintain community calendars that are actively browsed by people looking for things to do. Getting your tournament listed on as many of these as possible is a no-cost way to expand reach.

The challenge can be in finding them all. That’s where AI can help. Use tools like ChatGPT or Claude with this prompt: “Give me a list of community and event calendars in [City, State] and how to submit an event listing for each one.”

You’ll get a solid starting list of calendars where you can post your tournament details. Most of these submissions take just a few minutes to complete and can put your event in front of audiences you’d never reach otherwise. Once you have your list and links, divide them up among committee members and knock submissions out in an afternoon.

6. Offer a Last-Minute Incentive

Sometimes people just need a little push or a carrot to spur them to action. A time-sensitive incentive can convert fence-sitters into registered golfers. Consider offers like:

• A deadline discount. “Register by [Date] to save $25 per foursome”

• A bonus. “Register this week and get five free raffle tickets” or “Register by tomorrow and get an extra entry in the putting contest”

• A complete team freebie. “Include all team members’ contact information to receive a complimentary mulligans package”

It’s a good idea to pair any incentive with a hard deadline, and promote it everywhere—email, social, text, and personal outreach. The combination of value and urgency can be a powerful motivator.

7. Rally Your Sponsors

Your sponsors benefit from a full tournament field as much as you do, so reach out to your top sponsors to ask if they would help you spread the word. Provide quick and easy suggestions to help, like:

• Sharing the event website link on their company social channels or in an internal email to employees.

• Purchase additional teams as an incentive for employees or to entertain clients and prospects.

• Promote the event to their networks of customers, clients, and vendors. Since many businesses see golf tournaments as an opportunity to build relationships, having the sponsor reach out to ask might be the nudge they need to register a team.

Send a quick email or give them a call with the ask, framing it as a mutual win. Use this free Golf Tournament Sponsor Asset Kit, with ready-to-use messaging, graphics, and more, to help turn sponsors into event promoters.

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Final Thoughts

Last-minute marketing pushes work best when they’re focused, personal, and multi-channel. You don’t need to do everything in this list. Choose two or three tactics that best fit your organization’s strengths and capacity, and execute on them consistently and with urgency.

Be sure you have a dedicated golf event website to use in these marketing campaigns. GolfStatus offers a free, professional event website with online registration, secure payment processing, digital sponsor exposure, and more, plus access to its golf tournament management software at no upfront cost. Book a quick meeting with a golf fundraising professional to learn more and get started!

Get a Free Golf Tournament Website!

Book a meeting with GolfStatus

There’s something powerful about an annual golf tournament that’s become more than just a day on the course and has evolved into a tradition. The same course, the same time of year, the same group of supporters showing up year after year to build community.

That tradition is something to celebrate, but a tradition that doesn’t continue to improve can quickly become stale and a reason for golfers and sponsors not to come back.

If your golf event has been running for five, 10, or even 20+ years, you’ve done the hard part of building something that people care about and trust. Now the challenge is keeping it fresh and exciting enough that last year’s participants can’t wait to register again, while new golfers and sponsors are eager to join in.

You don’t need to completely reinvent your tournament to make it feel new. Small, strategic changes can elevate the golfer experience, keep sponsors excited, improve fundraising results, and keep people excited to show up year after year.

Here are 11 ways to refresh a longstanding golf tournament while honoring the traditions that made it successful in the first place.

1. Debrief After the Event (Every Year)

Before you think about next year’s tournament, gather your planning team and do an honest debrief. Discuss what went smoothly, what felt clunky, and what they heard from golfers and sponsors throughout the day.

You should also build feedback into your planning process so you hear directly from participants through a short post-event survey. Send it to golfers and sponsors to help glean:

• What they loved

• What they would change

• What would make them bring a friend next year

• What experiences or components stood out

Look for insights into which fundraising elements (raffles, auctions, on-course games, merch, etc.) performed best, which sponsor packages delivered the best value, and when (or if) the day lost energy. These responses tell you where to invest time and money for the future.

Make this a formal part of your planning process every year. You’ll find areas to improve because you’re paying attention to what participants are saying, and they’ll appreciate being heard.

2. Evaluate the Golfer Experience

An effective way to refresh a tournament is to consider the tournament—from start to finish—from the golfer’s perspective. Think through every touchpoint of the event:

• Is registration simple and efficient?

• Is communication clear leading up to the event?

• Is check-in welcoming?

• Is signage professional and easy to follow?

• Does the pace of the day feel brisk and organized?

• Is the awards ceremony or program engaging and celebratory?

Big improvements can come from fixing small points of friction. Ensuring the registration process is easy and communication is effective. Making check-in quick and painless. Offering great food and beverage. Keeping a steady pace of play. Maintaining high energy post-round. These details show participants that you want them to have the best possible experience.

Ensuring golfers have a great experience will elevate any golf tournament.

3. Introduce New Contests & On-Course Games

Adding new interactive tournament elements is one of the fastest ways to boost the event’s energy. There’s no need to completely overhaul the tournament’s format. A four-person scramble is the classic choice for charity events for a reason—it’s inclusive, fast-moving, and fun for all skill levels. But small additions can generate excitement. Some popular, low-lift options include:

• Hole-in-one contests

• Longest drive contest

• Closest to the pin challenge

• Putting contests

• Beat-the-pro (or amateur) hole

• Ball drop

• Poker hand

• On-course entertainment

• On-course games or fundraising stations

These activities not only make the day more entertaining, but they also create additional fundraising opportunities. Even introducing one or two new elements each year gives returning golfers something to look forward to and gives sponsors new activation options.

4. Refresh Your Branding & Introduce a Theme

Tournaments often use the same logo and look for years. And while consistency is important, a visual refresh can make your tournament feel updated and exciting without abandoning its identity. Consider tweaks or updates to colors and graphics, a more unified brand across digital and print, and an event website that reflects the caliber of the experience you’re delivering.

Introducing or updating a theme can complement a refreshed brand. You can do as much or as little with a theme as you want. Maybe a patriotic theme, a Masters-inspired tournament, a tropical or beach vibe, or team colors tied to a favorite sports team can all work beautifully. A theme can give golfers and sponsors something new to engage with, creating natural opportunities for fun on-course decor, social content, and creative sponsor activations that feel fresh each year.

Adding a theme, like glow golf, can significantly elevate a longstanding golf event.

