Everyone’s been asking me via cell phone and e-mail what I feel the 2009
golf event season looks like? From what I know many golf committees have already
started meeting, honorees for the most part are in place, save the date cards
have gone out, golf and country clubs are pretty well booked for outings and
now the work begins to secure those 130 golfers to your outing. No one knows
for sure, the answer to getting your golf quota, but after returning from the
2009 PGA merchandise show in Orlando, Florida, golf is alive and more popular
than ever. The PGA forecasts golf to be a 76 billion dollar industry this year
and according to The Golf Research Group there are 19,000 golf courses in the
United States with 70% being part of a residential community. Here is the best
news: 279,000,000 U.S. citizens do not play golf. That is a lot of pin flags
and sponsor signs that can be sold to new participants.
This year more than ever golf
committees have to be more innovative in how to reach and secure more
sponsors in the non-golfing community. This includes all categories from
the major level to the tee sign level. I will share with you a few new
ideas. The driving range is an untapped source of income; how about a
sponsor for each tee box and a few logo’d balls mixed in with the
range balls which can be returned for a gift, of course you would have
to buy in to the range ball giveaway. Golf carts are a wonderful source
of sponsor money. If you have 120 golfers you would have 60 golf carts.
With every cart having its own individual sponsor sign at a cost of $50
each that would be $3,000 more income. How about at the half way house
logo’d napkins with a sponsor’s name on them? You can also
do another logo’d napkin sponsor at cocktail hour. This is a great
way for them to get their names out. I think a fair price would be $2,000
for either one. What about a logo’d ball marker sponsor, the person’s
company would be all over the golf course and even show up another day.
Another untapped source of sponsor revenue is the beverage cart. This
is a way for a key sponsor to get maximum exposure with a well placed
sign on the cart as it does its rounds all day. These are only a few
suggestions and with a little innovation 2009 will be a great golf outing
season.
