Golf events are swimming with promotional products, providing

ADVANTAGES
MARCH ’11
111
In Full Swing B
Golf events are swimming with
promotional products, providing
suppliers and distributors with
hundreds of opportunities to
make a lasting impression. Check
out success stories, a tournament
checklist, an exclusive Q & A with
a professional golfer and more
to help you hit
the links.
B y A n d r ay a Va n t r e a s e
PING is only one
of pro golfer
Bubba Watson's
sponsors. Could
it be his logoed
visor brings him
good luck?
ubba Watson hates taking a day off. He’s
been all over sports news lately and there’s no
denying that for this professional golfer, who
recently beat superstars Tiger Woods and Phil
Mickelson for titles, golf is a passion, not a
game.
Look at the numbers and you will see that
like Watson, there are plenty of golf enthusiasts who aren’t
just playing around. There are almost 29 million golfers in
the U.S., according to the most recent Golf Participation
report published by the National Golf Foundation.
A search on YouTube for “golf ” alone found 520,000
results. Add “lessons,” “instruction,” “tips” and “analysis”
and you will get tens of thousands more. Bring it a little
closer to home and an ESP search yields tens of thousands
of golf-related promotional products too.
Bottom line: This sport adds up to some serious business. Whether for work or for play, there are big bucks
being spent on all kinds of tournaments and giveaways.
Here’s how to raise your own game.
Digging the Duds
A huge part of golf is the apparel that the players wear on
the course. Broder Bros. Co. (asi/42090) recently reintroduced
the Ashworth brand to the ad specialty industry. As one of
the most recognizable brands in professional golf, Ashworth
brings a lot more flexibility to golf apparel. “There are many
cotton-based options, which can be worn from the office to
the course,” says Deirdre Ruttle, director of marketing at
Broder. “So we characterize it as a lifestyle brand.”
As far as trends go, Ruttle says the line offers a good
mix of traditional colors with bright, fun colors, solids and
stripes and even houndstooth-checked outerwear. And
when it comes to the sexes, she sees similarities in what
men and women want in their golf apparel: “comfortable
fits that allow flexibility and athleticism. Ashworth really
focuses on these qualities,” she says.
“This performance trend in apparel has definitely
stemmed from the golf course,” says Glenn Oyoung, chief
operating officer at Tri-Mountain (asi/92125). “You see
what athletes are wearing and I think it has all melded
together to influence our business.”
The supplier worked with KMA Marketing in Gardena,
CA, on an event in June 2010; together they were able to
give the client exactly what they needed for their golf outing. “A Torrance, CA-based Web and graphic design agency
hosted a golf outing in Southern California for its clients,
prospective clients and its account executives,” Oyoung
says. “It was about two dozen people total, and they were
looking for golf shirts that could be used as giveaways for
the clients and uniforms for the account executives. Design
and style were very important.”
The agency’s representatives were extremely selective
with what kind of polos they wanted to order, and they
didn’t want any brands on the pieces except for their own
logo. After KMA Marketing reps showed them several of
Tri-Mountain’s performance polos, the company chose
complementary men’s and women’s styles that featured
a striped pattern and had built-in moisture-wicking technology. “Not only were the shirts attractive, but they
kept the participants cool and dry in the western summer
heat,” says Oyoung.
continued on page 112 >>
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THE GOLF MARKET
Hole in one
When proposing items for golf-related events,
be sure to show wearables samples that have
multiple performance features and include men’s
and women’s complementary styles.
Can’t Beat the Brands
Golf is a very brand-oriented sport. Clients want the
best clubs, the best shoes, the best everything – and
the easiest way to ensure the quality of the products
is to stick to a well-known name. Titleist, Taylormade
and Nike are among the top, but the competition
is fierce and any company wanting to rise above its
counterparts will need to offer products that replicate what the pros have.
Gabe McGraw, account manager at Gold Bond
Inc. (asi/57653), frequently suggests the company’s
tournament packages for clients who are holding big
golf events. One brand of packages that has proven
successful multiple times is the Nike Tournament
Packages. They start at a minimum of 72 players and
include the Nike Air Tour Saddle Golf Shoe, a Tiger
Woods hat and four $100 gift cards to use as the
directors of the event see fit.
“The Ronald McDonald Foundation in Birmingham, AL, used the Nike Tournament Package last
year and had tremendous success,” says McGraw.