5. Upgrade Player Gifts

Golfer gifts are remembered and used long after the tournament ends. If your event has been handing out the same golf balls and koozies for years, it may be time to rethink your swag strategy.

Today’s golfers want high-quality, useful items they’ll actually reach for. Rotating your gifts is a low-effort way to make repeat golfers feel like they’re getting something new, and thoughtful gifts elevate the perceived value of your tournament. Consider items like:

• Premium golf accessories

• Branded drinkwear

• Custom headcovers

• Branded golf towels

• Performance apparel

• Bluetooth speakers

• Portable phone charges

• Local products

• Experience-based prizes (gift cards, tee times)

6. Improve the Sponsor Experience

Sponsors are the financial backbone of your tournament. You can help build strong partnerships with sponsors by helping them feel like active participants instead of just logos on a banner. Each year, think through how you can deliver more value, more visibility, and more engagement to the businesses supporting your cause.

Think beyond static banners and create interactive opportunities for sponsors to engage with golfers:

• Branded tee box activations

• Sponsored contests, on-course games, or giveaways

• Product sampling stations

• Drink or snack stations

• Sponsored text messages or leaderboard placements

• Social media collaborations before, during, and after the event

Digital sponsor exposure is increasingly valuable, so don’t overlook your event website, email campaigns, mobile apps, and live scoring platforms for visibility that extends beyond tournament day.

Consider personalized sponsorship packages instead of the same tiers every year. Add fun, new names to packages and work with the sponsors to design packages that meet the goals of the business and your event.

Give sponsors more for their investment, like digital exposure, to improve their experience with your tournament and keep them coming back.

7. Modernize the Event with Technology

One of the fastest and easiest ways to elevate your tournament is to modernize the experience. Golfers, sponsors, and our planning committee will benefit from tools that streamline management and execution.

It starts with a dedicated event website that gives your tournament a polished, digital home base where golfers can register in minutes, sponsors can purchase packages and upload logos, and supporters can make donations—all without a phone call, paper form, or any effort from your team. This frees you up to focus on the relationships and experiences that make your tournament stand out.

The right tech can also help with:

• Team and sponsor management

• Mobile scoring and live leaderboards

• Auctions

• Raffle tickets and mulligan sales

• Donor tracking

• Payment processing and receipts

• Post-event reporting and accounting

8. Create Memorable Moments

The best tournaments leave people with stories that keep them talking. These might be:

• A surprise guest

• A heartfelt mission moment

• An incredible raffle prize

• A fun on-course challenge

• A unique food or beverage experience

• An emotional speech from a beneficiary

• A dramatic finish

• A hole-in-one contest winner

These transform a golf outing from just another fundraiser to an event that people circle on their calendars year after year. Think intentionally about where your tournament can create emotional peaks throughout the day. The goal is to go beyond simply entertaining golfers to creating memorable moments that they’ll talk about with coworkers, friends, sponsors, and future participants. They don’t have to be expensive; they simply have to be meaningful and well-executed.

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Case Study: Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic

For 17 years, U.S. Community Credit Union and Enbright Credit Union have joined forces to host the Annual Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic. Keeping the event fresh and fun every year is a priority for organizers, who have added new games, tech tools, sponsorships, and more, while raising tens of thousands of dollars for Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

READ MORE

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9. Keep the Cause Front & Center

For nonprofit or charity tournaments especially, one of the biggest opportunities is strengthening the connection between the event and the mission it supports. Longstanding tournaments, in particular, can sometimes get hyper-focused on logistics and tradition that the “why” beyond the fundraiser gets lost.

Golfers are more likely to give generously and keep coming back when they feel an emotional connection to the cause, not just the event. Keep the mission visible and personal to strengthen donor engagement and long-term support:

• Mission-focused signage throughout the course

• Videos or impact stories during meals or awards

• QR codes linking directly to your event website’s donation page

• Beneficiary speakers or testimonials

• Updates on how last year’s golf tournament funds were used

• Live fundraising appeals connected to specific outcomes

10. Use Data to Make Decisions

Every year, your tournament generates valuable data that can help improve future event iterations. The key is collecting, analyzing, and using this data to make strategic decisions instead of guessing.

Track and pay attention to:

• Registration trends (when people register, how they pay, if they use discount codes, if they make an additional donation, etc.)

• Sponsor renewal rates

• Contest or game participation

• Raffle ticket and mulligan sales

• Golfer feedback

• Auction and raffle engagement

• Marketing response rates

• Fundraising outcomes

• Expenses

For example, if certain sponsorship levels sell out immediately, consider expanding or restructuring them. If early-bird pricing consistently drives registrations, invest more in early marketing campaigns. If golfers consistently rate check-in as a poor experience, prioritize fixing it next year.

11. Preserve Traditions While Embracing Change

Don’t worry—not everything needs to change! In fact, some traditions are exactly why golfers return year after year. Whether it’s a beloved course, a signature contest, a longtime emcee or auctioneer, or a post-round awards moment people genuinely look forward to, the goal isn’t to erase what makes the tournament the tournament—it’s to evolve it.

You’ll succeed by balancing consistency with innovation. Preserve what people value most while introducing enough new energy each year to keep the event exciting, engaging, and financially strong. And when participants and supporters feel like your tournament just keeps getting better, they’re the ones who help fill your field.

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Modernize Your Tournament With GolfStatus

GolfStatus’ tech is built to help golf fundraisers stay fresh, relevant, and profitable. Its golf event-specific tools help organizers save time, raise more money, and deliver a professional experience that golfers and sponsors love year after year. Learn how you can get started at no upfront cost and get a free event website by booking a meeting with our team!

Keep Golfers and Sponsors Coming Back

Book a Meeting to Get Started

Charity golf tournaments are opportunities for fun, connection, competition, and above all, fundraising. While team registrations and sponsorships typically drive the bulk of the event’s revenue, the most successful tournaments don’t stop there. They layer in thoughtful, well-timed donation asks before, during, and after the tournament to maximize impact and leverage the generosity of golfers.

The key? Make giving easy and aligned with the tournament experience. When done strategically, your asks won’t interrupt the round; instead, you’re simply enhancing the reason people showed up in the first place.

Here are 10 actionable ways to ask for donations during your next golf fundraiser.

