Golf balls have certainly come a long way since their 14th century beginnings as lopsided pieces of wood. The 17th century saw particularly incredible innovation, when the sport’s enthusiasts stuffed pouches with dense wads of wet leather to create a hard core, then added feathers that dried into a denser outer layer. Today’s golf balls are virtually unrecognizable in comparison and, let’s face it, infinitely better.

Golf balls must address the golfer’s every need, providing distance on drives, spin and trajectory on the approach, and control on the green. Balls try to solve for a lot of factors and objectives to optimize its performance on any shot the golfer can imagine, making its construction a key factor. Here are seven things you probably don’t know about golf balls.

1. A golf ball can’t weigh more than 1.62 ounces (or 45.93 grams).

Modern golf balls are made from a range of materials and methods, but to be recognized in tournament play, they can’t weigh more than a mere 1.62 ounces or 45.93 grams. Taken together, the elements of a ball’s design and construction have a profound impact on its overall performance on the course. The golf ball is perhaps the most important piece of equipment in the golfer’s bag—it’s the only piece of equipment that golfers use on every single shot.

2. Golf balls are made of layers.

At its most basic level, a golf ball includes an inner core made from pressurized rubber or synthetic rubber, surrounded by one or several outer layers, and a characteristically dimpled cover. Each of its collective elements contribute to its performance on a shot, and even subtle changes to one or more elements can make a drastic impact. Their construction increases the ball’s spin that lends itself to greater control, especially in the short game.

3. The core is crucial.

The core is often considered the ball’s engine, influencing not only its speed and distance, but its spin in the long and short game. The force used to strike the ball is transferred directly into the injection-molded rubber that is a ball’s core, where it is stored and released to propel the ball forward. For this reason, the core is often considered the ball’s engine, influencing not only its speed and distance, but its spin in the long and short game. In multi-layer construction, where another layer is positioned between the ball’s core and its cover, the inside layer is made of rubber thread compressed to varying densities.

4. A golf ball’s compression is a factor in speed and spin.

The ball’s compression is a reflection of how hard or soft the ball compresses against the club face when hit. While the influence of compression is a hotly debated topic among golf experts and equipment manufacturers, the general consensus is that a harder ball (with a higher numerical compression) compresses less on the hit, while a softer ball compresses more. Golfers with a faster swing speed are typically more apt to prefer a harder ball, but it’s more of a matter of personal preference for feel. Compression has an impact on general performance. For example, as a broad rule, if you have two golf balls that are identical with the exception compression, the higher compression ball will have more speed and more spin across the entire range of shots while the lower compression ball will have lower speed and lower spin. That being said, this relationship is not universally true. Some higher compression golf balls have lower speed and spin because of other components of their design.

5. The cover impacts the feel and the ball’s spin off of the club head.

The exterior surface of the golf ball is referred to as its cover and is constructed either of Surlyn (a thin, plastic resin created and trademarked by DuPont) or urethane (a slightly softer, slightly less durable synthetic compound). All else being equal, Surlyn can contribute to distance, but tends to inhibit spin. Urethane covers, while typically more expensive, have a tendency to deliver higher spin rates off irons and wedges, providing more control in the short game. For golf ball manufacturers, the cover is another crucial opportunity for innovation that impacts its overall performance.

6. The ball’s dimples have a purpose.

The dimples on the surface of the golf ball play a surprisingly complex role in its flight, speed, lift, and spin. Compared to a smooth ball, the small indentations make golf balls more aerodynamic, manipulating the airflow around the ball to create a tighter vortex that effectively decreases the ball’s drag and increases its distance, speed, and lift. Like the other design and construction components, these dimples can be manipulated by manufacturers that increase and decrease their size, quantity, and pattern to impact the speed, flight, spin, and overall performance of the ball. They’re also an important consideration when it comes to weather and other playing conditions to provide consistency in how a golf ball performs in all types of conditions.

7. Manufacturers are always innovating.

Given the leaps and bounds of innovation across golf ball construction, materials, and performance over the last several decades, the industry’s focus on research and development should come as no surprise. Most manufacturers look toward TOUR players for feedback on prototyped and developing products, but investments in innovation run far deeper, including divisions and teams of engineers, technicians, chemists, aerodynamicists, and other scientists. R&D teams spend time working with golfers to understand their performance needs. With every innovation, consistency remains central, given the slightest deviation in quality can have a dramatic impact on a golfer’s game. It’s especially important for amateur golfers, who have a tendency to assume a flaw in their swing when they hit the ball the way they wanted to hit it, but it doesn’t perform as expected.

Final Thoughts

In all, the right ball is unique to each individual golfer’s goals and preferences. Still, the surprisingly complex science behind the sport’s central component plays into every piece of a golfer’s game—from the way it feels off the tee to the moment it hits the cup. The golf ball is an important equipment decision that makes a huge difference for golfers at all skill levels—perhaps the most important of all.

Golf has a ton of giving power. For nonprofits, a golf tournament is the chance to raise mission-critical dollars, engage supporters, build relationships, and ultimately, do more good. And while planning a tournament isn’t a small undertaking, the good news for nonprofit event planners is that the right technology can make it easier, more efficient, and more lucrative to organize a successful golf fundraiser.

So whether you’re planning your first golf tournament or your fiftieth, here are seven ways tournament management tech can upgrade and improve your golf fundraiser.

