by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

If you’re looking for a fresh idea to engage employees, clients, and the community at large while raising awareness about your brand in a unique and meaningful way, a corporate golf event is the perfect answer. Corporate golf outings—especially when they’re well-managed and organized—offer a variety of positive outcomes for a company.

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table of contents

Corporate Golf Events FAQ
How to Host a Corporate Golf Event
Powering Corporate Golf Events with GolfStatus

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Learn How to Plan a Corporate Golf Event

Corporate Golf Events FAQ

What is a Corporate Golf Event?

A corporate golf event is a tournament or outing planned and hosted by a business. Corporate events often raise money for a corporate foundation or favorite nonprofit, but don’t have to include a charitable component. Such events are used as an opportunity for team-building across departments, to entertain clients or prospects, or as a give-back initiative.

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Corporate Event Case Study: Credit Unions for Kids Golf Classic

Hosts: US Community Credit Union and Engbright Credit Union

Beneficiary: Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

Outcomes: Raised $50,000 for patient financial assistance and built community connections.

Specifics: Hosts sold sponsorships to partners, vendors, and associations that share an interest in the cause. Golfers represented sponsors, employees from the hosts and competing credit unions, city council members, and hospital staff. Patients and administrators attended to connect golfers with the “why” behind the event.

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What Are the Benefits of Corporate Golf Events?

• Enhance Corporate Social Responsibility. A corporate golf outing that benefits a charity or cause is a great addition to your company’s CSR portfolio. This could mean connecting with an existing golf event to support it as a sponsor, or taking it a step further and hosting your own corporate event benefiting a charity.

• Connect With Your Community. Golf has deep ties to the nonprofit sector, raising $4.6 billion for charity annually and bringing people together in a memorable way to raise funds for a good cause. Invite targeted community members, staff or beneficiaries from the charity the outing will raise money for, or focus on your business’s employees and customers. 

• Get a Competitive Edge. A golf event helps set your brand apart, giving you four or five focused hours of facetime with colleagues, vendors, clients, or prospects. 

• Boost Employee Engagement. Businesses need to find ways to attract and retain top talent, which means demonstrating that business priorities include more than just the bottom line. Use a golf outing to engage and reward employees, build morale, encourage retention, and give back.

How to Host a Corporate Golf Event

If you’ve never planned a golf tournament before or don’t know much about the sport, don’t worry—you can still hold a professional, memorable event. Here’s how:

1. Use the Right Tools

It’s likely that planning a company golf outing isn’t your full-time job or something you do regularly, so you might not know where to start or how to maximize efficiencies. Most event management systems aren’t able to intuitively manage the details of a golf outing (hole assignments, player pairings, scoring and leaderboards, flighting, handicaps) so look for one that’s built specifically for golf tournaments and includes:

• Online Registration. This is a must-have—golfers seamlessly submit their information and payment online, saving hours of dealing with spreadsheets, checks, and receipts. 

• Customizable Event Website. The site should present your event in a professional light and make it simple to promote, provide digital sponsor exposure, and share updates.

• Shared Access. Registration information should populate into the platform’s back end, where it’s accessible in one place by organizers and even staff at the golf facility. 

• Communication Tools. The platform should have built-in communication tools, like emails and push notifications, to quickly and easily communicate with registrants.

• Pre-formatted Printouts. Use a platform that comes with pre-formatted, professional printouts like branded cart signs and scorecards.

• Live-scoring & Leaderboards. Golfers submit scores with an easy-to-use mobile app that syncs to live leaderboards and allows teams to track current standings.

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Use the Best Tool for Your Golf Event: GolfStatus

Online registration is non-negotiable when planning a corporate golf event. It gives the event and your brand a professional feel and is a time-saver for tournament planners.

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2. Set Goals & Form a Planning Team

The goals for the event will help other key details fall into place, so start by thinking through what you hope to accomplish. Keep in mind that goals don’t have to be mutually exclusive—you can engage employees while also raising money for charity. 

Form a planning team of five to 10 people to help carry the load. Include employees, partners, and even a representative from the nonprofit partner (if your outing includes a fundraising component) to help plan and execute the tournament. Identify roles and responsibilities to ensure everyone is on the same page.

3. Establish a Budget

Your goals will help inform your budget. If you’re raising money for a charity, your budget will likely look different than if your main focus is employee engagement or entertaining clients. 

• Start by outlining the major costs—greens fees, cart rental, food and beverage, and player gifts. Other costs might include marketing, entertainment, awards, and hole-in-one insurance.

• Next, identify sources of income, such as golfer registration fees, sponsorships, mulligan sales, on-course game entries, merchandise sales, raffle tickets, or an auction. If your outing’s goal doesn’t include fundraising, you likely won’t have to prioritize revenue.

• Finally, build sponsorship packages to cover hard costs (unless you have a dedicated budget that includes line items for all costs). Offer a variety of options at different price points to entice businesses to commit and include benefits that provide high ROI.

4. Determine Details & Logistics

Once your budget is outlined, you can move on to determining other core event logistics. Start by choosing the host golf facility, date and time, and format. The vast majority of corporate events are scrambles, which are attractive to golfers of all skill levels. Then move on to other details, including:

• Event schedule

• Marketing strategy

• Contingency plan for inclement weather

• Prizes and awards

• Team pairings

• Hole assignments

• Add-on activities and contests, such as on-course games, hole-in-one contests, raffle drawings, or a live or silent auction

5. Promote the Corporate Golf Event

How you get the word out depends on the target audience. If the tournament is open to employees, include a link to the event website in internal newsletters or mention it in company meetings. If it’s open to the community, send promotional emails, include it in client newsletters, and mention it on your social media channels. If you’re raising money for a nonprofit, work with them to promote the tournament to their supporter base.

Consider drumming up some positive PR for your company and what the event is raising money for, if you include a charitable component. Invite members of the press and the community to participate and work together to raise awareness for a good cause (and give your brand a substantial lift).