1. Use Your Event Website as Your Fundraising Hub

Your golf tournament website should be the central engine for donations. Every ask, no matter where it happens, should point back to a simple, mobile-friendly donation site. This way, there’s no hassling with cash, reconciling Venmos, or processing checks after the tournament. Instead, all funds are kept in a centralized repository for easy post-tournament accounting.

Remove barriers to giving by making sure your event website:

• Clearly communicates your mission, what the tournament is raising money for, and its impact

• Includes a prominent “Donate” button across the site’s pages

• Works seamlessly on mobile devices

• Includes a donation tracker

• Connects to and displays your live leaderboard with a donation call to action

PRO TIP: Incorporate storytelling on your golf tournament website.

Use photos, impact stats, and a clear call to action so visitors understand why their donation matters before they ever even set foot on the course.

Every donation ask should link to your event website, where golfers can donate with just a few taps and see progress toward your goal.

2. Send Strategic Asks Throughout the Day

Communication is one of your most powerful fundraising tools, so use it wisely. You’ll need an easy way to get in touch with golfers and donors at the right moments during the event, like email or push notifications. Timing matters, so spread your messages throughout the day so they feel helpful, not overwhelming.

Use your event management platform to:

• Link to the donation page of your event website

• Announce fundraising milestones

• Highlight contests or challenges

• Share any matching donation campaigns

PRO TIP: Pair donation asks with updates.

Fold your day-of donation appeals into useful updates, like lunch announcements, current standings, or on-course game or contest reminders. This makes them feel like part of the event flow, rather than a disruption.

3. Set a Day-of Fundraising Goal & Rally Around It

A clear, tangible tournament day fundraising goal gives golfers and sponsors something to rally behind and can motivate them to make an additional contribution. Instead of a vague ask, be as specific as possible. For example:

• “Help us raise $5,000 today and feed shelter pets for three months.”

• “We’re halfway to our goal of $7,000—help us close the gap!”

Leverage your event management platform’s donation tracker to keep attendees up to date on your progress, building momentum and urgency. What’s more, when the overall tournament experience is top-notch, golfers are much more likely to chip in to help you reach the day’s goal.

PRO TIP: Tie your goal to a specific outcome.

Donors tend to be more motivated to make a contribution when they can visualize its impact on your mission.

4. Use a Compelling Story to Help Make the Ask

Not every golfer at your event will have a deep connection to your cause. Many are there because they were invited to play by a friend or family member or to fill their company’s foursome.

Your golf tournament is an incredible opportunity to connect these new potential donors to your mission. Consider these ideas:

• Share an impact story during the tournament’s kickoff

• Feature a beneficiary’s story during the awards ceremony

• Display signs, banners, or posters around the course that describe your work

• Include brochures or handouts in golfer gift bags

Follow these up with an ask that helps attendees understand how their donation makes a difference.

PRO TIP: Keep mission moments concise and emotional.

A brief two or three-minute story from a beneficiary or your nonprofit’s executive director with a clear takeaway is much more effective and memorable than a long presentation.

Tie donation asks to compelling stories to help the audience connect with your mission.

5. Have Donation Stations Around the Course

Make giving accessible—and visible—with designated donation stations in strategic locations at the golf facility. Staff them with knowledgeable volunteers, staff members, or even beneficiaries who can answer questions, share stories, and assist with donations.

Place donation stations in high-traffic, but unobtrusive, areas, like:

• Registration/check-in

• The turn or comfort station

• A par five tee box that’s likely to get backed up

• Near the clubhouse

• Near the bar at the post-round gathering

PRO TIP: Use QR codes that link to your event website.

Place signage with QR codes that link golfers to your event website’s donation page at every donation station. This way, golfers can donate using their phones (and you won’t have to hassle with handling cash) and instantly get a receipt.

6. Leverage Live Leaderboards for Real-Time Giving

Live leaderboards aren’t just for tracking scores—they’re a powerful engagement and fundraising tool. Anyone, anywhere can follow along with the tournament’s progress via online and in-app live leaderboards, expanding your reach beyond the course and keeping people engaged in real time. Encourage giving by:

• Sharing leaderboard links on social and via email before and during the event

• Inviting spectators and remote supporters to donate while following along

• Creating fun pledges (donate a specific amount for every birdie, eagle, or bogey)

PRO TIP: Use social media to engage donors.

Give social media shoutouts to online donors, consider having a special prize drawing for day-of donors, and be sure to follow up after the tournament with a thank you.

Live leaderboards are a great way to engage donors throughout a golf tournament.

7. Turn On-Course Moments Into Giving Opportunities

Your golf tournament is full of natural pauses, so take advantage of these lulls (and captive audiences) to ask for a donation. Keep these asks light, fun, and optional. The goal is to invite participation, not pressure it.

Consider adding donation prompts at:

• Contest holes (hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the pin, putting)

• High-traffic wait areas

• Comfort stations

• Driving range

• Practice green

PRO TIP: Pair donation asks with games or incentives.

Keep the energy high and the atmosphere casual by pairing donation asks with on-course games, drawings, or other incentives.

8. Introduce a Score-Based Giving Challenge

Tie donations directly to the tournament by asking golfers to donate based on scores. It’s simple, memorable, and easy to execute! Some ideas include:

• Donating an amount equal to their team’s final score (if they shot a 72, they would donate $72)

• Matching the winning team’s score

• Using the last-place score for a fun twist

PRO TIP: Make this ask during awards.

The awards ceremony, banquet, reception, auction, or other post-golf gathering is a great time to make this particular ask. When you announce the winning teams and scores, challenge attendees to get out their phones and donate.

A tournament’s post-round meal, ceremony, or reception is a perfect opportunity to make a donation ask.

9. Add a Post-Round Call to Action

Golf is over, but post-round gatherings are prime opportunities to raise additional funds. People are relaxed, engaged, and reflecting on the fun they had during the event, making it an ideal moment to ask for contributions.

Share impact stories, progress toward the day and overall event fundraising goals, celebrate the day’s successes, and make a final, direct donation ask.

PRO TIP: Display a live fundraising total during the reception.

Project your event website’s donation tracker on a screen during the reception, showing real-time updates towards your goal to encourage last-minute donations.

10. Follow Up After the Tournament

Some of your best donation opportunities can happen after the tournament. Not everyone will give on tournament day, but many will once they’ve had time to reflect. Within a week or so after the tournament, send a follow-up email that includes:

• A thank-you message

• Event highlights, photos, and videos

• Fundraising totals

• A clear link to donate

PRO TIP: Segment your follow-up messages.

