What Do We Gain When Investing In Pro Golf?

Investing in professional golf to build your business can be a bit overwhelming. Hopefully this article help you determine what can be gained from such an investment. Before you can determine your return on investment you must first indentify what you are trying to accomplish? At NPG we have had the pleasure of working with clients in a variety of industries. Here are a few of the main objectives we see from those clients.

Promoting Your Brand
Since television and golf were married in the 1960’s, companies have been using the game to promote their products and services. Are you looking to get your message on TV by having players wear your logo? Do you want to shoot a commercial with a Tour Pro? Are you looking to grow your Social Media presence?

Golfing with a Pro?
Giving your guests the opportunity to spend a day golfing with a Tour Pro is something they will not likely ever forget. For many it is a once in a lifetime experience to be on a golf course and play alongside a Tour player. Hosting your own pro-am takes the relationships with your business partners to a new level. A pro-am can also easily be tied to other corporate gatherings such as sales meetings or customer appreciation events.

Player Access
In addition to pro-ams there are off course activities you can provide for your guests. Would your guests enjoy a cocktail hour and/or dinner party with a Tour Pro(s)? If you are taking guests to a Tour event would they enjoy meeting with a Tour Player for breakfast before he goes to compete in a tournament? These are just a few examples of ways you can create unique opportunities for your guests to have exclusive access to a Tour Player.

Once you have determined why you are investing in professional golf the rest is (relatively) easy. Of course you will need to determine a budget. This is often an intimidating topic for most of our clients. The misconception is participating in the world of golf is too expensive for ‘small to midsized companies’. This is understandable considering the hundreds of millions of dollars spent each year in the industry. A title sponsor of a PGA Tour event will often spend in excess of 10 Million dollars for a single week! The reality is the industry is so large there are entry level investments for as little as a few thousand dollars. You need to determine a realistic budget and what you want to accomplish.

Another factor is location. Do you want to focus on one event, or one geographic area, or do you want exposure across the country or even the world? Player selection is another key ingredient to the success of your investment. What is the players attitude, success level, experience? You also need to determine what level of play fits your needs. Is the Champions Tour (age 50 and over) best for you or would the Web.com Tour (the gateway to the PGA Tour) be a better fit? PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Worldwide Tours are all options to consider for your particular needs.

At the end of the day investing in programs working with Tour Pros can be a successful business program for almost any company. To summarize, the key to a winning program for your company will require:

Identifying what you want to accomplish
Defining a realistic budget
Selecting the best Tour Players for your program
Determining the right location(s) for your events
Knowing which professional Tour is right for you

Following the above steps can make all the
difference on your return on investment.