6. Provide a Memorable Event Experience

What sets a great event apart from a good event is the overall experience. Folks will remember if the event was chaotic and plagued with snafus or if it ran smoothly. Using tech tools to manage the event frees golf facility staff up to assist golfers instead of scrambling to handle last-minute tasks and helps you stay organized to execute a seamless event. 

Yes, your event needs to be well-run, but it should also offer a memorable, top-notch experience that advances business goals: 

• Include add-ons and extras like contests, on-course games and entertainment, auctions, and custom player gifts.

• Live score the event to add an element of professionalism and let spectators (as well as event organizers who are tracking the round’s progress to facilitate post-round events) follow along on live leaderboards. 

• Build in ways to connect with employees and/or clients, such as through a pre- or post-round meal or reception, on-course interactions, the opportunity to volunteer, or informal networking. 

• Be strategic with hole assignments to further business objectives. For example, you may want to pair your company’s top executives with their counterparts from a partner or prospective client to talk business and potentially even close deals. Or group staff or board members from the benefiting charity with potential partners or donors to help advance their mission and open doors for additional support.

• Use pin flags and hole signs to recognize sponsors, partners, or nonprofit supporters with excellent on-course visibility.

7. Track & Report Event Data

It’s important to demonstrate the success and impact of the event to prove its value to decision makers in your company and your commitment to giving back (if your tournament includes fundraising). Fold data into an impact report that you share with decision-makers and stakeholders. Your golf event management platform should include robust reporting that helps you see at a glance:

• The number of teams or individual golfers

• The number of sponsors

• Dollars processed through online registration and donations

Gather further information to gauge the event’s success by:

• Sending surveys to collect feedback and gauge the event’s impact on employee satisfaction

• Having informal conversations to see what they liked and how you can improve

• Meeting with the benefiting nonprofit to determine fundraising outcomes and next steps for donor stewardship

8. Nurture Relationships

Keep the goodwill going post-outing. Follow up with key clients and partners who attended. Use the conversations from the course as a foundation to thank them and continue the business relationship. Be sure to send a thank-you note and post-event report to all sponsors. Include data on the event's success, photos, and testimonials to prove the event’s value and help secure their participation for next year.

If your corporate golf event becomes an annual tradition, consider tracking and analyzing long-term trends, such as employee retention and the event’s impact on the company’s culture.

9. Look Ahead to Next Year

While the positive feedback from the outing is still fresh, use the data and relationships to lock in key players for the following year. After you get the approval from leadership to hold the outing again next year, re-engage your planning team while they are still in event mode to lock in their commitment, then connect with the golf facility to get first dibs on your preferred date. If you had sponsors, follow up with them after sending your post-event report to offer them an early-bird incentive to secure their commitment for next year. 

Your event management platform should make it easy to copy your event so you don’t have to start from scratch. Simply update a few key details and your event website is ready to go!

Powering Corporate Golf Events with GolfStatus

Whether you’re at a Fortune 500 company, a socially responsible local business, or a corporate foundation raising money for a dedicated cause, GolfStatus’ golf event management and fundraising platform is the solution for the best event possible.  

GolfStatus’ powerful, user-friendly tech saves organizers time and effort, helps raise more money, boosts your brand, and ensures a professionally planned and executed tournament from start to finish. Get a professional event website, golf-specific tools and features, sponsorships and add-ons, and a dedicated client success rep to coach you along the way. Book a meeting to get started!

Use the Tech That’s Built for Golf Events

Click Here to Book a Meeting With GolfStatus

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

If you’ve ever thought about hosting a charity golf tournament but immediately felt overwhelmed by the idea, you’re definitely not alone. In fact, many event planners are scared of tackling a golf event because they assume it’s complicated, expensive, or requires deep knowledge of the sport.

The truth is, planning a golf tournament isn’t as scary as you might think. With the right tools, resources, and support on your side, even small teams and first-timers can pull off a successful, profitable event that their supporters love. Here’s why.

Planning a golf tournament doesn’t have to be scary!

The Right Tools Save Time & Effort

In the past, tournament organizers had nightmares about spreadsheets, paper registrations, phone calls, and handwritten scorecards. Today, technology takes care of the heavy lifting. Modern golf event management platforms streamline everything from registration to sponsorships to live scoring. Such tools automate tedious tasks so you can focus on big-picture planning.

Instead of spending countless hours creating and sending mailers, figuring out how to accept credit card payments, and trying to keep your planning team up to date, lean on tech to quickly and easily:

• Set up a branded event website with online registration and secure payment processing

• Build sponsorship packages and collect logos and assets

• Track players, teams, and sponsors

• Display live leaderboards at the golf facility and online

• Automate receipts, reminders, and thank you emails

• Share access with your planning team and the golf facility

All of this means you can plan and manage a golf tournament in less time. And because everything lives in one centralized, easily accessible platform, you can easily keep everyone organized and on the same page.

In short: you don’t need to be a golf pro or tech expert to be successful; you just need the right tools.

You won’t have nightmares about your golf tournament when using the right tools.

You Don’t Need Startup Funds

Many would-be event planners worry that a golf event requires significant upfront investment. But with smart planning, your tournament can pay for itself (and then some!).

Charity golf events typically see the bulk of their revenue from sponsorships rather than player fees. Sponsors are drawn to golf tournaments because they offer high visibility, engagement, and networking in a fun, relaxed atmosphere that allows them to connect with potential clients.

When building your team and sponsor packages, be sure to cover all your costs and build in additional revenue to go towards your cause. Build sponsorship packages at tiered price points that clearly outline benefits. For example:

• Title Sponsor ($5,000): Event naming rights, logo on all materials, prime logo exposure on the event website home page and live leaderboards, one complimentary team

• Pin Flag Sponsor ($3,000): Logo on branded pin flags on each hole, logo on event website, one complimentary team

• Hole-In-One Contest Sponsor ($1,000): Logo on contest holes, opportunity to be present at the hole to engage with golfers, logo on event website

• Hole Sponsor ($500): Signage at one hole, logo exposure in the live scoring app, logo on event website

Target local businesses, corporate partners, and long-time supporters to play in or sponsor the tournament, and start your outreach as early as possible. Use the funds that come in from teams and sponsorships to cover any invoices or costs as planning progresses.