1. It Makes It Easier on Everybody

Golf tournaments come with a number of moving parts and specifics to handle that are much different than those that come with a gala or auction. Using tech tailored specifically to a golf event makes it simple to handle the golf details, like flighting, handicaps, tie-breakers, and live scoring. You’ll keep everything organized in one easily-accessible place, so you, your planning team, and even the golf facility staff are all on the same page and working with up-to-the-minute information and not bouncing between multiple platforms and spreadsheets.

Golf facilities love tech that makes it easier on them, too—they’ll spend less time in the back office creating cart signs, rules sheets, and alpha lists and more time out front assisting you and your tournament’s golfers.

2. You’ll Save Time, Resources & Effort

It starts with an event registration website with secure payment processing, where golfers, prospective sponsors, and supporters can learn more about your organization and event and commit to participating with just a few clicks. So instead of creating a costly promotional mailer, then asking supporters to fill out the form, track down a stamp, and mail it back, you simply share a link where folks can register online with a few simple, secure clicks.

Online registrations should automatically flow into the software’s backend, where you can instantly find golfer, sponsor, and payment information. That means no processing paper forms, checks, or receipts and no entering and re-entering information in different spreadsheets. What’s more, when it comes time to make team pairings and hole assignments, it can all be done right in the software. Your administrative burden is cut in half

3. Sponsors Get Better ROI

Sponsors get a ton of value out of the digital exposure provided by tournament management tech. Instead of being limited to signage on the golf course the day of the event, it’s amplified with the exposure throughout the platform before, during, and after the event. So every time someone visits your event site to register or just learn more about the tournament, sponsors get eyeballs on their brand.

Combine that with hole-by-hole exposure and push notifications in the live-scoring app, and businesses see even more value and ROI in supporting your tournament. Plus, sponsors can browse available packages, make a purchase, and upload logos and links right through the event website, eliminating time-consuming back and forth to collect assets and providing instant exposure.

4. You’ll Raise More Money

Any tournament management tech should come with tools that boost fundraising. At a minimum, you should be able to collect donations via the event website, but look for additional fundraising features like a donation tracker on the event site, multiple donation calls-to-action throughout the platform, the ability to round up and donate at checkout, exclusive sponsorships that can be sold at a premium, and fun add-ons that drive revenue (and bring fun and excitement to your charity golf tournament).

National Ag Science Center placed banners around the golf course to help golfers better understand their mission.

5. It Engages Golfers, Donors & Sponsors

Engagement—prior to, during the round, and following the tournament—is key to donor onboarding and stewardship. Instead of just sending golfers out on the course and not interacting with them again until after the round, look to technology to engage them in a variety of ways throughout the day. Live scoring is a great way to keep golfers engaged every time they check the current standings on the tournament’s live leaderboards (which also provides additional sponsor exposure and another opportunity for folks to make a donation).

Direct folks to the event website at the end of the tournament and challenge folks to make a donation, perhaps equal to that of the winning team or what their team shot. You can also leverage push notifications and email communications to share information and updates throughout the day. After the event, export your golf tournament donor data for inclusion into your donor CRM for additional follow up and stewardship.

6. You’ll Be Ready for Next Year

Rather than starting from scratch, you can simply copy your event in the golf tournament software platform, update the date and key details, and push it out to your audiences to save the date and keep it on their radar for next year. If you have a date set, include the link to your new event website in any post-tournament thank yous and follow-up communications to get a jump on promotion and sponsor sales.

7. You Don’t Have to Know About Golf

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a golf club, you hit the links a few times a week, or fall somewhere in between, you can plan a successful, lucrative golf fundraiser with the right tools and resources behind you. Your tech platform should come with a responsive, knowledgeable support team that’s there to coach you, answer questions, and troubleshoot issues for you and your event’s participants.

Golf for Good with GolfStatus

GolfStatus works with nonprofits and charities of all types and sizes to launch or level up their golf fundraisers. The robust platform streamlines the process from start to finish and is backed by an in-house support team available seven days a week.

Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying 501(c) organizations and others planning golf events that benefit a charity can use GolfStatus’ tournament management software at no cost, including an event website, online registration and secure payment processing, digital sponsor exposure, robust reporting, and more. Visit golfstatus.com/demo for more information or to get qualified.

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When it comes to fundraising events, there are plenty of event management platform options out there: CRMs, event-specific platforms, ticketing platforms, peer-to-peer platforms, and more. But how will these work for your golf fundraiser? Can they handle the specific nuances of a golf tournament? Will they make your life easier or require workarounds and adaptations to make it function the way you need it to?

The last thing you need is costly, complicated software that drains your time and resources instead of driving fundraising. As you evaluate software options for your golf event, here are some crucial questions to ask:

1. Will it help raise money?

If the goal of your golf tournament is to raise money, you’ll want a platform that comes with built-in tools that help facilitate fundraising, including the ability to collect donations (plus a way to set a donation goal and track your progress), the option for registrants to cover any fees, exclusive sponsorships and add-ons that drive revenue, and easy ways to receive your funds. It should also feature an attractive event website that serves as the home page for the tournament and presents your organization and sponsoring businesses in a professional light, with user flows that make it easy to complete transactions.

2. Is it easy to use?

When technology isn’t straightforward and easy to use and learn, your attention isn’t where it needs to be—attracting golfers, connecting with donors, selling sponsorships, and providing a great overall tournament experience. Tournament management software should be intuitive, so anyone on your staff or planning team can create an event in minutes and make changes, additions, and updates as necessary. If your organization holds multiple events, be sure the platform can easily duplicate events and has organization-level tools to standardize logos and branding.

