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:
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:
And there are some higher cost, but also more fun and unique ideas, such as:
Don't forget to calculate costs in relation to what you expect to earn additionally for each of these games.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Here are some next steps to get the ball rolling:
If your organization is already earning with RaiseRight, you just need your enrollment code to create an account and begin fundraising right away.