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Learn how to start a golf tournament fundraiser that not only doesn’t break the bank, but drives revenue for your mission. Get actionable tools, ideas, and strategies to help you hit the ground running.

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You Don’t Have to Go It Alone

No one expects you to plan a golf tournament from scratch without any support. In fact, help is everywhere if you know where to look.

The host golf facility is a great resource for helping you choose a date and format, and handle logistics such as start time, contests, and set up. Golf facilities rely on charity golf tournaments as part of their bottom line and are there to help you be successful.

Your golf event management platform should also give you access to golf fundraising experts who know the ins and outs of golf fundraisers. They can help walk you through setting up your golf tournament website, answer questions, and coach you on sponsorships, contests, and event-day logistics.

Don’t overlook your organization’s staff, board, and volunteers. Many likely have golf experience and community connections that can help you recruit golfers and sponsors. Delegate tasks like registration, coordinating the raffle or auction, and running on-course games or contests so you can focus on creating an exceptional experience.

Golfers are a generous bunch and jump at the chance to play golf for an important cause.

Golfers Love Playing for a Cause

Golfers are a generous, loyal, and community-minded group. When you invite them to play in a charity golf tournament, you’re offering more than just a round of golf—you’re giving them the opportunity to support a cause they care about while doing something they enjoy.

If your nonprofit’s supporters aren’t avid golfers, don’t fret. People are generally excited to join a day of fun with friends or colleagues, especially when it’s for a good cause. Beginner-friendly formats like scrambles make your tournament accessible for newbies while still keeping things fun and competitive for more seasoned players.

What’s more, golfers tend to come back year after year, especially when the tournament is well-run and they have a great time, and often bring others with them to learn about and support your mission.

Your Event Can Grow With You

One of the best parts of golf fundraisers is that they can grow with you. You can start small, as you get your footing and gain some experience, and build from there. Once you’ve run your first event, you’ll have templates, sponsor relationships, and processes you can use again and again.

Over time, many nonprofits turn their golf tournaments into annual signature fundraising events that raise thousands of dollars each year. And because golf events combine fundraising, networking, and donor engagement, they often become one of the most valuable events on a nonprofit’s calendar.

Don’t be afraid to start small and scale the tournament as you gain experience.

You’ll Have Fun, Too!

Yes, planning any successful fundraiser takes work, but golf tournaments have a way of reminding you why you do this.

On tournament day, you’ll see donors and sponsors connecting, volunteers smiling, and supporters having a great time, all while making a real impact for your mission. There’s something special about watching the tournament come together after months of planning and knowing that you helped make it happen.

And once you’ve planned one, you’ll realize it wasn’t nearly as scary as it first seemed.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let fear or inexperience keep you from tapping into one of the most successful and sustainable fundraising event models available to nonprofits. With the right tools, mindset, and support, you can plan a professional, lucrative golf event that strengthens relationships, builds community, and advances your mission.

When you’re ready to get started, GolfStatus makes it simple to plan, manage, and grow your golf fundraiser from start to finish. Intuitive software, in-house golf fundraising experts, and planning resources turn planning a golf tournament from something scary into an opportunity waiting to happen. Find out how you can get started at no upfront cost by booking a meeting with the GolfStatus team.

After two years of success, the Putt Putt Fore Puppies mini golf tournament came back for an even bigger and better year three! Planned by GolfStatus staff, Putt Putt Fore Puppies brings the community together to raise funds for Capital Humane Society (CHS), which cares for homeless pets in Lincoln, Nebraska, and helps them find their forever homes.

2025 Recap

• Golfers / Teams: 200 / 50 

• Courses: 3 of 3

• Sponsors: 28 (plus 9 Pet Spotlights)

• Outcomes: Nearly $13,000 donated to CHS

  • $2,000 raised on tournament day

The 2025 Putt Putt Fore Puppies Mini Golf Tournament was another resounding success! While the final amount donated to Capital Humane Society was less than in 2024 (2024’s event benefited from a very generous day-of donation that skewed the final numbers), the tournament actually raised more than in previous years. Here’s how we boosted overall revenue:

• Sponsorships. New packages were added (Tennis Ball Pet Toy Sponsor, Doggie Bandana Sponsor, Drink Ticket Sponsor, Trophy Sponsor), and prices were slightly increased to drive income. 

• Team packages. Two team packages were offered—an “all-in” package and a standard package. Both included t-shirts, dinner, gifts, a drink ticket, and a round of mini golf for each golfer, but the all-in package includes entry into on-course games and 12 raffle tickets. Pricing was increased to cover costs and better reflect the experience.

• Pet showcase. Pet owners had the opportunity to purchase a “sponsorship” to show off their beloved pets on the event website and signage at the tournament. Pet owners got to take their pet’s sign home at the end of the day!

• 50/50 ball drop. Attendees purchased numbered balls for $10 each, giving them the chance to win half of the total dollars raised from the ball drop. Over 50 balls (out of 100 possible) were sold, and all 100 were dropped on one of the holes before the shotgun start. Two balls made it in the hole, and the winners split the pot with CHS. One winner donated half of his winnings back to CHS! This was a relatively late addition to the tournament, with limited time to promote it ahead of event day. Because it was well-received, the planning team will continue it in 2026 and start selling balls when registration opens.

• Merch. A merch sales table was another new addition to the tournament, including ball markers and magnets featuring Pete, the Putt Putt Puppy; stickers with the event logo and likeness of several of the pet spotlight animals; and additional event t-shirts. 

• Additional raffle prizes. This year’s raffle was extremely successful due to the quality and quantity of prizes. Attendees purchased more raffle tickets for the chance to win high-dollar prizes, including an espresso machine, photography packages, gift cards, attraction tickets, and more. And since all prizes were donated, there were no overhead costs.

