partner snapshot

In 2010, when Joe Merry was facing a long battle with cancer, his good friends Jacob Ferreira and James Fahey wanted to help. They organized a golf fundraiser to help cover his expenses while he was unable to work during cancer treatment, enabling him to focus solely on getting healthy during his recovery.

Hope Strengthens Foundation founders, from left: James Fahey, Joe Merry, and Jacob Ferreira.

While Joe went into remission and is cancer-free, Jacob and James realized that there was a pressing need for this type of help and support, and that their efforts were scalable. Hope Strengthens Foundation (HSF) was born out of Joe’s strength and courage and the desire to “do what we can to help people,” Jacob says.

They made a long-term commitment and strategy to provide the same support given to Joe to as many other people in need as possible. HSF’s mission is to provide critical financial support to individuals and families facing life-threatening illness, disability, or recovery from traumatic injuries.

the challenge

What was initially a one-off event evolved into a signature fundraiser for HSF to provide financial assistance for medical expenses, equipment purchases, travel costs, and other expenses, as well as scholarship programs to support students in need who are pursuing careers in healthcare. “We serve 50 to 100 families on an annual basis, primarily in New England, but have helped patients in 15 states,” Jacob says.

As the golf tournament grew, so did the complexity of managing its planning and execution. Manually collecting and managing team registrations, sponsorships, and donations placed a heavy administrative burden on Jacob and his team of volunteers. They needed a purpose-built solution for golf tournaments, one that would reduce the time spent on logistics and allow them to focus on what matters most: meeting urgent patient needs.

A dedicated event website made it simple to promote the tournament, register golfers, and sell sponsorships.

the solution

After researching donation platforms and event management tools, Jacob discovered GolfStatus. After watching a GolfStatus webinar and seeing a live demo, he was sold. “It was immediately clear that GolfStatus was built exactly for what we needed,” Jacob says. “The transition and onboarding were smooth, and it gave us everything in one place.”

HSF came on board with GolfStatus in 2022 to help:

• Automate team and individual registrations. Jacob says online registration has been a game-changer for the tournament, collecting information and payment in one easy step without any manual lift.

• Sell sponsorship packages and provide digital exposure. Sponsors could purchase their packages via the dedicated tournament website and upload logos and links, giving them instant exposure.

• Streamline planning. Jacob says, “The administrative lift before GolfStatus was so much higher. It’s easier now to just push the link out to our networks and let the registrations roll in.”

• Boost revenue with new sponsorships and add-ons. HSF leveraged GolfStatus’ exclusive Technology Sponsorship, pin flags, and hole-in-one insurance to round out its premium sponsorship offerings. They also received a donated Dormie Network Stay and Play package from the Dormie Network Foundation, which was included in the tournament’s live auction.

Hope Strengthens Foundation utilized GolfStatus’ branded pin flags offering.

GolfStatus became an essential planning partner for the golf outing, while backend support and customer service made the process even more seamless.

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“The GolfStatus platform is exceptional, and the people behind it are just as exceptional.”

— Jacob Ferreira, Executive Director at Hope Strengthens Foundation

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the results

The 2025 tournament marked its 13th year, raising over $56,000, which can immediately be put to use helping patients with care expenses. This take represents a 15% increase in sponsor revenue year-over-year, and the tournament continues to trend upwards in both turnout and dollars raised, due in part to GolfStatus’ solutions over the past few tournaments.

Jacob explains that the golf fundraiser, held each May, gets HSF through the first third of the year, which is mostly spent fundraising. “The golf tournament is a major pillar of our fundraising,” he says. His planning team is made up of about 10 volunteers who all love golf and love the sport’s ability to connect people and bring them together for an important cause.

The golf tournament is more than a fundraiser, it’s an opportunity for the community to connect around a cause and support patients.

more than a fundraiser

HSF’s golf tournament isn’t just a fundraiser; it’s a community gathering grounded in friendship, service, and impact. The field of golfers and sponsors typically return year after year and have evolved into regular donors to the Foundation.

By freeing up time, increasing efficiency, and supporting meaningful donor and participant engagement before, during, and after the tournament, GolfStatus lets Jacob and the volunteer planning team focus on enhancing the tournament experience each year. “Yes, the golf fundraiser is important for our mission, but the mission doesn’t happen without our supporters. A great experience is another way we can say thank you.” From a post-golf live auction led by NHL Hall of Famer Ray Bourque to a silent auction and heartfelt beneficiary stories, every detail of the tournament is intended to give participants the best possible memories of the event.

