As golf season moves into high gear, tournament organizers like you are likely exploring avenues to boost revenue from your golf fundraiser. This blog series continues to outline various tournament components, add-ons, and strategies to raise as much money as possible from your golf tournament.
This guide will explore a popular addition to golf tournaments: auctions. Auctions are a common—and lucrative—complementary activity that can have great ROI for your nonprofit’s golf event.
Why Should My Nonprofit Run a Golf Charity Auction?
Auctions and golf tournaments go hand-in-hand. A combination of desirable items, low overhead costs, and a smooth experience can significantly increase your golf event’s overall revenue and further your nonprofit’s impact.
Drive significant revenue from your event. An auction adds another source of income to your tournament, in addition to team registrations, sponsorships, contests, mulligan sales, raffles, on-course games, and other add-ons. You’ll not only diversify your event’s fundraising efforts, you’ll also drive additional revenue for your nonprofit. Competitive bidding, especially in a live auction, can drive up the final sale price of items, leading to increased fundraising outcomes.
Attract new participants. An auction can draw a wider audience to your tournament, including those who may not be interested in playing golf but want to support your cause in another way. Spouses or guests of golfers or sponsors may be eager to attend an auction, but not the rest of the tournament. High-end items also have the potential to draw additional teams to play in your tournament, so be sure to publicize the auction in your event marketing.
Add excitement and engagement. Auctions add more fun and excitement to your tournament, encouraging golfers, sponsors, and guests to stay longer—and spend more.
Low-cost, high ROI. One way to keep your auction’s overhead costs low is to secure as many donated items as possible. Items purchased outright or on consignment come with a cost that eats away at your overall take from the auction, so engage your donor base, partners, vendors, and sponsors to solicit auction item donations and boost ROI.
Adds more sponsorship opportunities to connect with local businesses. An auction is another opportunity to engage with area companies and businesses. If a business isn’t able to financially sponsor your tournament, invite them to donate an auction item as an in-kind sponsorship. This opens doors for future sponsorships and helps keep auction costs low.
What Types of Auctions Complement Golf Tournaments?
The vast majority of golf tournaments incorporate a silent auction. In a silent auction, participants write their bids on a piece of paper, or, more commonly, using an online bidding platform to submit their bid. Silent auctions work well with golf tournaments because of their flexibility, and thanks to mobile bidding platforms, golfers can place bids from anywhere on the course.
Another option is a live auction. Live auctions utilize a professional auctioneer who leads the bidding process, encouraging competition amongst attendees. One item is auctioned off at a time, in front of the entire group. Live auctions are particularly effective for high-value items or experiences, but can be time-consuming at the end of a long day on the golf course.
Finally, you can choose an online auction. An online auction extends the auction beyond the golf
How Do I Add an Auction to My Golf Event?
An auction can easily be added to your tournament at any time. Of course, the earlier you plan for an auction, the more time you’ll have to procure items, promote the auction, establish bidding processes, and finalize the details. What’s more, a well-organized auction ensures a positive overall experience and can even encourage higher bids.
Much like your golf tournament, using technology will help it run smoothly and save you time and hassle, so start by choosing an auction platform. The most important feature is a mobile-friendly interface so golfers can browse auction items during the round and place bids right from their phones. It’s also a good idea to enlist volunteers to help with auction setup, answer questions and assist folks with bids, and finalizing payment and item pickup at the auction’s conclusion.
Pro Tip:
Use your GolfStatus event website to promote your golf tournament’s auction, highlighting top-tier items and recognizing donors.
What Are Some Best Practices for My Golf Charity Auction?
Start planning early. Begin organizing your auction well in advance of the event. Secure high-quality items and experiences that will appeal to your audience.
Set clear guidelines. Clearly outline the auction rules, including bidding increments, payment methods, and pick-up procedures, to avoid confusion and ensure a seamless process. Be sure to communicate these to your bidders before the auction begins.
Utilize technology. Consider using online bidding platforms for silent or virtual auctions to streamline the process and reach a broader audience, and be sure you include a link to your auction on your golf tournament’s website.
Link out to your auction right from your golf tournament website.
Leverage sponsorships and donated items. Partner with local businesses for donated items or experiences, reducing costs and fostering community involvement. You’ll improve fundraising outcomes as a result!
Engage attendees. Provide frequent updates and reminders about the auction during the tournament, highlighting selected items to keep attendees engaged.
Recruit volunteers. Recruit the help of volunteers to assist with auction setup, bid tracking, and attendee support during the event.
Follow up with bidders. After the auction, promptly reach out to winning bidders to confirm payment and item delivery, and thank them for their support. Be sure to add them to the invite list for next year’s golf tournament.
What Are the Best Golf Charity Auction Items?
One key to a successful auction is offering items that are appealing, attractive, and valuable to your audience.
Our Favorite Golf Charity Auction Items
Experiences. VIP tickets to sporting events, concert passes, exclusive golf packages, vacations or travel packages, dining experiences.
Memorabilia. Autographed sports gear, collectibles, pieces of art, branded merchandise, golf equipment.
Luxury items. Designer goods, handmade jewelry, high-end electronics, gourmet food baskets, high-end spirits or wine baskets.
Local business services. Spa packages, local dining experiences, home improvement services, golf lessons, local boutique packages.
Hole #18 at Victoria National, part of the Dormie Network.
Golf-Related Auction Items
Custom golf club set
Golf rangefinder
Personalized golf bag
Exclusive lessons with a golf pro
Golf apparel (hat, shoes, gloves, shirts, pants)
Golf cart
Golf course membership package
Golf weekend getaway
Pro Tip:
GolfStatus’ giving partners at Dormie Network Foundation offer in-kind donations that level up nonprofits’ fundraising efforts.
Physical Auction Items
Custom artwork
Standing desk/walking pad
Chef set (knives, kitchen supplies, etc.)
Gourmet gift basket (luxury chocolates, wine, snacks, and other gourmet foods)
Coffee lover gift basket (coffee mugs, french press, beans, etc.)
Experiential Auction Items
Sporting events tickets
Concert tickets
Vacation/travel packages
“Night on the Town” (dinner and a show)
Ultimate city experience (tickets to all the fun things to do in a certain city)
Run a Golf Auction with GolfStatus
In addition to industry-leading software for charity golf tournaments and fundraisers, GolfStatus offers an auction add-on. The GolfStatus in-house team will work closely with you to set the auction up on the platform and activate the “Auction” tab on your golf tournament website so you can start collecting bids alongside golfer and sponsor registrations. Curious about how GolfStatus can help save time, raise more money, and streamline your auction? Click below to get in touch with our team.