How to Successfully Secure Golf Tournament Sponsorships
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.
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. What’s more, the golfer audience is an especially desirable 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
Businesses that sponsor charity golf tournaments also benefit from the positive brand lift and increased customer loyalty that comes with supporting a good cause while building positive relationships with the community and potential partners. Their brand earns impressions and exposure across multiple touchpoints and is associated with a fun and memorable event. They may even gain a competitive advantage in employee recruitment.
For Nonprofits
Nonprofits stand to gain just as much from golf tournament sponsorships. Beyond the financial support to make the tournament a success and make an impact on their missions, nonprofits can use sponsorships as an opening to build new partnerships and high-level donor relationships. Sponsorships from well-known businesses can also provide credibility for the event and help build a positive reputation, particularly for brand new golf fundraisers. Sponsors can also play a role in promoting the tournament to their audiences, providing increased visibility for the event as well as the nonprofit’s cause.
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 those 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. 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 in the industries outlined below that have a generally wealthier clientele, as well as regional and national companies, especially those headquartered or with 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 events@golfstatus.com.