“Your event will be judged for the Gifts and Prizes you give out”
Gifts and Prizes are very important for your golf tournament or outing. Golfers love walking away with cool stuff. Gifts and prizes serve many purposes. The main reason is that they offer your players value. When golfers receive a nice player’s package it shows them that you are a first-class event and that they are getting value for their entry fees.
Gifts and prizes are also used as a marketing tool for you and your sponsors. With properly placed logos on merchandise that they will use all year round, they become marketing tools. Golfers will remember your event and the sponsors.
And finally, gifts and prizes are used to make money. When they are promoted correctly, golfers will get excited when they have the chance to win, play for or buy certain gifts and prizes.
Here are the different types of gifts and prizes that you will need.
TEE PACKAGE
The Tee Package is the most important thing that you will hand out to your golfers. All of your golfers should get this package at registration. If it is a good package it will make an impact and a great first impression. Some of the more popular items that we have seen in a tee package are: Golf shirt, golf hat, golf towel, golf balls and golf glove. You do not have to limit yourself to these items. Some golfers like when you give them unique and different things.
CONTESTS
Golfers love to win contests, it is in their competitive nature. They want to play for something substantial, although you must be careful not to offer something too substantial or golfers will cheat more than normal just to win. Offer prizes worth competing for but not cheating for. Here are some suggestions on the prizes for contests:
First Place Team – $100 to $150 Value (Golf Bag or Driver)
Second Place Team - $75 to $100 Value (Putter or wedge)
Third Place Team - $50 Value (Box of Golf Balls)
Closest to the Pin – $75 to $100 Value (Foursome of Golf)
Long Drive - $50 to $75 Value (Dinner for 2)
Putting Contest – $10,000 (Covered by Insurance)
Hole in One Contest – Car (Covered by Insurance)
TROPHIES
Trophies can be great prizes for the more competitive events. If your golfers play in individual play amateur events and want the trophy for their mantel, then give them trophies. Most golfers are not that serious and would rather just get cool stuff that they can use.
RAFFLE ITEMS
Most charity events offer a raffle. The purpose of a raffle is to raise money but also to allow golfers to win something and walk away feeling like a winner. Raffle items should be lower-priced items that you get donated. Ideally, you have one big item that everyone has a chance to win and at the same time justify a more expensive raffle ticket.
AUCTION
Auctions can be a major money-raiser if they are done right. We will discuss auctions in detail but in the meantime you should be gathering items all year round. Auctions should be higher end items that people cannot get in the stores, things with perceived value. The hottest selling items are EXPERIENCES. Dinner with celebrities, golf with athletes. These items will be set at a higher price because you normally cannot just go and buy them.
OBTAINING GIFTS AND PRIZES
So how do we get all of this stuff? Ideally, you would like to get everything donated and we encourage you to try. Here are the steps.
- Create a list of companies that can donate.
- Send out a letter explaining your program.
- Follow up with a phone call (essential)
GET THEM PAID FOR
The best way to get the items that you want for the golfers is to get them paid for by sponsors. If you build the cost of the item into a sponsor package and offer to put the sponsor’s logo on that item, it will be paid for by sponsors.