Tailor your asks specifically for players, sponsors, and non-attendees who engaged online.

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Raise More Money With Your Golf Event

When it comes to donation asks, success isn’t necessarily about doing more—it’s about doing it better. Strategic timing, clear messaging, and seamless tech make all the difference. The easier you make it to give, and the more connected people feel to your mission, the more likely they are to support your cause.

GolfStatus’ full-service golf event management and fundraising platform helps you do exactly that. From mobile-friendly event websites and live leaderboards to built-in donation tools and communication features, everything works together to create a smooth, engaging experience for your supporters.

Click below to book a meeting with GolfStatus’ team of golf fundraising experts to find out how you can get started at no upfront cost.

Save Time & Raise More Money

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by Cash Dinkel, PGA, Client Success Director at GolfStatus

Selecting the right golf facility is one of the most important decisions you'll make when planning your charity golf event. The course you choose sets the tone, shapes the golfer experience, and directly impacts your fundraising success. Whether you're new to tournament planning or refining your strategy for future events, this guide walks through how to choose the best course for your event and work efficiently with golf facility staff.

Understanding the types of golf facilities

Before you start reaching out to golf courses in your area, it’s helpful to understand the different types of golf facilities:

• Public. These facilities are open to anyone and are typically more affordable. They may not have the prestige or all the amenities of private clubs, but they’re accessible and can be great for events targeting a wide audience.

• Semi-private. These facilities allow public play during certain times while reserving the best tee times for members. They’re usually well-maintained and offer a nice balance of quality and cost.

• Private. Private clubs are members-only and offer top-tier facilities and service. They often include added amenities like banquet rooms, gourmet dining, locker rooms, and practice facilities. These courses are ideal if you're targeting a higher-net-worth audience and want to offer an exclusive experience—but they come with a higher price tag and may require a member to help you book the facility for a tournament.

• Alternative golf facilities. Not all golf fundraisers need to take place on a traditional 18-hole golf course. Facilities like TopGolf, indoor golf simulators, or mini golf venues can offer a fun, relaxed atmosphere that appeals to a different crowd and can be easier to plan logistically.
  

Things to consider when choosing a golf facility for your event

A simple Google search of “golf facilities near me” will give you a list of potential options where you can hold your golf tournament. A glance at each course’s website will help you get a feel for the facility and its offerings. Next, think about the following as you narrow down your list:

• Location. Choose a location that’s convenient to your organization, supporters, and sponsors. Accessibility helps drive higher attendance and community engagement.

• Cost and inclusions. Compare the cost per golfer and make sure you understand what’s included, such as greens fees, carts, range balls, and other amenities. While private courses tend to be more expensive, they may justify a higher registration fee and attract more affluent participants.

• Audience demographics. Think about your target audience. Would they be more excited about playing an exclusive course, or would they prefer an affordable, relaxed public facility? Choose a venue that aligns with your audience’s preferences and your fundraising goals.

• Amenities. Consider what the facility offers beyond the golf course itself—banquet space, catering options, equipment rental, and staff support—as these all factor into your tournament’s success.

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Key questions to ask a potential host golf facility

Once you’ve identified some options for your tournament, reach out and ask the right questions to gather the information you need to make a decision:

• What’s the cost per golfer, and what’s included in that fee?

• Does the price include carts, range balls, or extras like drink tickets or gift cards?

• Is there a minimum number of golfers required to reserve the course?

• What does setup on tournament day look like? 

• Will staff help with signage, tables, or registration?

• What food and beverage options are available? 

• Can you bring in outside food or are you required to use the facility’s catering?

• Is there banquet or event space for awards ceremonies or meals?

• What are the payment policies?

• Is a deposit required? 

• When is the final payment due?

• Do you offer live scoring?

• What’s the inclement weather policy? 

• Is a rain date available, or is play allowed in the rain?

before you sign a contract

Before you lock in the date and facility, carefully review the contract with facility staff so you understand the terms. Here’s what to look for:

• Ensure the quoted price per player matches the contract.

• Double check the minimum and maximum player counts and any penalties if you don’t meet them.

• Confirm any additional fees, such as those for using course software or A/V equipment.

• Understand all line-item charges so there are no surprises after the event.
  

Coordinating with the golf facility

Booking the facility is just the beginning! Use these tips to effectively and seamlessly coordinate with the course staff and set your event up for success.

• Use technology. One of the biggest pain points for golf facilities hosting outside events is an accurate count of the number of players—and the time-consuming back and forth required for updates. Sharing access to your golf event management platform with the golf facility allows staff to see the size of your field in real-time (without several emails or phone calls) and plan accordingly. What’s more, tech built for golf allows golf staff to make hole assignments, print cart signs and scorecards, and download alpha lists and other necessary documents with just a few clicks, instead of manually creating these necessities.

• Stay organized. Keep all your planning details—including golfer registration, sponsor information, and payments—in one centralized place. Your golf event management platform keeps you and your team organized and facilitates easy sharing of accurate, up-to-date information with the golf staff.

• Designate a point person (and a backup). Instead of everyone on your planning team communicating with the golf facility, designate one person to spearhead communication and planning. It’s a good idea to have a backup team member who knows the event plan and can communicate with the golf facility if you happen to be unavailable.

• Communicate effectively. Make sure the course staff has everything they need to support your event, including:

  • A clear schedule of events (registration time, shotgun start, meals, awards)

  • Final golfer count well in advance

  • Food and beverage selections and dietary needs

  • Setup instructions for signage, tables, and on-course games

  • Information about any contests like hole-in-one, longest drive, or putting contests

A golf-specific platform makes coordinating with the golf facility simple and easy.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right golf facility—and building a strong partnership with their team—lays the foundation for a smooth, successful tournament. Be thoughtful in your selection, proactive with your communication, and lean on technology to reduce friction and save time. When you and the course staff are aligned, everything runs more efficiently—leaving more room for a fun, memorable experience for your golfers and a bigger impact for your mission.

Work With the Golf Tournament Pros!

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by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Live scoring adds an unmatched level of professionalism to your charity golf tournament. Instead of manually recording scores on a paper scorecard, golfers submit their scores via a live scoring mobile app, which syncs to live leaderboards in real-time that are accessible in the app and online. Leaderboards are often displayed in the clubhouse and shared on social media.

