How to Successfully Secure Golf Tournament Sponsorships
by Logan Foote, Sales and Education Director at GolfStatus
Businesses are looking for a win-win when it comes to sponsoring events. They want to be associated with a worthy cause while also gaining positive exposure for their brand to an audience of their ideal clients or customers. Charity golf tournaments do both, making sponsorships a win-win opportunity for your nonprofit and sponsoring businesses.
Knowing who to ask—and how to ask them—is key to successfully securing golf tournament sponsorships.
Golf Tournament Sponsorship FAQs
What Are the Benefits of Golf Tournament Sponsorships?
FOR BUSINESSES
Golf tournaments have a unique value proposition for businesses. With the right event management platform, sponsors get high engagement with an affluent audience of golfers through exposure before, during, and after the tournament that’s non-intrusive, but memorable. Businesses also benefit from:
Exposure to the golfer demographic. This population segment is an especially desirable marketing target for businesses as it includes middle to high-income individuals. Consider the following data points about the average golfer:
Average household income: $125,000
Average net worth of golfers: $768,000
33% are top-level managers
25% own their own business
91% are homeowners
83% regularly take vacations
74% dine out at least once a week
Many businesses are interested in gaining exposure to the golfer demographic, which gives your golf tournament an edge in recruiting sponsors.
Multiple exposure touchpoints across the event management platform, earning impressions throughout the tournament.
Positive brand lift that comes with being associated with and supporting a good cause.
Increased customer loyalty from people who value businesses that give back to the community.
Community engagement in a casual setting and as part of a fun and memorable event.
A competitive advantage in employee recruitment. In fact, 71% of employees think it’s important to work at a company that gives back through philanthropy.
FOR NONPROFITS
Nonprofits stand to gain even more from golf tournament sponsorships, including:
Financial support to make the tournament a success and help power their missions.
Strong partnerships with sponsoring businesses that can open doors to high-level donor relationships.
Credibility, especially for first-year or young events. Having a well-known business involved as a sponsor helps build a positive reputation.
Access to new audiences when the sponsor promotes the tournament to their audiences, giving the tournament and the cause increased visibility.
What do businesses want out of golf tournament sponsorships?
Brand awareness. It’s not just a benefit of a golf tournament sponsorship; it’s one of the primary drivers behind a business’s support.
Support of important work. Many businesses see golf tournament sponsorships as an opportunity to not only support the work of nonprofits that enrich the community, but also to enjoy the good press that comes with it.
Opportunities to connect with potential clients or customers. Sponsors often want to engage with golfers throughout the tournament, making connections that lead to new business.
A positive ROI. Businesses are choosing to invest their dollars in your tournament and want to see a return on that investment.
Custom opportunities. If you’re not sure what a particular business wants out of sponsoring your tournament, simply ask! Work together to build custom sponsorship packages or benefits to help them meet their goals for their support of the tournament.
What golf tournament sponsorships stand out?
The Technology Sponsorship is a next-level sponsorship offering exclusively for GolfStatus clients. It offers premier branding and exposure for the sponsor throughout the GolfStatus platform and app, driving higher revenue and more engagement.
Pin flags are one of the most visible sponsorships available for a golf tournament. Branded flags give the tournament a professional look and feel, and provide sponsors with unprecedented exposure across the golf course.
Hole-in-one contests give sponsors broad visibility, high engagement with golfers, and association with a fun and exciting part of the tournament. A sponsorship covers the cost of hole-in-one contest insurance, which protects your organization from financial risk while offering valuable, attractive prizes.
Hole sponsorships are a common entry point for sponsors to support your tournament. Level up hole sponsorships with high-quality hole signage and hole-by-hole digital exposure in a live scoring mobile app.
Types of Businesses To Target for Golf Tournament Sponsorships
When it comes to how your organization will secure sponsors for your golf tournament, targeting the right businesses is crucial:
Start with businesses you already have a relationship with. They don’t have to be previous sponsors—they could be corporate entities that your volunteers or board members own, or even those that are within your supporters’ sphere of influence.
Look for businesses that want to reach golfers. Ideal candidates to reach out to are businesses interested in getting their brand on the radar of affluent, influential members of the community—the same folks spending their time on the golf course.
Target local businesses in the industries outlined below that have a generally wealthier clientele.
Target regional and national companies where you have a connection or those that are headquartered or have offices in your area.
1. Food & Beverage
Your golf tournament likely incorporates food and beverage into your golf tournament in some way, perhaps boxed lunches, drink tickets, a cocktail hour, or a banquet. Golfers likely frequent local dining establishments, making it a great option for these businesses to get eyeballs on their brands. Consider reaching out to the following businesses in the food and beverage industry:
Restaurants (including locally owned, farm-to-table, and upscale)
Wineries/vineyards
Beverage distributors
Sports and cocktail bars
How to Win Their Support
These businesses make great sponsorship prospects because they can customize their engagement. For instance, if outside food and drink are allowed by the golf course, you might ask these businesses to donate or discount catering for your golf tournament. They might also be interested in providing samples of a signature dish or drink on a hole or simply contributing money towards the cause.
2. Healthcare
Healthcare providers are valuable sponsor prospects because they are community-minded and your goals likely overlap: improving the quality of life for residents. Research the following healthcare providers in your area:
Primary care physicians
Dentists/orthodontists
Chiropractors
Physical therapists
Surgery practices
Dermatologists
Other specialty practices
How to Win Their Support
When pitching to potential healthcare sponsors, emphasize how your cause impacts their patients and their field of medicine as a whole. If your cause is related to improving healthcare for your beneficiaries, sponsoring your golf tournament could lead to a broader partnership or support of a specific project.