NHL Hall of Famer Ray Borque serves as the auctioneer at the post-round live auction.

What’s next?

Jacob says they’re always thinking about the tournament’s growth, but don’t want to dilute the player experience. They’re exploring adding a second course to double the number of golfers, but are being strategic so they don’t sacrifice the quality that participants have come to expect. The growth plan includes GolfStatus to continue to boost efficiency and drive revenue.

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“Our partnership with GolfStatus has been instrumental in the tournament’s success. We can’t do it without the tech and expertise that lets us focus on our mission.”

— Jacob Ferreira, Executive Director at Hope Strengthens Foundation

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From a mission standpoint, HSF will continue to strengthen its partnerships with area medical facilities’ patient service programs, including the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Pediatric Resource Program, Massachusetts General Cancer Center, and Home Base Veteran and Family Care in Massachusetts and Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth Douglass Hospital in New Hampshire. Each hospital has a fund, subsidized by HSF, that supports patient needs identified by their care teams.

“Our goal is to quickly address the needs of these patients and families so they can focus on getting healthy,” Jacob says. “The golf tournament is a major driver to achieving that goal.”

golf for good with golfstatus

As a nonprofit, Hope Strengthens Foundation was able to utilize GolfStatus’ golf event management platform at no upfront cost. An event website made promoting the event, registering golfers, and selling sponsorships easy and efficient, and GolfStatus’ in-house client success team was there every step of the way to help make the golf tournament a success. Find out how you can take advantage of GolfStatus for your next golf event by booking a quick meeting with our team.

Get Started With GolfStatus at No Upfront Cost

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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.

Get the Template

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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

There’s an important golf tournament to-do that often gets lost in the shuffle of securing a golf facility, promoting the event, recruiting sponsors, registering golfers, and finalizing details: branding. And while it might just seem like just one more task to cross off your list, branding plays a critical role in the success of your golf event.

Branding your tournament is a key factor in its success! Project Purple uses consistent brand colors and the organization’s logo in its golf tournament branding.

Branding your tournament is more than just slapping your logo on a flyer and calling it a day. Strong, consistent branding can elevate your tournament in big ways, building credibility, making your event more recognizable, helping attract sponsors and participants, and giving you a more professional, polished look. 

Let’s break down why branding matters for your tournament and how to build a cohesive brand—no design degree required.

Why Branding Matters for Your Golf Event

1. It Builds Trust

A clean, consistent visual identity helps people take your tournament seriously. When your materials look polished, potential sponsors, golfers, and donors are more likely to want to be part of it. They see that you’ve put care and thought into your event, and they can assume the overall tournament experience will reflect that, too.

2. It Creates Recognition

If someone sees your tournament’s logo on a flyer, then again on a social media post or in an email, and again on a t-shirt—guess what? They’re more likely to remember it! Branding keeps your tournament top-of-mind, helping grow participation and support for your mission.

3. It Makes Your Event Stand Out

There are a lot of charity golf tournaments out there. And while that’s certainly not a bad thing, it does make it a bit harder to stand out. That’s where branding comes in. Good branding makes your tournament pop. Whether it’s a clever logo, a bright color scheme, or a unique event name, these elements help make your tournament memorable.

4. It Improves Your Marketing

Clear branding makes it easier for you and your team to create marketing materials that look good and work well. From social posts to printed flyers to digital ads, branding helps ensure your marketing efforts are cohesive and easily recognizable by potential golfers, sponsors, and supporters.

Your Tournament’s Brand: What It Should Include

There’s good news for tournament organizers who don’t have access to a designer or a creative team: you don’t need a huge style guide or agency-designed logo to build an effective brand for your charity golf tournament. Simply start with these key elements:

Event Name

Give your tournament a name that’s fun, catchy, and theme or mission-related to help the event stand out and be remembered. Some examples from tournaments powered by GolfStatus:

• Fairway to Heaven Memorial Golf Scramble

• Survive & Thrive Golf Classic

• Drive Out Hunger Golf Classic

• Tee Off for Hope

• Habitat FORE! Humanity

• Putt Putt Fore Puppies

• Drive to Cure Cancer Golf Classic

• Drive for Hope Golf Outing

• Teeing Up Tomorrow

• Chip In for Children’s Charity Golf Outing

• Birdies for Bravery

If your cause doesn’t lend itself to a punny name, don’t sweat—simply including your organization’s name or mission in the name can be just as powerful for branding.