Live leaderboards can be displayed on televisions in the clubhouse and shared on social media.

why live scoring levels up your tournament

• Golfers love that live scoring makes golf outings more competitive and memorable, and that they can track standings in real-time throughout the tournament’s round. It keeps them engaged throughout the day.

• Golf facilities save tons of time at the end of the tournament. Results are automatically tabulated, so there’s no need for golf staff to spend hours painstakingly tallying scores by hand. Instead, they only need to spend a few minutes reviewing and finalizing scores, post-flighting the results, and breaking ties.

• Sponsors get great exposure, both in the live scoring app and on live leaderboards—where everyone’s looking during the entire event and after. Plus, this digital exposure adds additional value to sponsor packages!

• Tournament organizers like to be able to keep track of the round’s progress to monitor pace of play and ensure they’re prepped and ready to go for post-golf events.

You definitely don’t want to frustrate your tournament’s golfers with a complicated, unreliable platform or scoring app. Look for an app with an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple for golfers to enter scores with a tap.

Golfers can check current standings on their phones throughout the tournament.

tips to successfully live score your Charity Golf tournament

• Communicate ahead of time. Let golfers know that you’ll be using an app to live score the event, and provide instructions on how to download it and find their live scoring code in pre-tournament communications. It can be helpful to include a link to any online step-by-step walkthroughs.

• Encourage golfers to download the app. Cell coverage or WiFi might be spotty at the golf facility, and golfers are likely focused on the fun day ahead, not downloading an app. It will save them time and hassle to download and set up the app before the tournament.

• Use QR codes. Post a QR code that links to the App Store and Google Play to download the live scoring app. Not everyone will heed your advice to download the live scoring app before the event, so make it as simple as possible to do so on tournament day.

• Designate one person to submit scores. Not every golfer needs to download the app or submit scores. Only one person per team needs to use the app to submit scores, but everyone is welcome to do so if they’re interested in tracking their round or advanced stats like greens or fairways hit in regulation.

• Post and share leaderboards. If the host golf facility has TVs in the clubhouse, display scrolling leaderboards that show current standings. Share the link to the leaderboards on your tournament’s event website on your social media platforms so interested parties can follow along (and may be persuaded to make a donation!).

• Keep golfers engaged. Use any push notifications features in your event management platform’s communications tool to send links to the leaderboards to keep golfers engaged throughout the day. It also gives the leaderboard sponsor additional exposure!

GolfStatus’ mobile scoring app makes live scoring quick, easy, and frustration-free!

How to use golfstatus to live score

GolfStatus offers simple and easy live scoring for charity golf tournaments of all types and sizes. Its mobile scoring app and live leaderboards are a non-intrusive way to streamline scoring and boost engagement. Here’s how it works:

1. Download the app. The free GolfStatus app is available from the App Store or Google Play.

2. Find the live scoring code. Find the live scoring code on the physical scorecard, cart sign, in the confirmation email from GolfStatus, or inquire at registration.

3. Join the event. Once golfers create a GolfStatus account or log in to an existing account, the event will appear on the app’s home screen. Tap Join by Code and enter the live scoring code. If the event doesn’t appear on the home screen, tap Tournaments then Join by Code and enter the live scoring code.

4. Sync and start. After entering the live scoring code, tap your name (or the player you’re replacing), then tap Sync. Next, tap Play round to start your round!

5. Score your round. Simply tap the box next to your team, enter your score, and swipe to the next hole.

6. Submit your scorecard. Tap Finish & Submit to review your score, then tap Submit to finish your round.

To help make the user experience as smooth as possible, it’s a good idea to share the above information with golfers prior to the tournament via email. This webpage outlines live scoring step-by-step. You may want to post a QR code that links to the webpage at registration, and be sure you have your tournament’s Alpha Players List or Hole Assignments report handy if golfers inquire about their team code.

Upgrade Your Golf Event With GolfStatus

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by Logan Foote, Sales and Education Director at GolfStatus

If you’re looking for a way to bring fun and fundraising to your charity golf tournament, on-course games are a great option for events of all types and sizes. An on-course game is an addition to your tournament that involves an activity on one or more holes on the golf course that golfers pay to participate in. The games can have a variety of outcomes, like improving the team’s score, providing a better tee off location, removing an obstacle, winning a prize, or just to add an element of fun.

Games can be added to your tournament at any time, well in advance or right before the event. You can opt to have golfers pay to play when they register or pay the day of the tournament. Make sure you have an easy way to collect credit card payments in case golfers don’t carry cash (your GolfStatus event website is a great option for this). An all-in games package is the easiest option—folks pay one flat fee to participate in all the games. Use wristbands or something similar to signal to the volunteers working the games on the course that those golfers have already paid.

On-course games come with a ton of benefit for your event, including:

• Fun, fun, and more fun! Golfers of all skill levels can participate in on-course games and enjoy the extra entertainment.

• You’ll raise more money. Games bring in additional revenue, whether you sell one or more game sponsorships or just rely on golfers paying to play.

• They’re memorable. Golfers are guaranteed to remember the tournament where they shot the ball down the course with an air cannon or had to tee off or putt wearing Mickey Mouse gloves. Games add to a more enjoyable overall tournament experience.

• Cause connection. Tying a game to your cause in some way helps golfers better understand and connect with what they’re helping raise money for.

The Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic adds extra fun to its tournament with on-course games, like kicking soccer balls onto an inflatable dartboard.

31 Ideas for Golf Tournament Games

The possibilities are endless, so gather your planning team to brainstorm ideas. Reach out to the Pro at the host golf facility, who might also have ideas for games that have been popular at other tournaments. These ideas can help get you started.

1. Golf Ball Cannon

Give golfers the chance to shoot their ball down the fairway using an air gun or golf ball cannon, instead of hitting a tee shot.

2. hole of fortune

Choose one hole that’s dubbed the “hole of fortune.” Golfers pick a card, play Plinko, or spin a wheel to determine the club they’ll use to tee off or play the entire hole with or the tee boxes they’ll start from. Prizes could also include an extra mulligan, an automatic hole-in-one, or a free drink. Alternatively, some slots or cards could result in something not as rewarding, such as teeing off while blindfolded or getting a penalty stroke.