“Every golfer had great comments due to the perceived value of the shoes and hat, and the tournament director has already reached out to use the
Nike Tournament Package again in 2011.” The gift
cards can be raffled off or used for closest to the
pin/longest drive awards. They can also be given to
the winning team. “Last year they raffled off the gift
cards and made an extra $1,000 for the organization,” says McGraw.
Hole in one
Even amateur golfers like to associate themselves
with the pros. Suggest well-known brand names
that have a higher perceived value and will make
all participants feel like winners.
Show Me the Money
A 2009 survey of American golfers conducted by
Golf Magazine found that the average golfer will
spend $2,776 per year to satisfy their cravings for the
links. The bulk of the money is spent on equipment,
and seeing as a set of 10 clubs can cost more than
$1,000, it’s no wonder golf is called the rich man’s
sport. However, there’s also a lot of money to be
made; Tiger Woods remains at the top of the Sports
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MARCH 2011 WWW.ADVANTAGESMAG.COM
Q & A With Pro Golfer Eric Onesi
Hometown: Bear, DE
Age: 23
Birthday: February 22
College: Old Dominion University
Turned Pro: June 2010
Awards and Career Highlights:
❉ 2011 Member Nationwide Tour
❉ 2010 Delaware Open Champion
❉ All-CAA First Team Senior Year
Advantages: Who is your favorite golfer?
Eric Onesi: I don’t have one in particular. I don’t see how you can’t root for Tiger Woods. A couple guys in the olden days like Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. They’re all idols to a lot of people.
Advantages: Do you have superstitious tendencies?
EO: During a tournament, whenever I’m playing, I’ll mark my ball on the green with the same
quarter, heads-up. I’ve had that quarter for about two or three years now.
Advantages: What’s the biggest tournament you’ve played in thus far?
EO: The PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament last December.
Advantages: Where do you see promotional products in golf?
EO: At the level I’m at now, the big-time companies try to get you to use their stuff just to get
their name out there. I got latched onto PING freshman year in college and they have helped
me out all the way with equipment, and they’ve started to help me out with clothing and other
supplies. These sponsors give out anything that is golf-related: bags, clubs, head covers, shoes,
shirts, pants, belts, hats, umbrellas – anything and everything.
Advantages: Can you have more than one sponsor?
EO: Yes, I have PING for clubs, headwear and all that knickknack stuff, but for equipment like
balls, gloves and shoes, I have Titleist. Sponsors don’t have to be golf-related, either. You’ll see
guys out there with UPS logos on their shirts or Waste Management logos.
Advantages: What are some of the biggest brand names in the sport?
EO: The biggest ones are probably Taylormade, Titleist, Cleveland and PING. There are tons and
they get better and better every year.
Advantages: What apparel trends have you seen on the links?
EO: Normally, it’s a regular polo with slacks. When you’re a pro, you can’t wear shorts. Sometimes you’ll see players wearing vests or sweaters, and everyone wears a hat or visor. A lot of
the apparel now is made from microfiber, because it doesn’t shrink, it’s cool, it has the mesh
holes to get the air flowing through it, and it’s not tight when you have to swing a club.
Advantages: Do the caddies wear anything special?
EO: My uncle is my caddy and he wears the UV-protection shirts while we’re out there. The
caddies are allowed to wear shorts and they have to wear soft-soled shoes so they don’t make
more marks on the greens. I think some companies provide caddies with the clothing and products too, when you make it to the big tournaments.
Advantages: What are your career goals for 2011?
EO: Since I made that final stage in Q-School (the qualifying tour), I’m a member of the Nationwide Tour, which is right below the PGA, so my goal is to qualify for nationwide events – and if
I can do that, I should be on the right track for the year. If you make it onto nationwide events,
you’re making a nice, comfortable living and playing in some big-time tournaments, and it also
leads you up to the biggest stage: the PGA Tour.
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THE GOLF MARKET
Illustrated list of richest athletes, earning over $90.5
million in endorsements in 2010. When big money
is factored into the prizes and competitions at golf
events, participants are willing to pay the price for a
shot at the lotto.