Your tournament’s name and logo should appear on all promotional materials, including your event website.

Logo 

Use your nonprofit’s existing logo or create a unique one for your tournament. Keep it simple, scalable (so it looks good no matter where or what size it’s used), and legible. If you choose to create a separate logo specifically for the golf tournament, be sure that it complements your organization’s overall branding if and when they’re used together.

Color Palette

Choose two to three colors and use them consistently in all materials. Online tools like Coolors or Canva’s color palettes can help you narrow in on colors that look sharp and work well together. Again, it’s a good idea to choose a palette that’s in harmony with your organization’s logo so they don’t clash when used in tandem.

Typography

Stick with one or two fonts that are easy to read. You don’t need anything fancy, but it’s a good idea to avoid ornate script or overly decorative fonts. Consider using bold or all caps for headlines, and a clean sans-serif font for body text.

Imagery

Use consistent imagery, such as golf-themed icons or graphics, mission-related photos, or high-quality shots from previous golf tournaments. Bonus points if you can feature people having fun on the golf course!

Assemble imagery from past years’ golf tournaments that emphasize the event’s brand, like the above image from a glow-in-the-dark golf fundraiser.

Branding Tips for Non-Designers

You don’t need to be a design pro to create a great-looking brand for your charity golf tournaments. Try these tips:

Use Canva (Or a Similar Tool)

Canva is a non-designer’s best friend. It’s free (with an upgraded paid Pro version), easy to use, and packed with great-looking templates for flyers, social posts, email graphics, posters, and much more. You can upload your logo, save your colors and fonts, and keep everything consistent across your tournament’s promotional materials.

Create a “Mini” Brand Guidelines Document

Put all your tournament’s visual elements, including logos, colors, fonts, and a few sample images, in one simple document. This makes it easier to keep everything aligned and share with volunteers, board members, or sponsors helping with marketing. You might also consider creating a shareable Google Drive folder (or other file sharing platform like OneDrive or Dropbox) where the guidelines document and all the branding elements are stored for easy access.

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Free Templates

GOLF TOURNAMENT PROMOTIONAL FLYER TEMPLATES

Save time and create polished, professional-looking flyers to market your golf tournament with these free templates. These editable Canva flyer templates are designed to help you drive participation, boost event visibility, and make your tournament look great—no design skills required. 

Get the Templates

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Stick to Your Chosen Colors & Fonts

Resist the urge to go rogue with your design choices! Consistency is what creates a recognizable brand, so use the same colors, fonts, and design style everywhere, from your promotional emails to your event signage.

Make it Legible

Design rule number one: If people can’t read it, it doesn’t work. Use high contrast (think dark text on a light background), avoid crowded layouts and clutter (white space is your friend), and don’t overuse fancy fonts to make all your pieces as readable as possible. 

Use Your Branding Everywhere

Include your tournament logo on player gifts like koozies to reinforce the brand and make your event more memorable.

You’ve gone to the effort of creating a brand for your event, so make sure you use it everywhere! It should be front and center on:

• Your tournament website

• Flyers and posters

• Social media graphics

• Sponsorship packets

• Event signage and banners

• Staff and volunteer shirts

• Cart signs and scorecards

• Swag and giveaway items

Branding & Sponsorship Go Hand-in-Hand

Your tournament’s branding doesn’t just help you look good—it can also help you raise more money. A strong, professional look makes your event more attractive to sponsors. It gives them confidence that your tournament will be well-run and their logo and brand will be presented in the best possible manner.

When pitching tournament sponsorships, consider using branded mockups when possible to show how their logo will appear on signage, cart signs, or social posts. The better your branding, the easier it is for sponsors to picture their brand alongside yours.

Final Thoughts

Branding your golf tournament doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few simple elements and a little bit of consistency, you can create a strong, professional visual identity that builds trust, attracts attention, and sets your event up for success.

Even if you’re not a graphic designer, tools like Canva and clear intention can go a long way. And remember: good branding isn’t about being flashy, it’s about being clear, consistent, and authentic to your mission.

Need help streamlining the rest of your tournament? GolfStatus makes it easy to build out a professional-looking event website (complete with your branding), manage registrations, and handle sponsor visibility all in one place.

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

partner snapshot

What began as a 10-week fundraising campaign for a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) “Man of the Year” campaign in 2017 quickly evolved into something much bigger. Jake Peacock and Steve Sullivan have been friends for years, so when Steve started his campaign in honor of his mom, Martha, who was battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML), he asked Jake to be part of it.