3. Will it save time & effort?

Technology can certainly automate time-consuming tasks and manual labor, but poorly designed software, or tools that aren’t quite what you need, can quickly offset the time-saving benefits of technology with additional training, troubleshooting, and complicated workarounds. Choose a solution that’s both powerful enough to meet your needs and simple enough that you won’t spend hours training staff, trying to work out adaptations, and fixing problems. Look for features that ease common tournament planning pain points, like online registration, robust reporting, one-click hole assignments, live scoring, and sponsor onboarding. Any software solution should keep you organized by tracking golfer, sponsor, and donor information in the platform’s backend. What’s more, you should be able to easily export donor data for seamless inclusion in your nonprofit’s donor database.

4. Does it help promote my tournament?

Experienced tournament organizers and event planners will tell you that every fundraising event you hold should come with an event website. When evaluating event management software, ensure that it can generate a clean, sleek, well-designed event website where players and sponsors can find more information, register a team or sponsor the event, and submit secure payment. With an event site, promotion becomes as easy as sharing a link in email campaigns, social media, your organization’s website, and even on printed pieces with a QR code. This way folks can commit to your tournament right when they hear about it, instead of filling out a paper registration form and finding a stamp to mail it back.

5. Does it make my event look professional?

Tournament software should enhance the overall look and feel of your event. The best software lends a professional experience to every aspect of your tournament and gives it instant credibility, which can be especially helpful for first-year events. Processes and materials that look outdated or unsightly can cheapen your event, which can influence the caliber of players and sponsors it attracts. The ultimate goal is to provide a professional experience from the moment someone hears about your tournament and visits your event site to when they submit their team’s score on the live scoring app.

6. Does it include live scoring?

A golf-specific feature—sometimes underrated and underused by tournament organizers—to look for in your tournament management software is live scoring. Teams input their scores on a mobile app, which syncs in real-time to live leaderboards that allows golfers to see hole-by-hole standings, helps organizers judge the round’s progress and keep the overall event moving smoothly, and expedites finalizing the tournament’s results because there’s no need for golf staff to hunt down paper scorecards. Look for a solution that offers professional, glitch-free live scoring with a leaderboard sponsorship that offers digital exposure that can be sold at a premium.

7. can i share access with my team & the golf facility?

Web-based platforms give tournament organizers, planning teams, and even golf course staff the freedom to access everything that goes into launching and organizing an event from anywhere. Be sure the software you’re considering allows user access permissions as needed so your team can easily collaborate with each other and the golf course using up-to-the-minute information.

8. how much does it cost?

With limited budgets, nonprofits need solutions that work well and don’t cost a fortune. Software that’s so expensive that it forces you to limit resources in other areas isn’t actually saving time or money. When choosing a tournament software platform, certainly consider baseline costs, if there’s a cost per user or for support, and look out for hidden fees, any upcharges, and tricky contracts. Many solutions offer extremely limited access at no cost and then charge substantially more for necessary features. Look for straightforward pricing, fees, and payout procedures.

9. what about the golf facility?

Golf staff at your host golf facility stand to benefit from tournament management software as much as you and your planning team do. You should be able to share access to the platform with golf professional staff, so they can assist with finalizing hole assignments, flighting, tie-breakers, and other golf-specific tasks in the days leading up to the event. Look for pre-formatted printouts, like scorecards, cart signs, and alpha lists, so golf staff can literally just hit “print” instead of having to create these pieces from scratch, saving them hours of time and allowing them to provide better service to you and your tournament’s golfers. Some golf facilities have an internal system in place they rely on to manage and execute outside events, but at your request, they should be willing to accommodate whatever platform you decide to use.

10. Will someone be available to help me?

Failure to provide adequate support is, unfortunately, common among software providers. Be sure to ask about the support you can expect to receive. Are support staff in-house or out-sourced? As a user, do you have immediate access to the support you need leading up to your event? During your event? After? Is support available seven days a week and what tools are available to assist your team and the golf facility during certain timeframes, such as in the evenings and on weekends when events are in full swing?

get qualified for tournament management software—at no cost

GolfStatus’ mission is to help nonprofits tap into golf’s given power by providing tools, resources, and support to plan and execute golf fundraisers. Through the Golf for Good program, nonprofits and those planning golf events to raise money for one can qualify to use GolfStatus’ tournament management software at no upfront cost. Get a professional event website, online registration and payment processing, live scoring, exclusive sponsorships and add-ons, and live support seven days a week to make your next golf event the best one yet. Click below to learn more and get qualified.

Maybe you recently decided a golf fundraiser would be a great option to raise money for your organization. Or perhaps you held a spring golf event that was rained out or was so successful you want to add a second event this fall. You may be asking yourself—is it too late in the year to plan a golf fundraiser? Absolutely not! A successful, lucrative golf event can be planned in a matter of months. Here’s why now is a great time to plan an event and how to get started.

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Technology Makes Prep & Planning More Efficient

The right event management technology streamlines planning tasks and keeps you organized so you can successfully hold an event with less lead time. A web-based software solution built specifically for golf fundraisers keeps everything in one place, making it easy to collaborate with your planning team and the golf facility. You’ll spend less time tracking down and managing siloed information and more time focusing on attracting players and selling sponsorships.

You Can Start Promoting Your Event Right Away

An event website for your golf fundraiser can be built and launched in a matter of days, which means you can start promoting it right away. The beauty of using an event website for all of your promotion is that it makes promotion as simple as sharing a direct link to the website where golfers can register and buy add-ons 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 send in their information. Share the link on all your organization’s digital channels and ask your planning team, board members, volunteers, and supporters to do the same to cast the widest net possible.