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2025 Changes

Based on feedback from last year’s participants, the planning team implemented a few changes for the 2025 tournament. 

• New planning team. Planning team members included: Ashley Stahr, Chief Marketing Officer; Payton Prall, Digital Media Manager; Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager; David Li, Graphic Designer; Dane Stahr, Product Designer; Ty Perkins, Account Manager; Paul Sanger, Account Manager; Alex White, Fundraising Specialist; Brenden Holling, Client Success Specialist; Jack Burmeister, Client Success Specialist; Cash Dinkel, Director of Client Success; 

• New schedule. Additional time was built into the schedule to accommodate the extra time required to complete the Backwoods Course and the raffle drawing.

• New tournament day layout. To better facilitate golfer check-in and avoid bottlenecks around the registration area, the layout was revamped. We leveraged some additional green space at Adventure Golf for a smoother flow from check-in and add-ons to dinner, sponsors, and raffle tables.

• New on-course games. New game options were added to each course, including a pet putter (golfers putted with a dog toy, tennis ball launcher, or pooper scooper), alternative ball (putting with the tennis ball dog toy instead of their golf ball), and animal trivia.

Past Tournament Recaps

Here’s a quick rundown of what the tournament accomplished in its first two years:

Year 1: 2023

• Golfers / Teams: 164 / 41 

• Courses: 2 of 3

• Sponsors: 21

• Fundraising Goal: $3,000

• Outcomes: $9,200 donated to CHS

  • $1,100 raised on tournament day

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Year 2: 2024

• Golfers / Teams: 216 / 54

• Courses: 3 of 3

• Sponsors: 31

• Fundraising Goal: $12,000

• Outcome: $15,000 donated to CHS

• $5,500 raised on tournament day

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Thank you sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Flag Sponsor

Golf Ball Sponsor

Doggie Bandana Sponsor

Tennis Ball Pet Toy Sponsor

Flag Sponsor

Dinner Sponsor

Music Sponsor

19th Hole Sponsor

Swag Sponsor

Trophy Sponsor

Batting Cage Sponsor

Hole Sponsors:

Signage Sponsor

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Free monthly webinars have reached 9,000 nonprofit professionals with golf fundraising knowledge, CEU credits, and actionable strategies since 2022

Lincoln, NE (September 5, 2025) - GolfStatus, the leading golf event management platform for charity golf tournaments and fundraisers, is proud to celebrate three years of providing free educational webinars designed to help charitable organizations plan, promote, and execute successful golf events.

Since the first webinar in September 2022, nearly 9,000 nonprofit professionals, volunteers, event planners, and industry partners have received valuable insights into golf fundraising. The monthly sessions focus on practical strategies, proven best practices, and actionable ideas that help causes of all types and sizes make the most out of their events, whether they’re hosting their first golf tournament or growing an established outing.

“We started the webinar program with the goal of making golf fundraising knowledge accessible to any nonprofit or tournament planner, regardless of size or resources,” says Ashley Stahr, Chief Marketing Officer at GolfStatus. “Three years later, it’s incredible to see the impact: thousands of nonprofits using golf to raise money, engage supporters, and expand their missions.”

Webinars offered by GolfStatus are:

• Free to attend, with no cost to register.

• Accessible to all, with every registrant receiving the full session recording.

• CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) approved for continuing education units for certification or recertification.

• Available on-demand in GolfStatus’ online resource library.

The GolfStatus webinar series has featured tournament planners, fundraising and nonprofit industry experts, and golf professionals who share their experiences and advice on topics such as securing sponsorships, leveraging technology, engaging donors, boosting revenue, and creating memorable experiences for participants.

Register for upcoming sessions or watch recorded webinars at https://golfstatus.com/webinars.

For more information, contact Ashley Stahr at [email protected].

About GolfStatus

GolfStatus helps nonprofits leverage the giving power of golf to raise more dollars, engage supporters, and do more good. Its robust golf event management platform streamlines golf tournaments from start to finish to save time and enhance the overall event experience for golfers, sponsors, and golf facilities. GolfStatus combines powerful technology with practical golf fundraising resources and industry-leading support to make charity golf tournaments easy, approachable, and efficient for organizations of all types and sizes. Visit golfstatus.com.

Lincoln, NE (August 27, 2025) - GolfStatus, the leading golf event management platform for charity golf tournaments and fundraisers, is excited to announce the release of a new Drive Impact video, spotlighting the success and heart behind Project Purple’s Annual Charity Golf Classic for Pancreatic Cancer. The video captures the meaningful connections, community support, and dedication to the mission that have made the event a key fundraiser in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Now available on YouTube, the two-minute video offers a look at how Project Purple uses golf to drive awareness and raise critical funds for pancreatic research and patient support. It also highlights how GolfStatus’ event management technology has helped streamline the tournament’s logistics, simplify operations, and support the event’s growth over the past few years.

“When you start an event like a golf tournament, you don’t know how successful it will become. Our golf event has grown over the years,” says Dino Verelli, Founder and CEO at Project Purple. “We started off very small and thanks to our supporters and GolfStatus, it’s become a keystone event within our community.”

The video also features a highlight of the annual Golf Classic: Project Purple’s unique Hall of Fame ceremony, which honors and celebrates those who have battled pancreatic cancer.

“Project Purple’s tournament is a powerful example of how golf fundraisers connect communities to causes that matter,” says Ashley Stahr, Chief Marketing Officer at GolfStatus. “GolfStatus is proud to be a small part of their journey and help them drive impact year after year.

For the third year, Project Purple partnered with GolfStatus to power their golf fundraiser, leveraging GolfStatus’ golf event management software to streamline planning, offer new sponsorships, and drive revenue. As a nonprofit, Project Purple qualified for no-cost access to the platform through GolfStatus’ Golf for Good program.