Jake has been a golf professional since 2009, so naturally, he suggested doing a golf tournament to contribute to the campaign. Jake’s mom, Jeanne, had beaten breast cancer a few years prior, so he understood the need to do something to help. The first year, the golf outing brought in $15,000 of the $50,000 total raised as part of Steve’s campaign, dubbed “Martha’s Son Makes a Run.”

The next year, Jake ran the “Jeanne’s Journey” campaign that raised $72,000, with the golf event as the main fundraiser for the campaign. But Jake and Steve weren’t done.

Left: Jake with his mom, Jeanne. Right: Steve with his mom, Martha.

the challenge

The next few years, the duo decided to keep running the golf event to benefit the LLS. Then, in 2020, Jake’s mom’s cancer returned and had spread. Sadly, she passed away in June of 2021. Jake and Steve decided to redirect the golf tournament to raise funds for research at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center in memory of Jeanne and in honor of Martha. They partnered with the IU School of Medicine to create a directed fund for research, cutting through the red tape and administrative burden of creating a standalone 501(c) organization.

“We decided we wanted to keep going until we find a cure,” Steve says. “We hope we don’t have to do the golf outing at some point, but want to keep raising funds until then.”

The two continued to run the tournament on their own, leaning on personal connections, community support, and a passion for making an impact. Yet as the event grew in size and scope, it became clear that managing registrations, tracking donations, and communicating with sponsors using spreadsheets and emails wasn’t scalable. Jake is a seasoned golf industry veteran, and knew they needed to level up the event experience, not just to raise more money, but to create a smoother, more professional, and more meaningful experience for everyone involved.

Childhood friends Steve Sullivan and Jake Peacock joined forces to raise over $500,000 through golf for cancer research.

the solution

In 2022, Jake returned to Victoria National in Newburgh, Indiana as the head golf professional. Victoria National is part of Dormie Network, a national network of private destination golf clubs, and GolfStatus’ sister company. He heard about what GolfStatus could offer to charity golf events and thought it was just what the Jeanne and Martha Fore a Cure Golf Outing needed to scale, so they came on board for the 2024 event.

the results

The goal for the 2024 Jeane and Martha Fore a Cure Golf Outing was $75,000. But thanks to the tools offered by GolfStatus and Dormie Network Foundation, the tournament blew past its goal to raise over $92,000, bringing the historical total to over $500,000 raised for cancer research and honoring Jake and Steve’s mom’s battles with cancer.

Golf Event Management Platform

Right off the bat, Jake and Steve used GolfStatus to streamline registration, collect payments online, and create a professional, mobile-friendly event site that simplified the process for golfers and sponsors alike. Plus, with real-time bank account visibility and centralized data, gone were the days of piecing together payments and registrations from emails and sticky notes.

“It’s definitely different being on the other side of a tournament,” Jake says, speaking from his years as a golf professional managing outside outings. “But using GolfStatus made it easy for both Steve and I to see where we stood financially, how many golfers were signed up, and not worry about sharing spreadsheets.”

Jake says that in the first few years, when he and Steve were handling registrations and payments manually, “We really didn’t even know who was coming!” Online registration simplified data capture and receipts, without requiring any effort from Jake or Steve. They could push the event website out to their networks and track registrations, sponsorships, and payments in the software’s back end. What’s more, they used the platform to easily collect payments on tournament day. “That was great,” Jake says. “All the funds were kept in GolfStatus until after the tournament, when it was sent on to the cancer center.”

Both Steve and Jake appreciated the responsive support provided by GolfStatus. “I honestly didn’t expect that level of support from a software company, but it was awesome,” Jake says. “I reached out to the team and was on a call with someone within five minutes.”

The golf tournament’s website offered easy registration, sponsor exposure, and an avenue to collect donations.

expanded sponsorship packages

By leveraging GolfStatus’ exclusive sponsorships and add-ons, Jake and Steve created additional revenue streams from the Technology Sponsorship, Pin Flag Sponsorship, and hole-in-one contests. “We had initially priced the pin flag package at $750, but someone reached out and said they loved the idea of the pin flags and wanted to more than double the contribution for the sponsorship, raising $1,650,” Steve says.

An online auction, consisting of donated items from folks within the Dormie Network, raised an additional $12,000, further boosting their fundraising total.