Automated Workflows Save Tons of Time 

Online registration is a game-changer for busy event organizers. It eliminates the need for tons of spreadsheets, processing paper forms, cashing checks, sending receipts, and chasing down payments the day of the tournament. Instead, all pertinent information is collected right when someone registers a team or purchases a sponsorship and dropped into your event management software’s backend. Plus, when it comes time to manage hole assignments, team pairings, handicaps, and other unique details of a golf event, each golfer’s information is ready to go, right in the software so there’s no need to bounce between platforms or worry about working with out-of-date information.

Fall is a Great Time for Golf

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

Resources Are Available to Help

Don’t worry—tournament planning resources are available to get you off on the right foot. Sample timelines, 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. .

Getting Started is Easy 

GolfStatus’s golf event management tech is specifically designed to make golf tournament fundraisers easy to launch, plan, market, and execute. Our in-house customer success team is 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. Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying 501(c) organizations get no-cost access to GolfStatus. Click below to get qualified!

When golfers decide to play in a charity golf tournament, they often reach out to their friends, family members, neighbors, or colleagues to fill their team. This is good news for your organization—not only does it fill your tournament’s field, but your mission gets exposure to a brand new audience of potential new donors and supporters.

Take full advantage of this opportunity to introduce your organization to a captive audience at your golf event. Create a cause connection by helping golfers understand what your organization does, who it serves, and how their participation is a key part of fulfilling your mission. They may have come to golf, but when they see the tangible impacts of what the tournament is raising money for, it’s easier to convert them into donors.

Here are 10 ideas for your next golf fundraiser to connect golfers to your mission:

1. Add compelling photos and videos to your event website.

A picture is truly worth a thousand words, so take advantage of your event website’s customization features to add photos that illustrate your organization’s work and impact. If possible, add video too—anything from a simple slideshow of photos set to music, an impact story, or a polished marketing video are effective in telling your organization’s story visually.

Help golfers connect to your cause with powerful images and videos on your event website.

2. Invite a guest speaker to share their experience.

Kick off the tournament with a speaker who has benefited from your nonprofit’s services. Or add a presenter to a luncheon, banquet, or awards ceremony. Hearing first-hand from a beneficiary drives home the impact of your work. For example, Riverside Ranch, a therapeutic horse riding program, invited parents of riders to speak at their golf tournament’s luncheon and share what the Ranch meant to their family.

3. Include promo materials in player gift bags and golf carts.

A one-page flier, brochure, annual report, or other collateral can help golfers understand the depth of your mission. Be sure to include QR code on any printed materials with a direct link to the donation page on your event website where folks can donate right from their phones! Drop these in player gift bags or leave them in golf carts for golfers to peruse at their leisure. If your golf facility has carts with video capabilities, inquire about showing a video or photo slideshow on the screens. RiseUp Malawi, which provides educational opportunities in the African country of Malawi, played a video with a welcome message from some of the children the organization serves. They also provided each golfer with a book about Malawi with handwritten notes from the kids and on-site staff.

4. Place signage and banners around the golf course.

These pieces should be placed strategically around the course for maximum visibility. High traffic areas such as registration, driving range, putting green, and inside the clubhouse (near the bar or front door are good choices) are all guaranteed to get golfers looking. You can also place smaller signage unobtrusively on the golf course with information about your organization, facts related to your cause, or ways to take action. QR codes are a great addition to these as well to solicit donations.

National Ag Science Center placed banners around the golf course to help golfers better understand their mission.

5. Highlight your organization’s beneficiaries.

Depending on the work your nonprofit does, you could invite beneficiaries to attend or participate in the event. Personal connections are incredibly powerful, so provide opportunities for them to engage with golfers and sponsors throughout the day. For instance, if your golf tournament benefits a school, teachers or administrators could greet golfers as they arrive or even be added to teams. This isn’t limited to human beneficiaries, either! For example, pet rescue organizations could have adoptable pets at the golf course and an accompanying adoption drive.

6. Take advantage of downtime.

Downtime is a great chance to engage with a captive audience! Whether folks are waiting on the tee box, to check in, for a turn on the driving range, or for final results to be announced, your organization’s staff, board members, beneficiaries, or even volunteers can mingle with golfers to chat and have a conversation about your mission. You could also strategically station these folks on various tee boxes throughout the golf course (perhaps on a par 5 that might take groups longer to play through) to talk with golfers as they play their round or rethink your format to add in more opportunities for face time with participants. For example, Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, an organization that removes barriers to outdoor experiences for those with special needs, used tee times rather than a traditional shotgun start to give them a few minutes to visit with each group as they waited for their turn to tee off.

7. Hold an accompanying event.

If it makes sense for your organization, hold an event in conjunction with your golf fundraiser that drives home your mission. Outlook Enrichment, a nonprofit that serves the visually-impaired, holds a blind golfers clinic alongside its annual charity golf tournament. The clinic features instructors and volunteers helping visually-impaired golfers putt, chip, and play a few holes. Many organizations also hold events targeting non-golfers, such as golf lessons, a wine tasting, blanket-tying or meal-packing event.

A volunteer coach helps a participant line up their shot during Outlook Enrichment’s blind golfers clinic.