Learn more about Project Purple: https://www.projectpurple.org/

Learn more about GolfStatus: https://golfstatus.com/

About GolfStatus

GolfStatus helps nonprofits leverage the giving power of golf to raise more dollars, engage supporters, and do more good. Its robust golf event management platform streamlines golf tournaments from start to finish to save time and enhance the overall event experience for golfers, sponsors, and golf facilities. GolfStatus combines powerful technology with practical golf fundraising resources and industry-leading support to make charity golf tournaments easy, approachable, and efficient for organizations of all types and sizes. Visit golfstatus.com.

About Project Purple

Project Purple is a non-profit organization empowering the fight against pancreatic cancer. The organization’s unwavering commitment is fueled by the pursuit of raising awareness, driving crucial research, and providing aid for patients who are battling this disease. Since Project Purple’s founding in 2010, it’s been leading the charge, pioneering advancements, and bringing hope to those affected by pancreatic cancer. Visit projectpurple.org.

GolfStatus’ on-staff PGA Professionals—Cash Dinkel, PGA; Jason Meininger, PGA; and Paul Murcek, PGA—continue to share their insights and experiences in this ongoing PGA Q&A blog series. They’re back for another installment, this time talking about a popular revenue enhancer at charity golf tournaments—on-course games.

Q: We want to have games on some of the tournament holes. How many is too many? How many do you recommend?

Cash Dinkel: I would say keep it to six or fewer. Four is a great sweet spot. You don’t want to have too many games that it impacts the pace of play too much, but games can be a great way to earn some extra money from golfers.

Paul Murcek: I wouldn’t recommend doing more than six, especially if the games will slow down the tournament’s pace of play.

Jason Meininger: I would say between three and six games is about right. If you have too many, it will slow down the pace of play, and no one likes getting stuck waiting at a hole.

Q: What are some of the best on-course games you’ve seen at charity golf tournaments? What made them great?

Jason Meininger: A few I’ve seen work well at charity tournaments:

• Beat the Pro. On a par three hole, a Pro (could be the course’s golf pro, a professional golf entertainer, or other person) hits a shot and golfers pay to hit the same shot. They win a prize if their shot is closer to the hole. Golfers feel great if they can beat the pro!

• Air cannon. Golfers pay $20 (or other amount) to shoot the air cannon as their tee shot. This is really popular—it’s fun to shoot the cannon.

• Chip into a small pool. Golfers pay to hit a chip shot to land in the pool to win a prize.

Cash Dinkel:

• Use the Pro’s shot. Each team pays $20 or so and gets to hit their next shot from where the Pro hits their shot. This is very popular on par threes and par fives if the Pro hits the ball a long way.

• Closest to the pin, long drive, or longest putt contests. Sell a sponsorship to pay for the cost of the prize (and a little extra revenue), and the winners get golf shop credit or another prize.

• Beat the Pro. Another variation on what Jason mentioned is that each team pays $100 to go against the pro. If the team is closer than the pro on the tee shot, the team gets a one on that hole; if not, the hole is played normally. Another option is to give additional raffle tickets to teams who win.

• 50/50 putting contest. Set up a medium difficulty putt, maybe 20 to 30 feet. Golfers pay $20 per attempt with unlimited attempts. Everyone who makes the medium difficulty putt then gets to attempt a very difficult putt of 40 to 50 feet. If a golfer makes the difficult putt, they split half the entry fees with the host organization.

Habitat for Humanity of Columbus, Nebraska features a putting contest at their annual golf fundraiser, in which golfers use various building tools (two by fours, levels, sledgehammers, etc.) to putt.

Q: How about the worst on-course games? Why were they the worst?

Paul Murcek: Any game games where there’s too much time between golf shots. An example is where a golfer has to spin around and make themselves dizzy before hitting a golf shot. Although it is funny, it slows down play, and in the end, slow play is the biggest killer of repeat golfers and sponsors at a golf event.

Cash Dinkel: The String Game. No one wants to hold onto and cut a string throughout the day. Most people don’t grasp the game, and a lot of teams use it differently, making it not ideal.

Q: How do we maintain the pace of play with on-course games?

Jason Meininger: Bottom line—don’t overdo the games, or it will slow down the pace of play.

Cash Dinkel: Make them simple and easy to understand, and don’t do more than six. Games that are a part of normal play (like tee shots or putts) mean it won’t take more time than needed to play the hole.

Paul Murcek: I echo what Cash said about having games or contests that are part of normal play, like closest to the pin, beat the pro on a par three, or longest drive, to not affect the pace of play. Utilize volunteers who understand golf and suggest a window of no more than 15 minutes for a team to play a hole to keep a brisk pace of play (15 minutes per hole on an 18-hole golf course means a round of about four hours and 30 minutes).

When done properly, on-course games won’t slow down the tournament’s pace of play.

Q: Will golf course staff help run on-course games, or do I need volunteers?

Cash Dinkel: More often than not, your team will be tasked with staffing those contests. It’s a question to ask the golf facility, but I wouldn’t expect them to do that. They can usually assist you with setup.

Paul Murcek: You will definitely need volunteers or staff members from your organization. In my experience, golf course staff won’t help with on-course games in most cases.

Jason Meininger: Course staff will usually not run the games for you, so getting volunteers is the best option.

Q: Do golf facilities generally have any restrictions on the on-course games allowed? If so, what are they, and how can we work with the facility to make everyone happy?

Cash Dinkel: I’ve never heard of a golf course limiting on-course games. If there are concerns about pace of play or the need to protect the integrity of the course, they may say no to some on-course games. So make a point to communicate with the course what your plans are for games and contests, so there are no surprises on the day of the event.

Paul Murcek: Not to my knowledge, but every golf facility is different and may have different rules. Ask the pro if they have games that are not allowed.

Jason Meininger: I have never heard of a course restricting the number of on-course games, but like the other two said, be sure to talk with the golf staff to be sure.

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Ask & Work With the Golf Fundraising Pros!

If you have a question for GolfStatus’ PGA Professionals, send it in an email to [email protected] with “PGA Pro Question” in the subject line!