Jake and Steve leaned on personal connections to bring on sponsors. Steve’s employer, Allegion, a publicly traded security company in the Indianapolis area, started relatively small with the outing in its first year, contributing $1500. But leadership saw the engagement it drove in the workplace and continued to increase their support to $15,000 in 2024. “They saw the value in an employee doing something good because they were touched by cancer,” Steve says.

DORMIE NETWORK FOUNDATION SUPPORT

By working with GolfStatus, the outing unlocked additional support from Dormie Network Foundation. Donated Stay and Play Packages and Dormie Network memberships were auctioned and sold to raise significant dollars for the cause. Three donated memberships and two Stay and Play Packages were sold as part of the event, and a $15,000 gift from a previous tournament sponsor-turned-Network member helped take the outing’s impact to the next level.

“The tools from GolfStatus and the support from Dormie Network Foundation were critical in helping us scale the tournament,” Jake says. “It opened doors to more people to support the event and cause, and grow how much we can raise.” He credits these resources for helping bring in an extra $30,000 from the 2024 event, which the pair hopes to replicate in the future.

“Nobody else gives you the tools and credibility to raise as much as you can, as quickly as you can, like Dormie Network Foundation. Combine that with GolfStatus’ platform and support, and it’s an easy choice to partner with both of them,” Jake says.

personal connections

Jake and Steve want the event to be a great experience for everyone involved, while staying true to its grassroots spirit that honors Jeanne and Martha. “For whatever reason, our stories and experiences really resonate with people,” Steve says. He says they’ve had survivors and family members speak at the tournament, and even had the executive director of the Cancer Center share what the dollars raised are doing. “People want to know what their money is doing, so making the connection to the actual research and individual researchers has been amazing.”

Jake says the people and sponsors who participate understand what they’re trying to accomplish with the tournament. “Every year, I think I can get through the event without getting too emotional, but then we look out and see what’s been done and the impact it's having, and the emotion takes over,” Jake says.

Steve (fourth from left), Jake (fifth from left), and their families at the Indiana University Spirit of Philanthropy Awards.

what’s next

The outing continues to grow—and get attention for its contributions to cancer research. Jake and Steve were invited to be members of the IU School of Medicine Development Board and were nominated by the school for the University’s Spirit of Philanthropy Award, which they received.

With the 8th annual outing set for Monday, August 4, 2025, the event has a goal to break the $100,000 mark—and eventually, raise so much money for cancer research that the event no longer needs to exist. “I wish I never had to do this, but it’s the hand we’re dealt and we’re working to make the most of it,” Jake says.

Contribute to the Jeanne & Martha Fore a Cure Fund for Cancer Research.

by Jen Wemhoff, Communications Manager at GolfStatus

Volunteers are a critical part of a successful charity golf tournament. Whether they’re helping with check-in, running contests, or handing out swag bags, volunteers keep things moving and help make it all possible. The must-dos to ensure a smooth experience for everyone involved? Planning ahead, staying organized, and showing your appreciation.

Here are seven tips to keep your volunteers happy, engaged, and ready to go on tournament day.

Effectively managing your golf tournament’s volunteers is key to its success.

1. START WITH A SOLID PLAN

The more prepared you are leading up to your golf tournament, the better your volunteer team will perform. Make sure you address these key areas:

• Define roles and responsibilities. Outline every volunteer role in detail, including specific duties, time commitments, and any skills required (like comfort with a tablet or event management software). Clear instructions and checklists help prevent confusion and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

• Determine how volunteers will sign up. Linking out to your chosen sign-up on your event website is an easy way for volunteers to get involved with your event.

• Create a schedule with shifts. Charity tournaments can last four to six hours, not counting setup and teardown. Offering shorter shifts makes it easier for volunteers to commit and ensures you have coverage from start to finish.

• Assign lead volunteers. Designate a point person for critical areas like registration, food and beverage, or on-course games. These leads can help answer questions and solve small issues, so you’re free to focus on the big picture.

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Pro tip:

Ask volunteers to arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of their shift start time to get settled and receive any last-minute instructions.

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2. MAKE VOLUNTEER ONBOARDING A PRIORITY

A smooth onboarding experience builds confidence and helps volunteers feel connected to your mission. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming—just thoughtful.

Here’s how to do it:

• Collect information up front. When volunteers sign up, ask for contact info, availability, preferences, and any relevant skills. Let them pick roles or shifts that work for them.