8. Send push notifications.

Your golf event management platform should be able to send push notifications to golfers via a mobile app for easy communication. These notifications can help connect golfers to your mission by including a link to your website, testimonials from beneficiaries or volunteers, or even solicit donations for a specific program or outreach effort. Keep the notifications short, impactful, and time them strategically.

9. Display photos or memorabilia on the course.

Golfers want to know what the tournament is raising money for—what better way than to display photos or related memorabilia on the golf course. For instance, the Pat Neal Memorial Golf Tournament raises money for brain cancer research in honor of the tournament’s namesake, Pat Neal. A photo of Pat was placed on the course and golfers were encouraged to sign the photo as a keepsake for Pat’s family.

Pat Neal’s three children post with his picture on the golf course at his memorial golf tournament fundraiser.

10. Provide opportunities to take action.

The ultimate goal of helping golfers understand your mission is to have them take some sort of action, so give them the opportunity to do so. You could set up a donation station where folks can contribute, solicit volunteer sign ups, have a pop up shop to sell branded merchandise or products, or let folks start the process of adopting a pet.

Wrapping Up

First and foremost, technology is a major asset in creating cause connection. From your event website to push notifications to impact videos, leverage tech tools to be effective (and make it easier). Use tech to tell your organization’s story; engage with golfers before, during, and after the tournament; and ultimately, compel golfers and sponsors to further support it through a donation or future events. In doing so, you can demonstrate the impact your organization has on your community at large.

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Get Qualified for No-Cost Event Technology

GolfStatus’ Golf for Good program gives back to nonprofits by providing access to its full golf event management and fundraising platform at no cost, so event planners can focus on building relationships, stewarding donors, and doing more good. Get qualified by clicking the button below!

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Corporate sponsorships and the relationships they generate are an important fundraising opportunity for your golf outing and your organization as a whole. Knowing who to ask—and how to ask them—is key. Ultimately, sponsorships raise funds for your organization through mutually beneficial exposure that lays the foundation for a long-term relationship.

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 exposure for their brand. Golf tournaments put your organization in a unique position to offer sponsors premium exposure to their ideal potential customer or client.

How to Get Golf Tournament Sponsors

When it comes to how your organization will secure sponsors for your golf tournament, pitching to the right businesses is crucial. Start with those you already have a relationship with. They don’t have to be previous sponsors—they could be businesses that your volunteers or board members own or even those that are within your supporters’ sphere of influence.

Once you have prospective businesses to pitch to, it’s time to make the ask. Ideal candidates to reach out to are those 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. Try targeting local businesses that have a generally wealthier clientele, as well as regional and national companies, especially those headquartered or with offices in your area.

There are several key factors that help explain why golfers are an ideal marketing target for sponsoring businesses. Consider the following data points about the golfer demographic:

• Over 50% of golfers are between the ages of 25 and 55, the age demographic with the most spending power

• The average golfer’s net worth is over $768,000

• The average household income among golfers is over $100,000

• 33% of golfers are top-level managers

• 83% of golfers own mutual funds/stocks

• 68% own their primary residence

• 83% regularly take vacations

• 60% have purchased a vehicle in the last year

• 48% stay active and/or have a gym membership

• 77% have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days

Also, you should include information explaining why businesses should support nonprofits in general. Participants in your tournament are more likely to support a socially responsible business that sustains a cause they have a passion for. By working with a reliable and trustworthy nonprofit like yours, your businesses can build important social capital that improves their reputation and brings in more business.

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1. Food & Beverage 

Your golf tournament likely incorporates food and beverage into your golf tournament in some way, perhaps boxed lunches, drink tickets, cocktail hour, or 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

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. Steward 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.

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 broadcast 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.

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Make the ask

Now that you have ideas for potential sponsors for you and pitches they’d respond to, it’s up to you to make the ask! Once you’ve finalized your prospect list, delegate specific companies to volunteers and board members and equip them with the tools they need to make the ask (a sponsorship request template makes it easy to mobilize your team and keep you messaging consistent).

Start by clearly listing your sponsorship opportunities on your event website so it’s easy to find sponsor options and commit to supporting the outing. This makes sharing options with potential sponsors as easy as sending a quick link. Follow up with a phone call or, better yet, a face-to-face meeting where you can propose a specific contribution or sponsorship package. 

It’s important to emphasize the impact their business' dollars make on your mission by providing concrete metrics, such as the number of meals provided or which new programs you can fund. Show your sincere appreciation for their efforts in creative ways, such as by making personalized thank-you videos. The ultimate goal is achieving your shared goals, so when you appeal to your mutual values, it goes a long way toward building a long-term donor relationship. 

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].

Ready to get started?

Click here to book a demo today!

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If you’ve never planned a golf tournament before or your organization doesn’t currently have a golf event as part of its fundraising portfolio, you’re likely wondering about what it takes to plan and execute a successful golf fundraiser.

To set yourself up for success, you should understand these seven fundamentals before organizing a charity golf tournament:

1. You don’t have to be a golf expert.

2. Most of your fundraising revenue goes to your cause.

3. Golf events are more popular than ever before.

4. Golf events bring new donors to the table.

5. Sponsors are interested in connecting with your donors in new ways.

6. Golf tournaments are fun and exciting.

7. Organizing a charity golf event is worth the work.

READY TO START PLANNING A CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT?

Download a free golf tournament fundraiser checklist!

1. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A GOLF EXPERT.