Golf Invite (asi/209962) offers hole-in-one and
putting-competition packages for clients who want
to spice up their tournaments. The hole-in-one
packages include prizes such as Harley Sportsters,
BMW 3 series, British Open packages for two,
Hawaii trip packages for two and custom packages
that can be created by the client in order to cater
to the crowd. Todd Trader, owner of the distributorship, says that the prize money really gets the players fired up, and they have no problem paying for
the round of golf if there’s a pot of gold like this at
the end of the rainbow.
“We had a $35,000 Hole-in-One Winner a couple
of months ago in an event in Mexico at Tres Marias
Golf Club and a $50,000 Putting Contest Winner
(100-ft. putt) a couple years ago in an event at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont, IL,” Trader says.
The putt has to be entirely on videotape and there
must be an eyewitness who is not participating in the
The Early Birdie Gets the Worm
Is your golf hobby putting a dent in your wallet? Do yourself and your
clients a favor by checking out TheEarlyBirdie.com, a growing business that helps golfers get the best deals on local courses.
TheEarlyBirdie.com works with public courses in New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut to offer prices for rounds at up to 70% off. “It’s
an advantage to the consumer and to the golf courses,” says Founder
Eric Sedransk, who launched the site in November 2010.
Sedransk negotiates a price with the owner of the course and posts
the deal on his website for one week; anyone can become a member
(for free) and buy the package. The member then prints out a coupon
that’s good for up to one year after purchase. Over the next several
months, he hopes to get agreements for private courses, too.
Sedransk has played all the public courses that he advertises on his website, giving them
the EarlyBirdie seal of approval. “I’m focusing on just getting golf courses to start,” he says.
“As we get a nice following, I’m going to be offering products as well as lessons from golf
teachers who are PGA professionals.”
competition in order for the player to win the money.
With the correct advertising, these contests are sure
to attract many competitive players just dying to get
their hands on big prizes.
You Do the Work
Nothing impresses clients more than when a company can handle all aspects of their promotional
continued on page 118
How to Run a Successful Golf Tournament
Running a golf tournament
requires time, dedication, communication and numerous
sponsoring companies. Here’s
a checklist from Mike Dixon, a
partner at Intrepid Marketing
Group, who has put together
tournaments for the likes of golf
legends Arnold Palmer, Curtis
Strange and Dave Love III, as well
as NFL stars Torry Holt and Dre’
Bry, and has handled the public
relations and marketing for the
well-known Jimmy V Celebrity
Golf Classic for 16 years.
“Golfers are
notorious for
appreciating
goodie bags.”
Mike Dixon, Intrepid
Marketing Group
❉ Send out formal invitations.
A personal letter always makes
the recipient feel special and
ensures a good turnout. “Invites
are really important because if
you create a personal invitation
and send it out well in advance,
the attendance works out nicely,”
says Dixon. “We usually send
them at least a month in advance
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MARCH 2011 WWW.ADVANTAGESMAG.COM
and then do a follow-up asking
whether the person is attending.”
❉ Set a budget and respect
it. Golf tournaments are unique
in that the biggest expense, and
the first on the list, is the cost of
the round. After that price is set,
it’s time to figure out the other
details of food, drinks, gift bags,
prizes and anything else that is
being provided.
❉ Consider food and drink
carefully. Alcohol and food get
very expensive. Ask yourself,
“How much food are you going
to give somebody on the course,
how many drinks are they
allowed to have before they start
paying for their own, how will
the food get from the clubhouse
to the volunteers on the course,
and who wants what food?”
Dixon says.
❉ Don’t forget the giveaways
(and of course, you wouldn't.)
“Golfers are notorious for appreciating goodie bags,” Dixon
says. “Yes, they may be giving
money to charity, but they will
always ask, ‘What’s in the bag?’ ”
Intrepid takes ordinary hats and
embroiders the players’ names
onto them; it’s more sophisticated and people are more likely
to wear the hat after the tournament. The key is to add something that sets your company
apart from the other sponsors.
“People oftentimes give out golf
balls with the company logo
on it, and those balls are gone
before the third hole,” he says.
“I like to give one golf ball; that
way it’s more significant and they
won’t go and hit it into the trees.”
Other options are towels, divot
tools, T-shirts, polos, visors, golf
tees and yardage measures.
❉ Offer great prizes. Always
incorporate contests and prizes
into the tournament, so participants have several things to
shoot for. “Have a prize for the
person who hits the longest
drive and gets closest to the pin,
and if you want to get people
back together at the end of the
event, I recommend some kind of
giveaway or trophy so people will
stick around, eat the food and
hear your message before leaving,” Dixon says.