• Host a kickoff meeting. Use this time to:

  • Share your organization’s mission and how volunteers are making a difference

  • Walk through the tournament schedule

  • Answer questions and build excitement

• Provide training materials. This could include:

  • Written step-by-step guides

  • Live or recorded demos for tasks like using software or managing contests

  • A quick overview of golf basics and etiquette

• Set expectations. Be clear about shift times, dress code, responsibilities, and who to contact with questions.

• Create a communication plan. Use email, group text, or a volunteer app to share reminders, updates, and check-ins before and during the event.

• Make it fun. Share wins from previous tournaments, encourage camaraderie, and build a sense of community. People are more likely to come back next year if they have a great time.
  

Provide volunteers with the training they need to take on their assignments with confidence.

3. Delegate with confidence

Trying to do it all yourself? That’s a fast track to burnout. Instead, strategically delegate tasks among your volunteers who are willing and able to help. When someone inevitably asks, “How can I help?” have a task or two ready to assign. Trust your volunteers to step up—remember, they signed on to help, so have the confidence that they’ll follow through on what needs to be done.

4. Keep systems organized

Whether you’re using a spreadsheet, Google Form, or a dedicated volunteer management tool, keep your systems tidy and accessible. Share access with your planning team and make sure everyone’s on the same page about who’s doing what, and when. You should also share access to your golf event management tool with key volunteers so they have access to up-to-date golfer, team, and sponsor information.

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free guide

This a-to-z guide outlines effective volunteer strategies for nonprofit golf fundraisers. Get ideas and tools to help leverage volunteer time, energy, and enthusiasm to execute a flawless golf event.

Get the Guide

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5. Communicate early & often

Once a volunteer signs up, send a confirmation email so they know what to expect. Then, provide all the details they’ll need ahead of the tournament:

• What to wear (and when/where to pick up any branded gear)

• When to arrive and where to park

• Where to check in and who to check in with

• What their assignment is, where they’ll be stationed, and what materials they’ll need

• Where and when they can grab food or drinks

• Shift start and end times

• Who to contact if they have questions or issues

Holding a volunteer meeting? In-person is great for camaraderie, but virtual briefings or even recorded videos are good alternatives for busy schedules.

6. Build in flexibility

Even the best-laid plans can go sideways. You might want to have a few “floater” volunteers on standby to fill in if someone cancels last-minute or if another area needs some extra help. Think through your backup plan in advance so you’re not scrambling on tournament day to cover assignments.

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Pro Tip:

Make sure your lead volunteers have been connected with the golf facility staff so they know who to go to if there are issues or questions on event day.

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Having a lead volunteer for things like golfer check-in frees tournament organizers up to engage with and thank golfers and sponsors.

7. Show appreciation

Remember, volunteers are giving their time and energy to support your cause, so show them some love.

• Provide meals, snacks, drinks, and a thank-you gift or token of appreciation.

• Recognize them during your awards or welcome remarks.

• Assign a planning team member to check in with volunteers throughout the day to see how they’re doing and offer support.

• Personally thank them during the tournament and send a handwritten thank you after the event.
  

Volunteers = A better tournament experience

Your volunteers, and how you manage them, can make or break your tournament day. Investing time in planning, onboarding, and communication will pay off in a smoother event and a group of happy volunteers who are excited to support your cause again.

Keep Your Tournament Running Smoothly With the Right Tech

The right event management tech can help your tournament run smoothly from planning, execution, and follow-up. GolfStatus’ golf tournament software is built to save organizers a ton of time and help raise even more money to support your mission. With time-saving automations, revenue-boosting sponsorships and add-ons, and access to a responsive support team seven days a week, GolfStatus helps you hold your best golf tournament yet. Best of all—nonprofits can get started at no upfront cost. Click below to book a meeting with one of our golf fundraising specialists to get started.

Book a Meeting With GolfStatus to Start Planning!

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

The Arizona Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention uses a glow golf theme to offer an immersive experience for participants.

Planning a charity golf tournament for your nonprofit? Adding a fun, creative theme to the event could be the key to drawing a bigger field, impressing your sponsors, and leaving attendees eager to return year after year. Themed golf tournaments are a unique way to tell your nonprofit’s story that engages your audience—and can even boost fundraising efforts. This guide will explore why and how to add a tournament theme, plus more than 30 theme ideas for your next golf event.

Benefits of a Themed Charity Golf Tournament

A theme adds color, creativity, and connection to your golf event. What’s more, it can help your tournament stand out in a crowded fundraising calendar and keep your mission at the forefront of everyone's mind. Here are just a few benefits:

• Increased buzz around the event. A theme can grab people’s attention and interest and drive more people to participate in the event or make a donation to it.