Many event planners aren’t golfers—and don’t need to be to hold a lucrative golf tournament. All that’s really needed is a tool that helps organizers, committees, and volunteers navigate the intricacies of a golf event and that’s purposefully designed to save novice and seasoned golf event planners time and resources. An event management platform designed specifically for golf fundraisers makes things easier and walks you through planning and executing every step on your golf tournament fundraiser checklist. Look for a tool that makes it easy to collaborate and exchange information with the golf facility and one with a responsive customer success team that’s there when you need them.

2. MOST OF YOUR FUNDRAISING REVENUE GOES TO YOUR CAUSE.

Outside golf outings like memorial tournaments, charity outings, major fundraisers, and small local events are essential to a golf facility’s bottom line. You’re essentially guaranteeing the course that you’ll fill the tee times for the day, plus any additional revenue from the pro shop and food and beverage, not to mention exposure to avid golfers who could become members. This gives you, the event organizer, leverage when it comes to negotiating better pricing for the event. Certainly, the more high-end the facility, typically the higher the green fees will be. That said, here are some things to consider to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the facility:

• Tap into your networks. Ask board members, volunteers, and other supporters who are members at higher-end facilities if they have connections and can facilitate a favorable rate.

• Hold the event on an off day. Try to avoid busy holiday weekends and other high-traffic dates for courses. Ask about slower days of the week; rates on Mondays, for example, are typically lower than rates on Fridays or Saturdays.

• Consider adding a virtual option. A virtual tournament extends the event to multiple days or weeks and/or across multiple courses. With this option, players and teams participate on their own time, scheduling their tee times directly with the facility, so your organization doesn’t actually need to occupy the facility on a specific date for a specific period of time. You can also consider holding a virtual event in tandem with a traditional one-day event to allow for more participants and revenue.

3. GOLF EVENTS ARE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER BEFORE.

Golf has seen record-setting popularity over the past few years, largely fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide in 2022, rounds were up 8% from pre-pandemic years and retail equipment sales remain strong. Golf fundraisers have enjoyed a similar surge in popularity, with nonprofits of all sizes launching first-year tournaments amid the uncertainty of COVID-19 and capitalizing on golfers’ eagerness to get on to the course. These fundraisers are now building on their success as second or even third-year events! Golf outings may have emerged as a viable option for in-person fundraising events, but organizations discovered how these events connect them to exactly the types of donors and sponsors that turn into sustainers and long-term corporate partners.

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Active Golfers

1 in 9 Americans

Average Golfer's Net Worth

$768,000

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4. Golf Events Bring New Donors to the Table.

In general, golfers tend to represent an affluent, influential demographic. Its participants report higher household and discretionary income (more than double the national average) and thus a higher capacity to give. Younger golfers are also increasingly taking up the sport. In fact, over half of American golfers are between the ages of 25 and 55, the age demographic with the most spending power. 

When golfers tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team (particularly in tournaments with a scramble format that allows for a wider range of skill levels), it instantly broadens your prospective donor base and exposes new people to your mission. What’s more, your tournament’s sponsors give your development and major gift teams an “in” to potential high-capacity donors and corporate partners. Indeed, golf presents an opportunity to connect with new sponsors and supporters through a sport that people want to play. There’s never been a better time to get in front of golfers and sponsors eager to support golf events.

5. SPONSORS ARE INTERESTED IN CONNECTING WITH YOUR DONORS IN NEW WAYS.

Signage certainly has its place in terms of sponsor recognition, but sponsors are increasingly looking for avenues to both support organizations and get their brands in front of the affluent golfer demographic. The good news for both nonprofits and sponsors is that the same technology that streamlines golf events opens doors for digital sponsorship exposure. Digital sponsorships can be sold at a premium, giving sponsors exposure to an audience they can’t get anywhere else and offering a high return on their investment. Corporate partners and sponsors have a vested interest in supporting the tech that helps organizations streamline clerical tasks and eliminate duplicative work. Plus digital exposure is easy to manage—just plug in a logo on a website, in a mobile app, or on your event’s live leaderboards. These methods take less time and effort, have little to no overhead costs, and have substantially lower expenses compared to traditional branded pieces.

6. GOLF TOURNAMENTS ARE FUN & EXCITING.

The difference between a good golf event and a great golf event is the overall experience. There are many ways to add fun and excitement (and raise a few more dollars along the way). On-course competitions like hole-in-one contests, longest drive contests, closest-to-the-pin contests, and putting contests let golfers test their luck (or skill) to win great prizes—and are premium sponsorship opportunities. 

For example, you can add a buy-in to your tournament’s skins games, which creates mini-competitions between individuals or teams. Displaying skins results on real-time leaderboards keeps golfers engaged.

Other fun add-ons might include:

• a celebrity appearance

• a professional long-driver on a designated hole or holes

• games or demonstrations on each tee box

• custom player gifts, live auctions

• post-golf entertainment

The options are endless—but the key is to choose components that contribute to a well-executed event and memorable experience that will keep golfers and sponsors coming back year after year.

7. ORGANIZING A CHARITY GOLF EVENT IS WORTH THE WORK.

Golf’s fundraising capacity is unmatched. And while golf events have a number of moving pieces and unique details to handle, the right tools can ease the administrative burden as you tick items off of your golf tournament fundraiser checklist. Golf event management tech eliminates manual registration and payment processes and siloed information, making it easier to collaborate and delegate tasks to teams, board members, volunteers, and even staff at the golf facility. 

Your golf event management software should have robust reporting capabilities so you can easily track payments and who is supporting your cause. It should also handle golf-specific tasks, such as:

• building custom sponsorship packages

• syncing GHIN handicaps

• simplifying team pairings

• streamlining hole assignments and hole-by-hole sponsor exposure

• making live-scoring super simple.

