9 Fun Golf Tournament Ideas to Raise Extra Revenue

It’s tournament time! Here are fun golf tournament ideas to make more revenue.

As a golf tournament organizer, it’s your job to make sure that your event is exciting for players and also raises money for charity. To help you do both of those things, we’ve collected 9 fun golf tournament ideas to make your event stand out from the crowd.

1. Putter or Purse Game

Putter or Purse is a great way to raise extra revenue for your tournament. This golf tournament idea is a putting golf game in which attendees buy a chance to win either a putter (golf club) or purse (woman’s handbag). You can either get donations for prizes or find a Putter or Purse Sponsor and purchase the prizes yourself.

To play Putter or Purse, event attendees buy tickets to receive: 1) One raffle entry for a chance to win the putter or purse, and 2) The opportunity to take a shot with a putter on the green. If the players sink a hole-in-one, they receive a second raffle entry.

2. Celebrity or Pro-Shot Opportunity

Celebrity shot is a fun way to raise money. You can use celebrities, local golf pros, or partner with a local high school or college golf team, who might donate their time. It’s easy to set up and can be used as a fundraiser or as a promotional event.

Station your Celebrity or Pro at a tough or long hole on the course with a volunteer that can accept the donations. When golf teams approach that hole they can pay the celebrity or pro to take a shot for them. Not every team will play, but those teams looking for a competitive edge will jump at the chance.

3. Hole-In-One Contest

A hole-in-one is when a golfer hits a golf ball into the hole with one shot. It’s an extremely rare occurrence, but it can be a great way to raise money for your cause. A hole-in-one contest is a popular feature of most golf tournaments. It gives golf tournament participants the chance to win a prize if they make a hole-in-one. Tournament organizers often approach sponsors for such contests because it gives them good visibility. Since it’s so rare and these have huge visibility, they are usually Premier Sponsorship Opportunities to cover the cost of an in-demand prize, like a trip or cash. If you have someone who makes an ace during the tournament, it will make for great press coverage.

4. Golf Course Ball Launcher

This is one of the most fun golf tournament hole ideas. Golf cannons can launch balls hundreds of feet across the fairway—and are a great way to spice up traditional golf tournaments. To get the ball rolling, find an insured company that can provide the equipment, staff, and expertise to ensure that golf balls can be launched safely. Next, ask the golf course venue which hole they would recommend using—the cannon can launch a ball hundreds of feet, so the longer, the better.

When a team steps up to the hole, the volunteer should ask if they would like to take a shot on the cannon. If they do, the volunteer can charge them using Greater Giving Go-Time. Players get to launch a golf ball down the fairway to land on the green. The closest to the pin will proceed to putt to the hole.

5. Helicopter Drop

To add excitement to a charity golf tournament, consider having a Helicopter Drop. Sell Golf Ball Drop opportunities prior to the start of your tournament. Each ball is numbered to correspond to the person that bought the ball. At a given time a helicopter drops hundreds of bouncing golf balls onto the putting green. The Helicopter Ball Drop is something attendees can get excited about as they eagerly look to see if their ball lands in (or nearest to) the winning hole.

6. Colored Ball Challenge

For this game, you will want to order a brightly colored ball that stands out and is perhaps even branded for this challenge- You may even get a color that ties to your organization’s branding. Each team buys one ball and passes it from player to player through the course. At each hole, the player who uses the special ball records their score on a special scorecard. Any team that loses its Ball is disqualified; the team with the lowest overall score wins a prize.

This is another great opportunity for a sponsor. You can put their logo on the specially colored ball, on the scorecard, and have them present the prize to the winning team.

7. Mulligans

Mulligans are a great way to add some excitement and fun to your golf tournament. They’re also a great way for you to raise extra revenue. A mulligan is simply a “do-over” for a bad swing in golf. You can sell them up to the start of the tournament; typically, you want to limit the number of mulligans between 1 and 3. Price them between $5 and $20 per do-over, depending on how many people are playing in your tournament or how much money you want to generate. You can ask golfers to mark their mulligans on their scorecards or just use the honor system when it comes time for them to use their mulligans during play.

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8. Set Up a Cash Cart

Thirsty for more ways to generate revenue? Set up a Special Golf Cart to sell snacks, signature drinks, branded merch, or mulligans throughout the tournament. You will need to check with your venue about bringing in outside food or beverages.

9. Silent Auction using Online Bidding

A silent auction is a great way to add extra funds to your golf tournament. Make it easy for people to bid on items by using online bidding, which allows participants to place bids electronically from their phones while they golf.

You can use Greater Giving Online Bidding to send golfers the link to bid prior to the start of the tournament. Display Your Silent Auction Items in the check-in area so golfers can check them out before the start of the tournament. Then they can place their bids from the green no matter what hole they are on throughout the tournament. Then they can pick up the winning items when they turn in their scorecards or you can extend the bidding throughout the awards luncheon or dinner if you’re hosting one after the tournament.

We hope these golf tournament ideas have given you some inspiration to make your next golf tournament a success.

You can find more tips on hosting a golf tournament in our Golf Guide and on our blog.