Pro Tip: Some slots or cards could result in something not as rewarding, such as teeing off while blindfolded or getting a penalty stroke to give it a true “wheel of fortune” feel.

3. marshmallow drive

Have golfers tee off with a marshmallow. The golfer with the longest “drive” wins a prize. You could change this up to have golfers chip with a marshmallow, and the golfer with the closest chip to the hole gets the prize.

4. Plinko

Give golfers the chance to drop a puck on a Plinko board to win a prize, earn a drink or raffle ticket, or improve their score.

Plinko is fun for all ages and can be used with a variety of golf tournament formats, including traditional nine or 18-hole events or putt putt tournaments.

5. Roll-a-score

Have golfers roll a set of dice and give them the option to replace any score from the event with whatever they rolled.

6. Single Club hole

Participants play with the same club for the entire hole. They could choose a card, spin a wheel, roll dice, or other method to determine which club they play with. 

Pro Tip: Consider limiting clubs to those that would present the most challenge across the hole, such as the driver, wedge, or putter.

7. Wrong Hand Challenge

Participants play the entire hole “wrong-handed”, i.e. with their non-dominant hand. You may need to have clubs available in case no one in a group has left-handed or right-handed clubs. 
Pro Tip: Give teams the option to pay a fee to play the hole normally.

8. Scavenger Hunt

Place items around the course (these could be related to your mission in some way or just for fun). Participating teams get a list of the items to hunt for and take a picture of them once found. Teams that find every item could earn a prize or the chance to better their score.

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9. Club Game

Teams are given the chance to purchase a certain number of club lengths to move their ball closer to the hole without taking an additional stroke.
Pro Tip: Have a volunteer stationed on the tee box and another one near the green to sell club lengths. Choose an especially challenging hole to make the purchase more appealing.

10. Poker Hand

Teams draw a card on each of five designated holes to make up a poker hand. The team with the best hand at the end of the round wins a prize or you can offer prizes for specific hands (i.e. three of a kind wins a gift card to the pro shop).

11. Speed Hole

See which team can play the entire hole—from tee shot to sinking a putt—the fastest. You’ll need a volunteer to serve as the timer. The team that logs the fastest time wins a prize.

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The Complete Event Day Guide for Charity Golf Tournaments

Download this free guide to get tips and strategies for ensuring everything—including your golf tournament games—is prepped and ready to go for a flawlessly executed golf event.

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12. Trivia hole

Station a volunteer on the tee box to ask golfers trivia questions before they tee off to win a prize or move to closer tees.
Pro Tip: Relate the questions to your nonprofit’s mission to help connect golfers to your cause.

13. Shot Clock Hole

The entire team must tee off within a certain amount of time or must take a penalty stroke. Set up a large countdown timer or have a volunteer count out loud.
Pro Tip: Sell extra increments of time to take the time pressure off.

14. Ball Toss or Kick

Great for a booster club or team! Instead of hitting a golf ball off of a tee for their tee shot, golfers throw a football, baseball, softball, tennis ball, or other ball and play from there. Alternatively, they could kick a football or soccer ball for their drive.
Pro Tip: Have a local sports figure (high school, college, or even professional) run the game. For an extra fee, they can make the throw or kick.

American soccer legend Clint Dempsey kicks a soccer ball for his tee shot at a golf event benefiting Team Red, White & Blue.

15. Closest to the…

A spin on the classic closest to the pin contest, this game can be customized to your event. Determine an object either placed or naturally occurring—anything from a prize like a Yeti Cooler or golf bag, distinct tree (or other feature on the course), or an item related to a sponsor (one GolfStatus client places a rubber chicken on a hole, and the game is sponsored by a chicken company). The team that gets the closest to the object wins a prize (or wins the prize they were hitting at).

16. Speed Putting

Golfers try to make as many putts from one location in a certain amount of time as possible to win a prize. 
Pro Tip: Run multiple rounds of the contest, moving the ball further away from the hole.

17. Sitting Drive Challenge

Golfers take their tee shot while sitting on a chair. Offer the choice to pay a fee to opt out of the challenge.

18. Ball Swap

Golfers play the hole like normal until they reach the green, where they mark their spot and play the rest of the hole with a racquet ball or ping pong ball.

19. Blind Putt

Golfers wear sleep shades or blindfolds when they putt and have to rely on verbal cues from their team to try to make the shot.

20. Alternative Putter

Golfers putt using objects other than their putter, like a croquet mallet, hockey stick, or baseball bat. This could be on the practice green as a separate contest or as part of a specific hole. 
Pro Tip: Pick putting objects that help golfers understand what your nonprofit does. For example, Habitat for Humanity of Columbus, which helps provide affordable housing and homeowner education, had a game on the practice green where golfers putted with building tools, like sledgehammers and levels, instead of their putters.

Golfers at Habitat for Humanity of Columbus’s golf tournament used building tools to putt as part of a golf tournament game.

21. Caddie Auction

Teams bid on volunteer caddies to join their team. Recruit well-known locals, such as your nonprofit’s Executive Director, the mayor, coach, local news anchor or weathercaster, or influencer as caddies. 
Pro Tip: Use an online bidding software and allow teams to bid over the week leading up to the tournament so the caddies are set when event day arrives.

22. hit it & Get it

Set varying prizes up on the practice green. Golfers get the chance to putt and win a prize if they hit it.
Pro Tip: Place high-value prizes further away to up the challenge.

23. Skins Games

Skins games create mini-competitions where teams (or individuals, depending on the event’s format) compete against each other based on their score on a given hole, in addition to their overall score. Event organizers can use skins games to fundraise by setting a dollar amount for participants to buy in to compete. 
Pro Tip: Display skins results on real-time digital leaderboards to keep golfers engaged and make the skins games more competitive.

24. Dizzy Bat

Golfers take turns putting their forehead on the end of a baseball bat and spin around multiple times, making them dizzy, and then attempt to tee off.

25. Goggle Putt

Golfers wear goggles that impair their vision in some way—such as being impaired by alcohol or make everything appear upside down—and attempt to putt.

26. Bingo Bango Bongo

Players earn points for being the first on the green (bingo), closest to the pin once all balls are on the green (bango), and sinking the first putt (bongo). 
Pro Tip: Raise extra funds by selling a Bingo Bango Bongo sponsorship or encouraging donations for each point earned.