• Appealing to sponsors. Themed tournaments can make sponsorship and branding opportunities even more visible and engaging to golfers and more appealing to sponsors.

• Stronger marketing. A theme helps you focus your messaging and unify the tournament’s marketing materials and campaigns.

• Memorable experiences. A unique theme keeps people talking about the tournament long after it is over—and coming back in future years.

• Attract new participants. Themes may draw in participants who wouldn’t otherwise think to participate in a golf tournament.

• Mission alignment. A theme can creatively highlight your organization’s cause and present it in a new light that draws in new supporters.
  

Tips for Integrating a Golf Tournament Theme

Adding a theme to your golf tournament fundraiser doesn’t have to be complicated. With some thoughtful planning, a theme can enhance every aspect of your tournament experience. Here’s how to incorporate a theme:

• Choose a relevant theme. Pick a theme concept that connects your mission and audience. For example, if your nonprofit supports school reading programs, your theme could focus on well-known children’s books or authors. Fold the theme into the tournament’s name if possible and appropriate.

• Highlight the theme in your marketing. Use the theme to guide your marketing messaging, visuals, and promotional materials. This is an opportunity to have a lot of fun with tournament logos and graphics, flyers, email campaigns, and social media content that reflects your chosen theme.

• Infuse the theme into the tournament. From decor to on-course games to attire, look for ways to bring the theme to life throughout the tournament. Choose a beach theme? Equip staff and volunteers with leis and floral shirts and run an on-course game that incorporates beach balls. Go with a glow golf tournament? Include glow necklaces and bracelets in player gift bags.

• Use digital tools. Digital event management tools help make the branding more immersive. Customize your tournament’s event website to match your theme, boosting excitement and helping your branding shine.

Leverage your golf event website to promote the tournament theme and help golfers understand what to expect.

30+ Charity Golf Tournament Themes

Themed Golf Tournament Success Stories

Going all-in on a tournament’s theme creates an unforgettable experience for golfers, sponsors, and guests. These tournaments, powered by GolfStatus, saw success by leaning into their tournament’s theming:

• Glow Golf Tournament: The Arizona Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted a nighttime event that incorporated glow-in-the-dark balls, a cart decorating contest, illuminated pin flags and sponsor signs, and more glowing fun for a unique experience.

• Project Purple Charity Golf Classic: This inspiring tournament raises funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer, themed with purple ribbons, attire, and accents throughout the event.

• Habitat FORE! Humanity: Raising money for home-building projects in the Columbus, Nebraska area, this tournament folds building tools into the event, from a putting contest using sledgehammers and levels to teeing off wearing work gloves and more.

• Putt Putt Fore Puppies. This puppy-friendly mini golf tournament includes animal-themed branding, apparel, player gifts, sponsor signs featuring shelter pets, and visits from adoptable animals.
  

Family-Friendly Golf Tournament Themes

These theme ideas engage younger supporters and can make your event more inclusive of all ages.

• Family Golf Day. Families play together as a team.

• Superheroes Assemble. Teams come dressed as their favorite superhero and participate in superhero-themed on-course games.

• Princess and Heroes. Participants dress up like famous cartoon princesses with a her-themed hole-in-one contest.

• Scavenger Hunt. This theme combines a traditional golf tournament with a scavenger hunt, where golfers solve clues or complete challenges across the course.

• Golf and Games. Combine golf with other family-friendly activities, such as outdoor games like cornhole, giant Jenga, and more.

On-course games are a great opportunity to incorporate your golf tournament theme.

Seasonal Golf Tournament Themes

Bring a festive atmosphere to your tournament with seasonal vibes in these theme ideas:

• Summer Beach Party. Incorporate tropical items like sunglasses, beach balls, and tropical drinks.

• Autumn Harvest. Jazz up your fall golf event with pumpkin decor, apple cider stations, hayrides, etc.

• Costume Party. If your tournament falls near Halloween, set up trick or treat stations on the course and include a costume contest.

• Spring has Sprung. Perfect for a spring tournament, use flowers, pastel colors, and fresh spring decor to bring the theme to life.

• Holiday Classic. A winter-themed tournament with ugly holiday sweaters and hot cocoa.

• Christmas in July. Incorporate twinkle lights, Christmas trees, and even an on-course Santa to bring the holiday spirit to the summer months.
  

