When planning a golf tournament, it is important to consider what types of items will be given away as Golf Tournament Prizes. The term “golf tournament prizes” covers an array of items including, but not limited to:
- “Tee Prizes” (blank or logo gifts for every player at registration)
- “Contest Prizes” (awarded to guaranteed winners of contests such as Closest to the Pin or Longest Drive)
- “Winner Awards” (trophies or merchandise awarded to the winning teams)
- “Risk Event Prizes” (insurance for risk events such as Hole In One)
It is crucial to plan ahead to allow time for the collection of donations and ordering of custom tournament prizes. Don’t wait until the last minute.
IN KIND DONATIONS
In Kind Donations are made in goods or services as opposed to money (or cash.) Many businesses have promotional items available year round such as coupons, gift certificates and other advertising products. At the very least, such items can be used to fill in the gaps of any player goodie bag. It is important to view smaller donated items as bonus gifts for your players as opposed to the only gift unless of course, the donated item has a higher value associated with it. Always place yourself in the shoes of a player sifting through the contents of a goodie bag. Coupons are useful, but certainly not the centerpiece of a goodie bag. Larger donations in smaller quantity are preferable for door or raffle prizes as well as silent auctions. Also consider seeking in kind donations such as bottled water or lunch catering from local businesses.
SPONSOR DONATIONS
Tournament sponsors typically donate a specific amount of money based upon levels of sponsorship pre-determined by the tournament committee. For example, it is common to have a Title Sponsor, a Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsor, Hole Sponsors, Contest Sponsors, and other miscellaneous sponsorship opportunities for beverages, dinners, etc. Each sponsor is guaranteed specific recognition through printed marketing materials, signs, banners and also custom tee prizes (or player gifts). For example, the title sponsor may receive the typical signage recognition the day of the tournament as well as the promise that each player will receive a quality golf shirt that includes the sponsor’s embroidered logo. Such an item impresses the tournament players and guarantees that the sponsor will continue to market to the gift recipients long after the day of the event. It is a good idea to include two to three player gift options for your top sponsor levels so they are able to choose a custom item that best represents their marketing goals. Tournament Sponsors may also elect to combine a monetary gift along with an in kind donation if they already have specific golf items pre-customized in anticipation of golf sponsorship opportunities.
TYPES OF GOLF TOURNAMENT PRIZES
For a detailed description of some common and unique tee prize (player gift) items, read our post “Selecting Golf Tee Prizes”.
Contest Prizes are typically items such as glass, crystal or wooden awards or functional items such as a dozen golf balls, a golf cap or a golf bag that are awarded to the winners of contest such as Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive, Straightest Drive and so on.
The First, Second and Third Place teams are commonly awarded with glass, crystal or wooden awards or actual merchandise such as luggage, golf equipment or high value gift certificates.
Finally, you can learn more about different types of risk events by reading our post, “Creating Excitement with Risk Events”.
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Golf Tournament Planners Anonymous 