by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus
On-course contests are where charity golf tournaments can come alive. A simple, engaging, and profitable option is a putting contest. With minimal setup, low overhead, and high participation potential, a well-run putting contest can generate meaningful dollars while giving golfers something extra to look forward to on tournament day.
Whether you’re looking to boost revenue, attract sponsors, or create a memorable moment that brings everyone together, a putting contest checks all the boxes. Let’s break down the most common questions, popular formats, and proven best practices to help you host a putting contest that's easy to manage and hard to forget.
Table of Contents
Golf Putting Contest FAQs
What is a Golf Putting Contest?
A golf putting contest is a standalone on-course game held during a golf event such as a charity scramble, corporate outing, or club championship. It’s often held on the golf facility’s practice green and takes place before the shotgun start, during the tournament when teams play a hole near the practice green, or post-round as part of the awards ceremony.
Unlike the larger tournament, where total score matters, a putting contest tests golfers' short-game skills. Golfers pay an entry fee to participate in the contest and attempt to make a long-range putt or series of putts. Some tournaments hold contest rounds, with successful putts advancing to the next round to compete for cash or other high-value prizes.
Why Should We Host a Golf Putting Contest?
Putting contests have the potential to drive significant revenue from your charity golf tournament. Why? There are low to no overhead costs (golfers bring their own putters, and the golf facility provides the hole and golf balls, and you can source donated prizes), and entry fees drive fundraising. What’s more, a putting contest is a prime sponsorship opportunity, much like hole-in-one contests. The practice green is a high-traffic, high-value exposure point, boosting the value of a contest sponsorship.
A putting contest can also break up a long day on the course. A high-stakes contest finale held before dinner, awards, or auction draws a crowd, creating an electric atmosphere and a shared highlight that attendees talk about until next year's event.
What are Popular Golf Putting Contest Formats?
Guaranteed Prize
How it works: All participants line up at a pre-determined distance, perhaps 10 feet. Those who make it move back to another distance, like 20 feet, then 30 feet, etc., continuing until only the winner remains.
Pros: This format guarantees a winner and a prize awarded right then and there. It also has a very low barrier to entry for golfers and is fairly simple to run.
Cons: This type of contest can take 15–20 minutes to complete, so it must be scheduled carefully to not interfere with the rest of the tournament.
Cash Prize
How it works: A qualifying round is held to determine one finalist. That finalist gets one single attempt from 50+ feet (often 60 feet) for a large cash prize.
Pros: Offering a significant cash prize can draw in large crowds and more participants.
Cons: Insurance is a must, and it can take a while to process the claim.
Other Variations
Putt a prize. Various prizes are placed on the practice green, and golfers win the prize if their putt hits it or stops within a certain distance.
“Pig” or “Golf”. Similar to the basketball game, where one player sets up a putt and makes it, and others must replicate the putt or get a letter.
Team relay. Team members must sink a putt from certain distances (such as five feet, 10 feet, 20 feet, etc.) in succession. The team with the fastest time wins.
What Else Should I Know About Golf Putting Contests?
If you’re interested in offering cash or non-donated prizes, you might consider putting contest insurance, which comes with a cost. A more cost-effective option is to secure donated prizes from sponsors, local businesses, or partners.
Use your golf tournament website to sell entry into the putting contest. You can sell entry as a standalone item or bundle it with other tournament add-ons, like raffle tickets or mulligans. Sell entry ahead of the event, as well as at check-in, to maximize participation.
Publicize the contest on your event website and in promotional campaigns. Highlight prizes, how much it costs to enter, and when the contest will take place. Be sure to give a shoutout to the contest sponsor when applicable.
How to Host a Golf Putting Contest
1. Choose the Right Format
Step one is to decide if the primary goal of a putting contest is high-margin fundraising or high-energy entertainment. If you need to raise money without any overhead, a guaranteed prize is a good option. If you want to make a big splash, an insured $10,000 contest might be the better choice.
2. Secure the Location & Schedule
Putting contests are most commonly held on the practice green before the start of the golf tournament. If there are multiple practice greens, choose the one closest to the clubhouse or outdoor bar. The easier it is for spectators to grab a drink or a bite to eat and watch, the larger your crowd (and the higher the energy) will be.
If you have the contest on the practice green during the round or at the turn, there’s a risk of creating a bottleneck. Choose a rapid-fire format to prevent backing up the entire tournament. You might also consider hosting finals at the end of the day for a climactic finale to the event.
3. Lock Down Logistics
If you’re utilizing putting contest insurance, you’ll likely have to abide by various requirements, which might include:
Exact putt length. You’ll be required to measure the putt’s distance to the exact inch using a surveyor’s tape.
Contest witness. You’ll need to train a witness—either a volunteer, staff member, or planning team member—to watch all of the putts to ensure all of the rules were followed. For high-value prizes, you might need to submit video footage of the putts for verification.
Standardized equipment. You may need to provide the golf balls and even the golf clubs for the contest.
You’ll also need to determine other contest logistics, such as:
Entry fee
Prizes
Format
Plan for crowd control and spectators
Contest emcee
4. Price It Right
Sell contest entries on your tournament website. This keeps all tournament funds in one place to simplify post-event accounting and eliminates the need to pay with cash for day-of entries.
It’s a good idea to bundle the putting contest with other add-ons to boost revenue. A combined ticket that includes contest entry with add-ons like on-course games, mulligans, or raffle tickets creates a higher perceived value that can drastically increase participation rates. You might also give golfers the opportunity to buy a second or third qualifying attempt for half the price.
Sell the Putting Contest Sponsorship as an opportunity for the sponsor to set up a tent, have hole signage, hand out swag, and personally interact with every golfer.
5. Create a Fun Atmosphere
The right emcee and commentary transform the putting contest into a spectator sport. Enlist a volunteer to serve as the contest emcee. Provide a microphone (check with the golf facility) to announce finalists, crack jokes, and build excitement.
Since making a 50-foot putt is a rarity, it’s a good idea to have a backup activity to keep the mood high. That way, if the finalist misses, you can pivot to a "Closest to the Pin" chip-off or a raffle draw for a smaller prize or gift so the event ends on a high note.
6. Follow Up After the Contest
While the contest and excitement are still fresh, announce the winner (if applicable) at the awards ceremony or dinner. Play a video of the winning putt on a projector to engage those who may have missed it.
Ensure the sponsor is front and center for the check presentation or to award the prize. Even if the big cash prize wasn't won, a photo of the finalist and the sponsor shaking hands is valuable content to use to promote next year’s event.
Send a "thank you" text or email to contest participants or the entire field with a link to next year's early-bird registration, building on the excitement from the contest.
Final Thoughts
A golf putting contest is a high-impact add-on for your next golf tournament. It’s flexible, cost-effective, sponsor-friendly, and when done right, creates a buzz that carries through to marketing next year’s tournament. By choosing the right format, handling the necessary logistics, pricing entries strategically, and leaning into the entertainment value, you can turn the contest into a major fundraising and engagement win.
If you’re ready to put these ideas into action, the next step is simplifying how you manage your contest—and your golf tournament as a whole. Using a purpose-built golf tournament management platform like GolfStatus makes it easy to sell entries online, bundle add-ons, track participation, and keep everything organized in one place—so you can focus on creating an exciting experience.
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.
