6 Ideas to Raise Money During Your Golf Tournament Fundraiser

While the bulk of your fundraising will come from admission prices, there are plenty of other ways to raise money during your golf fundraiser. We've curated six easy-to-implement ideas:

• Golf tournament games
• Gift card sales and incentives
• Mulligans
• Food and drink tickets
• Raffles
• Photographs

1. Golf tournament games

By charging a nominal extra fee, golf tournament games (aka mini games) are an excellent way to raise additional money.

For instance, you can sell $10 tickets for your guests to participate in a long drive contest. Then, reward the winner with something that makes the $10 worthwhile, like a $250 gift card to Golf Galaxy. Here’s a complete list of mini game ideas that our fundraising community loves: 

• Long drive contest
• Hole-in-one contest
• Closest to the pin contest

And there are some higher cost, but also more fun and unique ideas, such as:

• Hire the pro: Have a local pro stationed on one of the par-3 holes and allow patrons to "hire" the pro to take their shot by providing an additional donation. 
  
  
• Golf ball cannon: Rent an air-powered cannon and place it on one of the longer par-5 holes. Patrons can elect to donate a small amount to use the cannon, which will guarantee a far, straight shot. And if kids are participating, they will absolutely love this. 

Don't forget to calculate costs in relation to what you expect to earn additionally for each of these games.

2. Gift card sales or incentives

Offer gift cards as prizes and use a gift card fundraising platform like RaiseRight to raise even more money. With RaiseRight, your nonprofit organization automatically earns back a percentage with every gift card purchase. 

Let's say you want to offer a $500 gift card to Golf Galaxy or DICK'S Sporting Goods as a top prize (perhaps for the hole-in-one contest mentioned earlier). Both brands currently offer 8% earnings—meaning your organization can raise an additional $40 just by sourcing the prize through RaiseRight. 

3. Mulligans

Offer players the chance to buy a “mulligan” or do-over. A mulligan allows a golfer to retake a shot they don’t like. You can sell this as an add-on with registration or offer it as an extra perk that players can buy throughout the day.

Pro-tip: Limit the number of mulligans for each player to two or less. While it’s a fun way to raise extra money, you also want to keep the game fair and enjoyable for everyone.

4. Food and drink tickets 

Golfing builds up an appetite for players and spectators alike. Why not also fundraise with food and drink tickets? Sell tickets before the tournament or at the door. Then, set up food and drink tables throughout the course to keep your golfers well-fueled for every drive, chip, and putt.

Some things to keep in mind with this tactic:

• Find out if your venue or golf course allows outside food and drinks
• Price tickets high enough to cover the food and refreshment expenses
• Secure sponsors or in-kind donations to offset the costs

5. Raffles 

Everyone loves the anticipation and reward of raffles: They create a fun opportunity to earn extra funds during your charity golf tournament. Make the prize whatever you want—from a Target or Cheesecake Factory gift card to a prize basket. 

Or, as Reddit user u/WampingWomper suggests, “Purchase a brand-new fancy driver or putter, and sell tickets at $20 each for a drawing. You’ll typically see $1,000+ in ticket sales on a $600 driver.”

You can offer an initial entry in the raffle with registration fees or sell tickets at the event. Try to secure sponsors or donations to cover the prize. Be sure to announce the raffle prize beforehand to increase excitement and ticket sales.

6. Photographs 

Provide a photo opportunity for players and their families or friends to commemorate a game well-putted. 

Ask a volunteer to photograph each group, then sell the pictures after the event. Post to social media or send out an email blast reminding attendees to order copies of their golfing mementos.

Golf tournament fundraiser checklist

Now that you have a variety of creative fundraising ideas, let’s make sure you’re covered on the basics of organizing a golf tournament fundraiser. Here’s a high-level rundown of everything you’ll need for a successful event:

• Location (country club, driving range, or mini golf course)
• Date and time for the event
• Fundraising goal
• Budget
• Volunteers, planners, and organizers
• Event plan (game type, hours, admission costs, etc.)
• Sponsors
• Marketing

Yes, running a golf tournament fundraiser can be time- and energy-intensive, but if it helps you reach your goals, it’s ultimately worth it. 

Tee up your fundraising success with RaiseRight 

Whether you’re hosting charity golf fundraisers for your sports team, church, nonprofit, or school, RaiseRight can help you earn more. 

You can run a RaiseRight program whenever you need to earn money, making it a reliable and profitable choice for your fundraising strategy. From annual events like golf tournaments to monthly charity tee-times, you can trust RaiseRight to supplement your earnings year-round.