Truly, a fundraising platform designed specifically for charity golf tournaments ensures that no detail is missed. Look for the solution that leaves organizers free to recruit players and sponsors, solicit donations, and upsell and steward donor relationships in ways that advance the event and the organization forward.

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Golf for Good

GolfStatus’ fundraising and golf event management tools are available at no cost to qualifying nonprofits through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to get qualified or email [email protected].

Ready to get started?

Click here to book a demo today!

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Corporate golf outings—especially when they’re well-managed and organized—offer a variety of positive outcomes for a company. Beyond being an effective fundraising initiative that can raise money for a corporate foundation, favorite nonprofit organization, or specific cause, these types of golf events let businesses engage with employees, clients, and the community at large while raising awareness about your brand in a unique and meaningful way. Indeed, the golf outing is like no other event. Here are six ways corporate golf outings benefit your brand and business:

1. ENHANCE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to employees, partners, and clients who want to work and spend their dollars with businesses that prioritize community impact. 

CSR initiatives should be strategic, genuine, and multifaceted. A corporate golf outing that benefits a charity or cause is a great addition to your company’s CSR portfolio, providing not only philanthropic opportunities, but the brand lift and awareness that comes from a fun community fundraiser. As a business, that might mean reaching out to an existing golf event to support as a sponsor. Taking it a step further by hosting your own corporate event allows you to be strategic in choosing nonprofit beneficiaries while also reaping a reputational boost. 

2. Engage your community.

Golf events are unique in that they can be designed to be a communal activity. If community engagement and outreach are among your goals for the outing, you’ll want to ask and answer a few questions as you get started:

• Who would we like to attend?

• What’s our goal for turnout?

• Does it make sense to open the tournament up to a broader community?

Perhaps you will be inviting specific community members to participate, such as the mayor, community outreach group leaders, school administrators, or other stakeholders. If you decide to include the greater community, consider inviting them to participate in a virtual round that happens at multiple area courses. This allows you to make the event accessible to everybody, no matter where they’re located.

No matter the route you choose or the objective at hand for your business, having an easy way to register and track interested participants and sponsorships is crucial. Secure online registration as part of a broader golf event management software makes it easy to collect participant information, manage it in real time, and facilitate communications before, during, and after the event.

3. Stand out from your competitors.

Creating positive social impact has increasingly become a competitive advantage for your business. As a community event that tends to attract attention in addition to raising dollars, a corporate golf event that’s dedicated to supporting a cause helps set your brand apart from your competitors and attract socially responsible customers. 

An event website makes it easier to spread the word about your event while also getting more support from the community. A professional site also elevates your brand, cause, and case for support.

4. Foster business relationships.

Golf outings are unique in that they give participants four focused hours on the golf course—a rarity in today’s busy world. That means four hours of facetime with colleagues, vendors, clients, prospects, or others to network and advance important business relationships. This means that your business development team gets quality time to engage with current and prospective clients and partners—thanking them for their continued involvement or advancing a new relationship. 

If fostering business relationships is among your goals for the event, you’ll want to ensure a smooth and seamless experience for participants from the time they hear about your event to the thank-you they receive for supporting it. That means showing professionalism with every touchpoint before, during, and after the event, including easy and secure online registration, clear communication in the time leading up to the event, high quality branded cart signs and scorecards, and TOUR-caliber live leaderboards.

5. Engage and empower your employees.

In today’s competitive job market, businesses need to find ways to attract and retain top talent, which means demonstrating that business priorities include more than just the bottom line. Studies show that team bonding events can boost employee retention and performance at work. A golf outing can be used to engage employees, reward them for a job well done, build morale, and encourage team retention. Best of all, holding a charity event satisfies the 70% of employees who say they wouldn’t work for a company without a social purpose.

6. Do good in your community.

Golf has deep ties to the nonprofit sector, evidenced by the nearly $4 billion that the sport raises for charity annually. It’s a  game that brings people together in a memorable way to raise funds for a good cause. Golf’s popularity is surging, making it a great time to use it  to give back—to your employees, your community, and an important cause.

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GolfStatus for Your Next Corporate Golf Event

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 technology can enhance your fundraiser. It will save you time, raise more money, boost your brand, and ensure a professionally planned and executed tournament from start to finish. If you’re planning an outing that benefits a nonprofit or cause, you can qualify for no-cost access through the Golf for Good program. Click the button below to learn more or email [email protected].

Ready to get started?

Click here to book a demo today!

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The value of golf fundraisers was never more apparent than during the pandemic years. Many organizations initially leaned on golf tournaments to help them weather the storm of COVID-related restrictions but soon discovered that golf events are a strategic, engaging, and lucrative option that belong in an organization's fundraising portfolio. At the same time, those with existing charity golf tournaments looked for tools and efficiencies to cope with fewer staff and reduced budgets and found solutions for an even more successful golf event.

So whether you’re launching a brand new golf fundraiser in 2023, reigniting a past golf event, or just looking to refresh your existing golf tournament, here are eight trends and predictions for golf fundraising in the year ahead.

1. Golf’s Popularity Will Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Levels

The exponential growth that golf saw in 2020 and early 2021 has slowed, as predicted. That being said, the sport is still more popular than it was pre-pandemic and golfers will remain eager to play in 2023. Golf fundraisers are often played in a scramble format, which allows golfers of all skill levels—from beginners to advanced players—to play in support of your mission. What’s more, golfers often tap into their personal and professional networks to field a team, which expands your tournament’s reach and donor pool and opens doors for further stewardship and partnerships.