Nonprofits, charities, and third parties holding golf events to benefit one can qualify to use GolfStatus’ tournament management software at no upfront cost. Our in-house team of golf fundraising experts, including PGA Professionals and Fundraising Specialists, is here to help save you time and raise the most money possible. Get started with GolfStatus by booking a meeting with our team—click below!

by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Sponsorships are the backbone of charity golf tournaments, generating critical revenue, providing added value for golfers, and helping cover tournament costs. But for sponsors, simply slapping their logo on a banner or cart sign isn’t enough to keep them coming back year after year.

To truly partner with your businesses and maximize their participation in your tournament, it’s important to think beyond just the dollars they contribute. Sponsors want meaningful, measurable ROI and authentic connections with your cause and your audience.

These strategies will help you purposefully and effectively engage sponsors before, during, and after your tournament to create a win-win partnership that drives results on both sides.

Before the Tournament: Lay the Foundation

Engaging sponsors starts well before they commit to supporting your event. Laying the foundation and determining your engagement strategy before starting your sponsor outreach helps set your tournament up for success.

Start with a Strategic Fit

Not every business will be the right fit as a sponsor for your tournament. As you create your prospect list, focus your outreach on companies that:

• Align (or at least don’t contradict) with your organization’s mission or values

• Want to reach your tournament’s audience, such as golfers, community members, or supporters

• Want visibility or engagement opportunities

Your pitch should explain how a sponsorship helps them achieve their goals, whether it’s increased brand awareness, lead generation, community goodwill, or supporting a cause that’s important to their employees and/or customers. Don’t be afraid to start the engagement when making your pitch but asking them what they hope to gain from sponsoring your tournament.

Hole-in-one contests give sponsors great visibility and the chance to engage with golfers.

Offer Customizable Sponsorship Packages

Sponsors want options that help them achieve their goals. Move beyond the standard sponsorship tiers and provide customizable packages that meet the sponsors’ needs. Some ideas:

• Hole-in-one contests where the sponsor can be present on the hole to interact with golfers

• Co-branded or sponsor-branded swag or giveaways in golfer gift bags

• On-course games run by representatives from the sponsoring business

• Digital sponsorship exposure on your event website, mobile app, and digital marketing campaigns

• Pin flags bearing the sponsor’s logo that are framed as keepsakes

• Naming rights for the tournament or a component (such as a happy hour, banquet, lunch, or auction)

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Free GuidE

Sample Charity Golf Tournament Packages

Get ideas to build sponsorship packages that businesses want.

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Every package should include both pre-event visibility for the sponsor’s brand (think social media posts, their logo on the event website and live-scoring app, and email mentions) and on-site presence (which could be their logo on signage or the chance to set up a table on a tee box or speak at the awards ceremony).

Communicate Early & Often

Sponsors are making an investment in your event through their dollars and associating their brand, so it’s essential to keep them in the loop. For example:

• Send a welcome email or set up an onboarding call

• Detail what assets you need from them (logos, website links, messaging, swag, etc.)

• Share a timeline of key dates, such as deadlines for submitting assets or names of golfers playing in the tournament

• Offer a preview of exactly how their sponsorship will be recognized

• Ask what else you can do to help them prepare for the tournament and help them meet their goals

Effectively communicating with sponsors helps move beyond the sponsorship beyond a transaction to a true partnership.

During the Tournament: Maximize Exposure & Engagement

Tournament day is the chance to put your best foot forward with sponsors and deliver a memorable experience that makes them feel taken care of and want to return in the future.

Deliver a Polished, Professional Experience

Sponsors will notice the little things and want their brand presented in the best possible light. You’ll want to make sure that:

• Their logo looks great on all printed materials

• Signage is correct and well-placed

• On-site reps are greeted and supported throughout the tournament

• They have the materials they need to engage with golfers and stay comfortable during the event (such as a tent, table, or power source)

Work with the sponsor to provide opportunities for them to interact with your tournament’s golfers.

Create Opportunities for Interaction

The best sponsorships go well beyond brand awareness to spark real engagement with golfers. You can help sponsors stand out by providing opportunities for them to interact with participants and create positive impressions that last beyond the 18th hole, such as:

• Running fun games or contests on assigned holes

• Providing branded snacks or drinks (or perhaps staffing the beverage cart)

• Giving product demos or free samples

• Holding raffles or giveaways that collect golfer information for follow-up

Highlight Sponsors in Real Time

Use your social media channels and push notifications in your live scoring app to recognize sponsors throughout the tournament. The goal? Boost the sponsor’s exposure (beyond those at the golf tournament) and show appreciation in real time. Here are some ideas:

• Tagging sponsors in Instagram stories or Facebook posts

• Sharing photos of the sponsors’ reps or logo placements

• Encouraging golfers to visit sponsor activations and post on their social platforms with a custom hashtag

• Sending custom sponsor messages via push notifications for top-dollar sponsors
  

After the Tournament: Show Value & Build the Partnership

Sponsor engagement doesn’t end when the tournament does. Keeping sponsors engaged with your organization is an opportunity for broader support and retention for future golf tournaments.

Say Thank You & Show Impact

Do more than a generic form letter or thank-you email. Send a handwritten note or make a personal phone call to thank them for their support of the tournament. Share the tournament’s impact and outcomes and how their support helped make it possible.

Deliver a Sponsorship Report

A personalized sponsorship report demonstrates the ROI from sponsoring your tournament. It should include:

• Basic tournament information (date, location, logos, event website link)

• Data like the number of golfers, sponsors, and volunteers that participated

• Social media metrics like reach and engagement on posts that mentioned the sponsor

• Email open rates or clicks for campaigns that included the sponsor

• Photos and screenshots of logo placements, on-site signage, or reps in action

• Golfer feedback

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Free GUIDE & Template

Golf Tournament Sponsorship Report Template

Wow your golf tournament’s sponsors! This free guide includes tips and templates to help you prove the ROI of your tournament to sponsors.