3. Sports & Fitness
This industry is a perfect target because of its direct tie to your fundraiser’s medium: golf. Reach out to these types of businesses in your area:
Gyms/fitness centers
Personal trainers
Sporting goods stores
Golf equipment stores
How to Win Their Support
Businesses in the sports and fitness space are often ideal candidates for an in-kind sponsorship and may be more inclined to donate goods like golf balls, tees, or even clubs for player swag bags, pin prizes, auction items, or raffle prizes. That being said, these businesses also want the broad exposure a monetary sponsorship brings.
4. Business-to-Business & Financial Services
These businesses typically cater to affluent clientele, which makes your tournament a great opportunity for them to attract new customers. Pitch a sponsorship to the following businesses in your community:
Financial advisors/wealth management services
Insurance companies/agents
CPAs/accounting firms
Banks/credit unions
Advertising agencies
PR companies
Technology companies
Consultants
How to Win Their Support
For companies that cater to other businesses or for financial service professionals who manage important assets for their customers, building a personal connection is everything. Win these businesses over by offering opportunities to network and mingle with potential clients face-to-face, like a booth on a tee box or during a cocktail hour.
Businesses in the home service industry are good candidates for golf tournament sponsorships.
5. Home Services
Most of your golfers likely live independently and can benefit from solid connections in the real estate world. Approach the following home services businesses to be sponsors:
Home builders
Architects
Real estate companies/agents
Home remodeling companies/contractors
How to Win Their Support
Nearly 70% of golfers own a home. These types of businesses jump at the chance to show off their properties and services at your golf event, perhaps with a tent on the course. Home builders and remodeling companies can showcase their work and high-quality materials, and real estate professionals have the opportunity to show off their listings and upcoming open houses.
6. Luxury Brands
As golf is commonly seen as a luxury sport, it makes sense that luxury brands and service providers would fit in at your tournament. Consider contacting:
Jewelers
High-end clothing brands
Local boutiques
How to Win Their Support
Similar to sports and fitness providers, these businesses would benefit from an in-kind sponsorship with your organization. An effective tactic is to use their in-kind gifts as high-end raffle or auction items, boosting donations for you and brand recognition for them.
7. Travel
The vast majority of those in the golfer demographic regularly take vacations and over half have purchased a vehicle in the past year, making these businesses hungry for exposure to this audience:
Car dealerships
Car services
Rental car companies
Travel agencies
Hotels and resorts
How to Win Their Support
Beyond monetary sponsorships, consider approaching travel services for in-kind donations. Vacation packages, hotel or resort packages, travel vouchers, or even timeshares work well as raffle prizes or auction items.
Allowing sponsors the opportunity to engage with golfers or offer product demonstrations is a great perk to include in sponsorship packages.
Best Practices for Golf Tournament Sponsorships
Sponsorships are where your tournament will likely raise the most money.
Offer multiple opportunities for support. Give businesses with marketing or philanthropy budgets of all sizes the chance to get involved with multiple sponsorship tiers or packages at varying price points.
Leverage digital exposure. Use your event management platform to provide digital sponsor exposure that guarantees impressions throughout the tournament’s lifespan. There’s no overhead cost to your nonprofit and sponsors love the added exposure.
Engage sponsors before, during, and after the tournament. Communicate with them as soon as they come on board, share updates as the tournament gets closer, recognize them during the event, and send a heartfelt thank you after the tournament concludes.
Report on ROI. Wow your sponsors by sending a report after the tournament that details each deliverable you promised, outcomes, impact stories, testimonials, and imagery to demonstrate the ROI of their support.
Perhaps the most important best practice is using a tech platform like GolfStatus to manage your tournament’s sponsorships. Prospective sponsors should be able to browse available packages on your dedicated tournament website, then submit payment and assets right through the platform. They start to earn impressions right away, and you’re not burdened with time-consuming back and forth to secure payment, logos, and messaging.
Sample Golf Tournament Sponsorship Tiers
Your golf tournament’s sponsorship offerings should be customized to your event and organization’s needs. A good rule of thumb to consider when building sponsor packages is to look at your tournament’s hard costs and create a sponsorship that covers those costs and adds additional revenue.
How you price these packages depends on a number of factors, including the type of golf facility (public or private), the number of golfers, and the sponsor perks you’ll provide. It’s a good idea to offer sponsorships at varying levels, tiers, and price points to allow businesses with different budgets to support the event. Don’t be afraid to work with prospective sponsors to create custom sponsorship packages that fit both the sponsor’s and your tournament’s needs.
Sponsor logos should always be included on your golf tournament website, earning them valuable impressions before, during, and after the tournament, as well as in the accompanying live scoring mobile app.
Sample Golf Fundraiser Sponsorship Packages
This free guide outlines three sets of golf tournament sample sponsorship packages, including pricing, benefits, and golfer registration costs. You’ll find examples for small, mid-sized, and large tournaments that you can adapt based on your tournament’s unique needs.
Get Exclusive Sponsorships With GolfStatus
GolfStatus makes onboarding and recognizing sponsors simple. The platform includes exclusive sponsorships that help raise thousands more dollars for your cause. Nonprofits and organizations planning a golf event to benefit one can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’ golf event management platform through the Golf for Good program. Click below to get qualified or email [email protected].