2. Sponsors Will Look For New Options

Golf tournaments give sponsoring businesses unique exposure to an affluent audience. Consider the following: 

• Golfers have a household income roughly twice the national average.

• Golfers have a net worth of over $760,000. 

• One in three golfers are top level managers and one in four golfers own their own business. 

Getting in front of this group is a priority for a variety of businesses and companies. To that end, golf tournament sponsorship packages will need to provide a ton of value and options. Digital sponsorships offer a ton of ROI and are mutually-beneficial for both the organizer and the sponsor: Sponsors get broad exposure and high visibility before, during, and after your tournament; organizers get easy-to-manage sponsorships with no additional costs (uploading a logo versus designing, ordering, and installing signage). Tournament organizers that use the right management platform get access to a unique set of top-tier golf sponsorship opportunities, including technology sponsorship, leaderboard sponsorship, in-app hole sponsorships, and even TOUR-caliber pin flag sponsorships.

Broad exposure throughout any event management platform is critical to offering sponsors return on their investment in your event.

3. Organizers Will Focus on Add-ons & Experiences

The overall experience is what elevates a good charity golf tournament to an exceptional charity golf tournament that keeps golfers and sponsors coming back year over year. There are a ton of options for tournament planners to build-in revenue enhancers that add fun and excitement without incurring prohibitive costs. 

For example, adding hole-in-one or other contests (putting, closest to the pin, etc.) or on-course entertainment (long drivers, beat the pro, etc.) make the event more fun and more memorable for golfers. These add-ons also present new, premium sponsorship opportunities that give sponsors visibility and cover the add-on’s hard costs, ultimately driving more revenue for your mission. Other easy event add-ons include mulligans, raffle tickets, skins games, and auctions. Live scoring, where golfers enter their score on a mobile app that populates a live leaderboard, also gives your tournament a more professional feel and can even expedite finalizing scores at the conclusion of the event.

4. Tournaments Will Be Business As Usual

Thanks to technology and some creative (and relatively easy) modifications that reduced contact and large gatherings, golf tournaments were able to be held safely amid COVID precautions. Organizers have largely returned to pre-pandemic protocols, including shotgun starts and pre- and post-golf gatherings and events. This return to “normal” should continue in 2023 as more nonprofits look to jump into golf fundraising for the first time, resurrect old tournaments, and find ways to enhance an existing golf event. The technology that helped nonprofits figure out how to plan a golf tournament fundraiser in 2020 have proven to be helpful well beyond just eliminating touchpoints, but also in creating efficiencies, time and resource savings, more sponsor options, and a more professional tournament experience.

5. Online Registration Will Be Expected for Golf Tournaments

We live in an online world, and event registration is no different. Folks have come to expect online registration for fundraising events from galas to walk-a-thons and, of course, golf tournaments. Organizations looking to move their registration online will not only reach a larger audience (since promotion is as easy as sharing a simple link) but also spend less time dealing with paper forms, spreadsheets, checks, and receipts so the focus can shift to securing sponsors, stewarding donors, and making their tournament unforgettable. Plus, collecting donor data becomes automated, ensuring no information is missing. 

It will also be important for event organizers to consider the unique information needs and details of a golf tournament, recognizing that not every event management provider can handle the nuances of a golf event. Golfers will look for easy ways to support the organizations they care about, so the ability to collect donations online is also super important for organizations to consider, as well as building donation asks into the day.

Online registration simplifies everything about the process, saving organizers a ton of valuable time and effort.

6. Third Party Events Will Become More Important

Nonprofits that empower corporate partners, businesses, passionate supporters, volunteers, or others to plan golf events on their behalf will benefit from a passive fundraising stream and, if done correctly, uniform collection of valuable donor data. Organizations will look to make it easier for these third parties to launch golf fundraisers by using a common technology platform that standardizes golf events across the board, while also making them easier to plan and execute.

7. Tech Will Work Together to Streamline & Simplify

Nonprofit leaders have a plethora of technology options to make life easier across their organizations, from event planning and implementation to donor management. The golf event will be no different, as event organizers look to tech tools to aid in prep and execution. 

Fortunately for nonprofits, these tools often work together and complement each other to streamline and simplify events from start to finish. For golf fundraisers, this will mean capturing golfer and sponsor information right at registration, plus robust reporting capabilities so donor data can be easily imported into the organization’s CRM for additional donor stewardship, event invitations, and donation asks.

8. Organizers Will Seek New Ways to Save Time & raise more Money

Saving time, conserving financial resources, and finding efficiencies (while increasing revenue) are still top of mind for busy nonprofit event organizers who often wear many hats. More and more, event organizers are looking for specific tools to run fundraising events like golf tournaments that won’t add a line-item expense.

Whether it’s finding ways to seamlessly collaborate with volunteers or planning committees, moving registration online and utilizing an event website, exporting donor data, or simplifying sponsor onboarding, nonprofits will continue to lean on their tech stack to save time and explore ways to raise money.

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Planning a 2023 Golf Event?

GolfStatus’s event management and fundraising platform is built just for golf events, handling all the golf-specific details and freeing up organizers to connect with donors and sponsors. Through the Golf for Good program, qualifying nonprofits (and individuals, businesses, and other holding golf events that benefit them) can qualify for no-cost access to the GolfStatus platform. Click here to get on board with GolfStatus for your 2023 event or email us directly at [email protected].