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Ask for Feedback

Give sponsors the chance to share what they liked, what could be improved, and what they’d like to see in the future. Their input can shape future tournaments and help deepen the relationship with the business.

A short post-event survey or quick debrief call shows you’re invested in their success, too!

Stay in Touch Year-Round

Don’t wait until next year’s tournament to reconnect with sponsors. Keep them engaged throughout the year so they can see the work they helped support. Some low-lift ideas:

• Make sure they receive periodic updates about your work, such as your quarterly newsletter or annual report

• Invite them to participate in other events or networking opportunities

• Give them early access or first right of refusal for next year’s golf tournament sponsorships

• Give shoutouts on social media for ongoing support

By maintaining and strengthening the relationship, you’ll keep your mission top-of-mind and make next year’s “yes” even easier.

Final Thoughts

Charity golf tournaments are important tools that do more than just raise money—they help build lasting partnerships. When you treat your sponsors as partners, and not just sources of revenue, they’re more likely to invest at higher levels, return year after year, and even become advocates for your cause.

Streamline sponsorship management and boost visibility with GolfStatus!

Book a meeting to find out more

by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Maybe you recently decided a charity golf tournament would be a great option to raise money for your organization or a nonprofit you love. Or perhaps your nonprofit held a spring golf event that was rained out or was so successful you want to add a second event this fall.

Either way, you may be asking yourself: Is it too late in the year to plan a golf event? Absolutely not! With the right tools in place, a successful, lucrative golf fundraiser can be planned in just a few months. Here’s why now is a great time to plan a fall golf event and how to get started.

Fall is a fantastic time to hold a golf fundraiser for your organization or a cause you care about!

Tech Makes Prep & Planning Simple & Efficient

The right tech is key to quick-paced planning. An event management platform built just for golf lets you automate planning tasks and keeps everything organized so you can successfully plan a golf event with less lead time. Opt for a web-based software solution that keeps everything in one accessible place, making it easy to collaborate with your team and the golf facility staff. You’ll also want baked-in tools to handle golf-specific details, like hole assignments, scoring, handicaps, team pairings, and more.

With tech built specifically for golf events, you’ll avoid clunky workarounds for your CRM or standard ticketing software and the need to track down and manage siloed information so you can focus on attracting players and selling sponsorships.

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PRO TIP:

Share access to your event management tech with your planning team and the golf facility so everyone is working with the same up-to-date information.

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You Can Start Promoting THE Event Right Away

An event website is the promotional hub for your golf tournament. And since a website for your golf fundraiser can be built and launched in a matter of days, you can start promoting it right away!

An event website makes tournament promotion as simple as sharing a direct link to the site where golfers can register a team, buy add-ons, or make a donation, and sponsors can commit to your event as soon as they hear about it. Plus, moving promotion online means you can skip the time-consuming process of creating registration materials and processes, collecting addresses, mailing flyers, and waiting for people to call, email, or mail in their information. So not only does a website save you time, but you’ll also save hundreds of dollars in printing and postage costs.

With an event website, you can start promoting your fall golf tournament right away by sharing the link with potential golfers and sponsor.

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PRO TIP:

Share the link on all your organization’s digital channels and ask your planning team, board members, volunteers, and supporters to do the same.

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SAVE TONS OF TIME WITH AUTOMATED WORKFLOWS 

Your event website should have online registration and secure payment processing built in. Online registration is truly a game-changer for busy event organizers, automating manual processes to save a ton of time. It eliminates the need for multiple platforms and spreadsheets, processing paper forms, manually sending receipts, cashing checks, and chasing down payments on the day of the tournament.

Instead, when someone registers or purchases a sponsorship, all pertinent information is collected and accessible in the software’s backend, and they automatically receive a payment receipt and registration confirmation. When it comes time to manage hole assignments, team pairings, handicaps, and other unique details of a golf event, each golfer’s information is right in the software, so there’s no need to bounce between platforms or worry about working with out-of-date information.

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PRO TIP:

Offer a variety of price points for sponsor packages to attract the support of businesses of all sizes and budgets.

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Fall is Great for Golf

Fall is an excellent time for golf events, with favorable weather, appealing course conditions, and lower, off-peak season facility costs. It’s a good idea to keep the shorter days that fall brings in mind when setting the tournament’s schedule, but that can easily be addressed by a shotgun start, a shorter nine-hole event, or even a putt putt tournament to maximize playable hours. If you’re located in a warm-weather location, you have even more of the year to work with and can even get a tournament on the books for November or December.

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Pro Tip:

The staff at the host golf facility can help you determine the optimal start time for your fall golf event.

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Fall can bring great course conditions, nice weather, and lower facility costs for a charity golf tournament.

a fast start is possible

Since you have a condensed planning timeline, you’ll want to get off to a fast start with planning to pick up some momentum. Here’s how and when to start:

in the next week:

• Connect with GolfStatus

• Form a planning team

• Look at potential tournament dates

in the next two weeks:

• Set a fundraising goal

• Reach out to potential host golf facilities

• Get a handle on revenue and expenses

in the next three weeks:

• Finalize a date and sign a contract with the golf facility

• Set team pricing

• Build sponsorship packages and determine pricing

• Launch your event website

in the next few months:

• Market the tournament

• Reach out to potential sponsors

• Build in revenue enhancers

• Stay organized

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

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Free Golf Tournament Fundraiser Checklist & Planning Timeline

Get a comprehensive checklist and detailed tournament planning timeline to keep you on task and on target.

Get the Guide

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resources are available to help

Don’t worry—tournament planning resources are available to get you off on the right foot and stay on track, even if you don’t know a thing about golf. Sample timelines, planning checklists, sponsorship packages, templates, and more can help take the guesswork out of planning, especially on a shorter timeline. When choosing an event management platform, be sure it’s supported by a knowledgeable, responsive client success team that knows the ins and outs of golf events and can respond to questions and resolve issues seven days a week.