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Golf Tournament Contests

27. Hole-In-One Contest

Players take their best shot at acing a designated par-three hole (or several holes) for the chance to win an exciting prize, like cash or a golf getaway.
Pro Tip: Be sure your contest is covered by hole-in-one insurance so your nonprofit isn’t stuck footing the bill for the prize if someone gets an ace. Sell a contest sponsorship to cover the cost of the insurance to boost revenue.

28. Longest Drive Contest

Participants compete to see who can hit the ball the farthest off the tee while keeping it within the fairway on a selected hole.

Contests are easy ways to improve the overall experience at a charity golf tournament.

29. Closest to the Pin Contest

Golfers test their accuracy and compete to see whose tee shot lands closest to the hole on a designated par-three hole.

30. Chipping Contest

Players demonstrate their short-game skills by chipping the ball as close to a target as possible, often set up near the practice green. 
Pro Tip: Boost revenue by selling mulligans specifically for shots in longest drive, closest to the pin, and chipping contests.

31. Beat the Pro Contest

Players take on a pro in a head-to-head challenge to see if they can hit their tee shot closer to the hole on a specific hole.

Best Practices for Running Golf Tournament Games

• Sell a games sponsorship! There are a few ways to structure a games sponsorship for your golf fundraiser:

• Individual games sponsorships. Sell a sponsorship for each individual game on the course and encourage the purchasing business to run the game the day of the event. This gives them great brand exposure and ample opportunity to connect with golfers.

• Overall games sponsorship. An overall games sponsorship encompasses every game on the course. This sponsorship should sell for more than the individual game sponsorships and provide premium exposure for the sponsoring business.

• Front and back nine games sponsorships. Offer two separate games sponsorships, one for the front nine and one for the back nine.

• Connect golfers to your mission. Games that connect golfers to your mission in some way have double the impact—they get a deeper appreciation for your cause and are more likely to chip in additional money. For example, Outlook Enrichment, a nonprofit that serves the visually-impaired, uses the blind putt game to help golfers better understand the struggles of vision loss.

Outlook Enrichment uses sleep shades for a blind putt hole to help golfers better understand vision loss.

• Leverage social media. Go live from one of the games, create a specific hashtag for a new game, and assign someone to share photos from each game throughout the tournament to get more people excited about participating in the games.

• Hype it up. Ask a volunteer, a staff or board member, or recruit a local celebrity to announce or emcee a game to hype golfers up to participate (and make extra donations!). 

• Keep pace of play in mind. You don’t want teams piling up on a hole with a time-consuming game. Keep games easy to explain and quick to play to keep the round moving and golfers happy. 

• Recruit volunteers. These can be staff or board members, other volunteers, or even sponsors. Depending on the length of the round, you might want to have two shifts of volunteers. They need to be comfortable explaining the rules and procedures, how to pay online via your event website, or collect cash payments.

• Incorporate team-based challenges. Create ways for teams to compete against each other in the games. For example, if you use the marshmallow drive game, you can keep track of distance across all teams and award a prize to the overall winner.

• Use real-time leaderboards. When you use a software solution that provides hassle-free live-scoring, you can use real-time standings as part of your games. Perhaps teams that are under par at a certain game hole get a free extra wheel spin or Plinko drop, or teams that are more than a few strokes over par get an additional try at the marshmallow drive.

• Take online payments. Whether you’re selling supertickets, wristbands, or individual game entries or collecting donations, the ability to collect payments online via your event website helps bring in more dollars and makes post-tournament accounting easier. Post a sign with a QR code that links directly to the packages page to make it super simple for golfers and your planning team, and you won’t have to deal with keeping track of cash payments.

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Golf for Good

Nonprofits, charities, and third parties planning charity golf tournaments can get started with GolfStatus at no upfront cost through the Golf for Good program! Get access to GolfStatus’ golf event management platform—with a robust event website, time-saving automations and built-in fundraising tools, premium sponsorships, trusted partners, and an A+ in-house support team—to make your next golf event the best one yet. Click below to connect with our team!

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About the Author

Jen Wemhoff - Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Jen Wemhoff accidentally discovered her passion for nonprofits in college. An internship while earning a degree in Communications from Doane University led to a 20 year career in the nonprofit sector, where she found a strong desire to be part of something bigger than herself. Her vast nonprofit experience includes roles in marketing, fundraising, and direct programming. When Jen came to GolfStatus as Communications Manager in 2020, she was struck by the power of the sport to raise money to power nonprofit missions. She tells GolfStatus’s story across platforms and channels and develops educational tools and resources to help nonprofits tap into golf’s giving power. Jen, her husband, and two daughters call Lincoln, Nebraska home.

by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Your event website functions as the home base for your golf tournament, where folks can find out more about the event, learn about your organization, and register or purchase a sponsorship. Your event website also has a secret weapon—the donate button.

It’s a more-powerful-than-you-think tool that you can use to do far more than simply accept donations. You can collect payments for a number of tournament add-ons via the donation button. This keeps all payments and event revenue in one spot, making it easy to track income, simplify accounting, and run robust event reports.

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How Does It Work?

Simply send folks right to the donate page on your event website. If you’re sending information to participants electronically (via email or push notifications), include a clickable direct link. If you’re using any printed materials (like flyers or signage), add a QR code golfers can scan on their phone that takes them right to the donation page. Use the page to:

1. Collect Donations

Build strategic donation asks into your tournament day using emails, push notifications, social media, and in-person appeals. Challenge golfers to donate their final score or the score of the winning team or set up a donation station to collect gifts. You’ll onboard new donors you can further steward after the tournament!

2. Show Progress Toward Your Fundraising Goal

Donors love seeing the impact their gift is making. A quick and easy way to do that is having a bar that tracks progress toward your donation goal. Make sure donors can see it during checkout so they can instantly see how their gift has helped move the needle.

Event websites powered by GolfStatus make it easy for you to track your event day fundraising goal.

3. Collect Auction Payments

Particularly if you’re not using a standalone online auction platform or one that doesn’t process payments, you need an easy way for winning bidders to pay for their items. Simply direct folks to the donate page and make a note of the item or items they won for reporting purposes.

4. Pay for On-Course Games & Contests 

On-course games and contests are a great way to raise additional dollars the day of the tournament. Golfers can pay to have a pro take the tee shot for them, enter a putting contest, or participate in any other fun on-course competition right from the event website. Alternatively, you could set up specific packages for games and contests and direct folks to the registration page if you’re interested in separating those out for accounting purposes.