Unique Golf Tournament Themes

Give attendees a one-of-a-kind experience that they won’t soon forget!

• Flashback to the… Flash back to a past decade, like the 70s, 80s, or 90s, and invite attendees to dress in fashions and hairstyles from that decade.

• Red Carpet Golf. Add the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with a red carpet, VIP experiences, and photo ops.

• Hometown Proud. Highlight your city or area’s local culture or landmarks with favorite foods, music, and other items unique to your hometown.

• May the Fourth. Celebrate the Star Wars universe with a tournament on May 4th that includes a costume contest and themed foods.

• Franchise Fun. Focus your tournament on popular movie franchises, such as Harry Potter, Marvel, Justice League, Mario Brothers, Pokémon, Indiana Jones, or other favorites.

• Wild West. A cowboy-themed event with Western-inspired decor, contests, and food.
  

Sports-Based Golf Tournament Themes

Blend your golf tournament with the fun and thrill of other sports. These are especially applicable to groups like booster clubs, youth sports teams or associations, and sports clubs.

• Team Spirit Tournament. Golfers represent their favorite sports teams with jerseys or apparel. If you have the proper connections, bring in a local sports celebrity to drive interest and attendance.

• Golf Triathlon. Combine a golf tournament with mini versions of other sports, such as basketball, pickleball, flag football, and more.

• Super Bowl or World Series. Celebrate the teams playing in the Super Bowl or World Series by incorporating team colors, mascots, and cities.

• All-Star Tournament. Celebrate historic sports legends on any level—amateur, collegiate, or professional.

• Golf Olympics. Offer medals as prizes for first, second, and third places in the tournament, as well as for Olympic event mini-challenges on selected holes.
  

Upscale Golf Tournament Themes

• Black-Tie Golf. Pair the golf event with a formal gala and high-end live auction.

• Casino Royale. Host a casino-themed tournament with on-course casino games, plus post-golf poker or blackjack tables, raffle drawings, and exclusive prizes.

• Business Owner Invitational. A golf tournament and networking hybrid event for startups, entrepreneurs, and established business owners.

• Luxe Links. Court luxury brand sponsors and include higher-end player gifts and prizes to make the tournament feel upscale.

Networking is a big plus when it comes to corporate golf tournaments.

Corporate Golf Tournament Themes

Corporate golf events are great options for companies looking to boost morale or network with peers.

• Departmental Face-Off. Teams from different departments go head to head in a team-building event. Up the stakes by offering a donation to the charity of the winning team’s choice.

• Battle of the Businesses. Foster friendly competition between local businesses or companies.

• Executive invitational. Invite top C-suite execs to compete for the Executive Cup.
  

Women's Golf Tournament Themes

Create a supportive, fun environment that champions women in golf and beyond.

• Women’s Community Classic. Include golf with a networking event for women in the community.

• Women in Sports. Celebrate female athletes from various sports and invite them to participate.

• Mother-Daughter Tournament. Encourage teams of moms and daughters to compete in a fun bonding event across generations.

Golf tournament themes targeted at women are a great way to grow the game of golf.

Ready to Plan a Themed Golf Tournament?

Whether your tournament’s theme is silly, serious, or somewhere in between, it can help elevate your next charity golf tournament and help raise more for your cause. No matter what theme you choose, purpose-built tools can streamline the process from start to finish. GolfStatus’ golf event management platform offers time-saving tools, expert advice, and revenue-boosting extras to make your tournament a success. Click below to connect with the golf tournament experts at GolfStatus!

Connect With the Golf Tournament Experts

Book a Meeting to Get Started

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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.

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• Why Should My Nonprofit Run a Golf Charity Auction?

• What Types of Auctions Complement Golf Tournaments?

• How Do I Add an Auction to My Golf Event?

• What Are Some Best Practices for My Golf Charity Auction?

• What Are the Best Golf Charity Auction Items?

• Run a Golf Auction with GolfStatus

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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.

GolfStatus offers an online auction platform that complements its golf tournament management software.

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.

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Pro Tip:

Use your GolfStatus event website to promote your golf tournament’s auction, highlighting top-tier items and recognizing donors.

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ADD AN AUCTION TO YOUR GOLFSTATUS EVENT WEBSITE

Find out more!

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 

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Pro Tip:

GolfStatus’ giving partners at Dormie Network Foundation offer in-kind donations that level up nonprofits’ fundraising efforts.

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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.

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