The right tech—at no upfront cost!

GolfStatus’ golf event management tech is specifically designed to make golf tournament fundraisers easier than ever to plan, market, and execute. Our in-house client success team is made up of golf fundraising experts, Fundraising Specialists, and PGA Professionals, there to guide you every step of the way, from building your event website and creating sponsor packages to helping you select a tournament format and working with the golf facility. Nonprofits can qualify to use GofStatus’ tech—including a free event website and online registration—at no upfront cost. Click below to book a meeting to get started!

Use GolfStatus at No Upfront Cost

Book a Meeting to Get Started

by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Golf tournaments remain one of the most powerful tools for third parties—like corporate partners, passionate supporters, and volunteers—to raise money for nonprofits and causes they care about. Golf’s continued popularity and its capacity as a fundraising tool make it an ideal fit for folks who are passionate about golf and a good cause.

Golf is a great way to mobilize passionate supporters or corporate partners to raise money for your nonprofit.

More than most fundraising events, charity golf tournaments offer unique advantages for the benefiting nonprofit and the organizer. For nonprofits, these events create a passive income stream that doesn’t require significant internal bandwidth like a dedicated staff member or line item in the budget. What’s more, they also build awareness and expand visibility for your mission and programs. For event organizers, particularly companies and corporate entities, there’s a major brand lift from supporting a good cause and high engagement with a typically affluent and influential demographic.

By empowering third parties to run golf tournaments on your behalf and equipping them with the right tools, you can grow your nonprofit’s impact with minimal lift. Here’s how:

1. Start with your network

Your best bet is to start with what you already have: past event participants, sponsors, volunteers, donors, and board members. If your nonprofit has hosted golf tournaments before, revisit those participant lists. Consider sending a dedicated campaign inviting those who supported your organization through golf in the past to organize a tournament that benefits your organization. The campaign could include email, direct mail, individual phone calls, a survey, or a mix based on your team’s capacity. You might also:

• Use social media to ask your audience who plays golf or who simply likes organizing events.

• Include a call to action in year-end giving appeals to get in touch if they’re interested in event planning or golf.

• Create a dedicated page on your organization’s website that outlines how supporters can host a golf tournament to benefit your cause.

Do some pre-planning before you start your outreach so you have some pieces and resources already in place to provide to people who are interested. Beyond just making the process easy (see #2 below), you want to set these third-party tournaments up for success, so make sure you’re prepared to be a partner in the process.

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Pro Tip:

GolfStatus’s online resource library is packed with free guides, templates, checklists, and other downloadable tournament planning tools. Share these with current and potential event organizers to help get them started.

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Provide tools—like golf event management software—to make planning a golf fundraiser as easy as possible to people and businesses in your network.

2. Make It Easy for organizers

Even the most passionate supporters will appreciate tools that make planning a golf tournament easier. That’s where golf event-specific technology comes in. The right platform streamlines planning, automates administrative tasks, and includes built-in fundraising features, making it easier for anyone to launch, run, and repeat their tournament year after year.

Your event management platform should be able to function as the “bank” for your golf tournament, facilitating how you collect, hold, and disburse the funds raised from your event. When some registers a team, becomes a sponsor, makes a donation, or purchases an add-on, those funds should be securely processed and held in escrow until after the event. Once it concludes, those funds can be distributed directly to your organization, so both your nonprofit and the event organizer have peace of mind and clear financial accountability.

You might also consider providing the organizer with a media kit full of logos, brand guidelines, and key messaging to help your brand stay consistent. When it’s easy, it’s more fun, more rewarding, and more likely that they’ll keep the effort going.

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PRO
TIP:

Say thank you whenever and wherever you can to these third-party organizers. Public shoutouts on social media, in newsletters or blogs, or on your organization’s website are powerful, but a personal touch will go a long way in expressing your gratitude. Send a handwritten note and follow it up with a phone call.

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3. Standardize with golf-specific technology

Fundraising or event management platforms aren’t one-size-fits-all. Golf tournaments have unique needs that require specialized tools to manage effectively. Look for a platform that offers an attractive event website with online registration (which saves organizers a ton of time and effort), plus easy access for all members of the planning team and the golf facility to work together and keep everything organized in one place.

It should be built just for golf events, with features to handle everything from hole assignments and live scoring to digital sponsor exposure and pre-formatted scorecards and cart signs. A dedicated landing page listing all events that benefit your organization makes it easy for folks in your network to find and support them.

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PRO
TIP:

Standardizing tech across all third-party golf fundraisers means your donor data is uniformly collected (see #4 below) and reported for easy integration into your CRM for additional donor stewardship.

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A dedicated landing page listing all events that benefit your organization makes it easy for people to support you through golf.

4. Capture & Manage Data

Donor and participant data are essential, especially when a third party is planning and managing the event. You can’t use the information you don’t have! Seamlessly collecting this information during the registration process is crucial to understanding who is supporting your organization through golf. This way, both organizers and your team can access robust reporting tools to see who’s playing in, donating to, and sponsoring golf events tied to your nonprofit.

This valuable data helps your nonprofit build stronger relationships, grow donor pipelines, and make data-driven decisions that maximize future fundraising efforts. Using golf event management technology makes collecting and managing this data simple and efficient.

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PRO
TIP:

Use this donor and participant data to segment follow-ups and personalize donor stewardship efforts. Add tags, source codes, or other identifiers to your CRM to track who came through third-party golf events.

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built for golf, built for good

GolfStatus is the industry leader in event management tech built specifically for charity golf tournaments. Nonprofits can easily activate third parties to run successful, lucrative, and data-rich golf fundraisers without having to oversee every detail. Through our Golf for Good program, 501(c) organizations and those hosting tournaments to benefit them are eligible for no-cost access to the platform.

From acting as the “bank” to holding funds until post-event disbursement, to providing dedicated support, customizable websites, and donor data capture, GolfStatus makes it easy for supporters to turn a round of golf into real impact.

Book a Meeting With Our Team to Learn More