Golfers participate in a “blind putt hole” on-course game at a golf fundraiser.

5. Track Matching Donations

If you have a donor willing to match donations made the day of the tournament, sending everything through the event site makes it super simple to track the match. Highlight how donors’ gifts will be matched (if it’s a 1:1 match or other ratio plus the maximum match amount) and recognize the generous donor (if they want to be publicly recognized, that is).

6. Sell Mulligans or Raffle Tickets 

Allow golfers to buy these when they check in on tournament day, or consider setting up a station or stations on the golf course where folks can buy mulligans or raffle tickets. Setting up a station before a particularly difficult hole might boost your mulligan sales! You also have the option to build out mulligan or raffle tickets packages, like mentioned under on-course games and contests.

Golfers can make a payment or donation right from their mobile phone before, during, or after the golf tournament.

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Final Thoughts

The last thing you want to worry about on tournament day is hanging on to a wad of cash, manually entering credit card numbers, or reconciling Venmo payments. Instead, direct golfers to your event website and keep everything in one, unified place to simplify your post-tournament accounting.

GolfStatus’ tournament management software makes it simple. It starts with a professional event website, is powered by an industry-leading support team and an intuitive backend that’s easy for avid golfers and non-golfers alike, and ends with robust reporting and printouts. Best of all, nonprofits (and third parties holding golf tournaments to benefit a nonprofit or charity) can qualify to use GolfStatus’ platform at no upfront cost through the Golf for Good program. It’s not too good to be true! Click the button to find out more and get qualified.

End-of-year giving is crucial for nonprofits looking to boost their bottom line and meet the year’s financial goals. Motivated by the holidays and the opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation, donors give (on average) about $48 billion to nonprofits in the last two months of the year. Plus, nonprofits typically see about 30% of annual giving occur in December. Nonprofits, causes, and charities of all types and sizes have the opportunity to end the year on a high note with a targeted giving campaign.

Here are six ideas to increase your nonprofit’s year-end giving results.

1. Set a Goal and Make It Easy for Donors to Track Progress.

Donors appreciate seeing, in real ways, how they’re contributing to mission fulfillment. When you set a specific fundraising goal for your year-end giving campaign—and give supporters a way to track progress toward that goal—they can immediately see how their gift is moving the needle. You don’t have to shoot for the moon; instead, make your target realistic and achievable. 

PRO TIP: GolfStatus event websites have a built-in progress bar feature that updates in real-time when someone makes a donation. Reactivate your event site to seamlessly collect donations and let supporters see how close you are to hitting your goal.

2. Make It Shareable.

It’s the snowball effect—perhaps someone who attended your golf fundraiser learned about your organization and completely bought into your cause. They’re excited to support you and want to ask their friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. An online donation option makes it quick and easy to share a link on their social media platforms, via text, or through an email. If you’re mailing printed appeals, include a QR code with a direct donation link for any printed pieces. It’s crucial to have a giving site that’s mobile-friendly, with an easy payment interface, so folks don’t get frustrated with the process and abandon their transactions before submission.

PRO TIP: Ask your golf event planning committee or volunteers to share the donation link with at least five people.

3. Capture Donor Data.

The importance of this can’t be understated—capturing this valuable information, at the time of donation, not only lays the foundation for additional donor stewardship and long-term support, but reduces stress on you and your staff. Just like with your golf fundraiser’s registration, relying on paper donation forms and having to process checks, cash, or hand-written credit card numbers is tedious and wastes a ton of your staff’s valuable time. Collecting this data online significantly cuts down your administrative time, making the dollars go further. Simply download this information and add batch notations or tags for tracking purposes and include it in your organization’s donor database. 

PRO TIP: Golfers are a valuable demographic to have in your donor database. They’re typically generous, affluent, and influential, with an annual household income twice the national average and a net worth of over $760,000.

4. Make It Tangible.

Help donors make a tangible connection to your end-of-year fundraising. Whether it’s a specific program or effort or unrestricted dollars, use your giving website to share how you plan to use their gift through words, photos, and even videos. Set custom giving amounts and describe what each will help your organization do, i.e. “A gift of $100 will provide books for two underserved classrooms in our community.” 

PRO TIP: Leave space for a custom donation amount if folks want to give more or less than the predetermined amounts—every gift helps.

5. Say Thank You (More Than Once!)

In the busy-ness of the close of a year, this step is easy to overlook or punt until the new year. Automate this process as much as possible, for a couple reasons: 1. Donors are thanked in a timely manner and 2. You save a ton of time. A prompt thank you reassures donors that their gift was received (and they get their donation receipt for tax purposes) and helps solidify the relationship. Think about other, additional ways to express your appreciation in the new year, whether it’s tapping your board or volunteers to make phone calls or send handwritten thank you notes.

PRO TIP: Donations made via a GolfStatus event website automatically receive a receipt via email, where you can input a custom message and images.

6. Use Giving Tuesday to Appeal to Supporters.

Giving Tuesday typically occurs the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving (following the retail-heavy days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday). The idea is to encourage people to do good, and in many cases, that means donating to their favorite nonprofit(s). It’s a great time to connect with your constituents and community members, highlighting what your organization is doing to address important issues and ask for their help in the form of a donation. Start by appealing to those that attended your golf fundraiser (those that played in it, attended as guests, or sponsored the event). 

PRO TIP: Social media is a great way to drum up support on Giving Tuesday, as well as targeted emails to your golf tournament attendees (or other donor segment) leading up to and on Giving Tuesday.

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How GolfStatus Can Help

Even if your golf event was months ago, your GolfStatus event website can help drive and easily collect end-of-year donations with the donate button. You can easily set and display progress toward your fundraising goal right on the site’s home page, as well as at checkout. You can choose to reframe the event website’s content to focus on the goals for the donation appeal or even create a new event site (that way, you retain the original golf site for future reference). 

Get in touch to find out how GolfStatus can help with your golf fundraiser from start to finish, from our powerful, user-friendly tech to industry-leading support and vast experience. Through our Golf for Good program, 501(c) organizations (and those planning golf events that benefit a charity) can qualify for no-cost access to the platform. Click below to get started or email us directly at [email protected].