Trophies for the winners are
always well received, especially
if they can be engraved and
personalized. “It’s about getting
your message and your branding
out,” Dixon says, “so if I can get
something that’s nice enough
that someone will put it in the
lobby of their company, we are
noticed. We also give out new
equipment such as golf bags,
drivers, other clubs or something of that nature.”
❉ Divide and conquer. Running large tournaments often
requires several dozen teams that
are each dedicated to a different task. “For the Jimmy V Golf
Classic, the staff and volunteers
are working on this thing 24/7,
year round,” says Dixon. “There’s
an exec director and marketing
team who work full-time selling
sponsorships and other logistics.
We have meetings year round
and have groups specifically
designated to golf operations, the
events that surround the tournament (concerts, dinners, etc.)
and groups who handle PR and
marketing.”
continued on page 116
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THE GOLF MARKET
Dress the Part
Throw on this black cotton visor (0103093401)
from TMax Gear (asi/91417) that features an
adjustable back and a 3-D TaylorMade logo,
moisture-wicking sweatband and a dark
underbill to reduce glare.
Wear a Targa glove (01020805-LH) from
TMAX Gear (asi/91417) for maximum
performance. It’s crafted of thin AAA
Cabretta leather and offers patented
360-degree ventilation technology and
antimicrobial fabric to keep your hand
dry and comfortable.
Sport a Nike lightweight polyester sport
shirt (378453) built with moisture-management Dri-FIT technology from SanMar (asi/84863). It features a chain-link
texture, underarm and shoulder panels,
a three-button placket, side vents and
pearlized buttons.
Par One Inc. (asi/75912)
offers this Wilson
harmonized putter
(WGD746900) with deep
polymer insert, a doublemilled face and a wide
variety of head shapes.
Trimark (asi/92122) carries these men’s khaki
shorts (13102) made from 65% polyester/35%
cotton and EZ-Care. They feature two front slant
pockets, two reinforced hidden back welt pockets with flap, and side cargo pockets with hidden
button-down flap closure.
TMAX Gear (asi/91417) offers this black
leather belt (0305111001) with an interchangeable multi-contoured, trophy-striped
chrome buckle.
The TMAX Gear
(asi/91417) Stratus 2.0
stand bag (0101112201)
features a six-way
top, five total pockets
including an insulated beverage sleeve
pocket and pen slot,
shoulder straps with
velour lining and a
nylon webbing bottom
trunk handle.
Don’t forget an outer layer! This Puma
golf windjacket (557055 02) from Par
One (asi/75912) is made of polyester/viscose and is available in blue and black.
photography by Mark Pricskett
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THE GOLF MARKET
Hole in one
Fun Golf Facts
1. The first golf tournament was played at Prestwick, Scotland, in 1860 and is
now called the British Open.
2. The first 18-hole course in the United States, the Chicago Golf Club, was
founded near Wheaton, IL, in 1893.
3. There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
4. According to a study published in 2009 by the
National Golf Foundation, there were 28.6 million golfers above the age of six in the United States.
5. The first golf balls were made of thin leather
stuffed with feathers. Feather balls were used until
1848.
6. Golf balls travel significantly farther on hot days.
7. The longest drive ever recorded was 515 yards. The
longest putt was a monstrous 375 feet.
8. The chances of making two holes-in-one in a round of golf are one in 67 million.
9. The highest golf course in the world is the Tactu Golf Club in Morococha,
Peru, which sits 14,335 feet above sea level at its lowest point. 10. Approximately 23% of golfers are women.
Some of your clients will want to spend big money
on their events (lucky you!). Be sure to ask plenty of
questions about budgets, results and the audience
demographic they are trying to attract.
event. Ad specialty distributorships that can listen to
their client’s idea, grasp the details of what they want
to include and then come up with a solution for an
event and the exact products to use will have a neverending supply of repeat customers.
Every August, MGolf Promotions & Travel, a distributor in Kalamazoo, MI, puts together a golf trip
for a local insurance company. The distributor plans
the client’s outing, including booking the hotel and
golf reservations, chartering an executive motor
coach (which they stock with food and drinks), planning the different golf contests at each course and
providing gifts and prizes.
The president of the insurance company annually
entertains approximately 20 of his best underwriters, so he wants high-end products that will be well
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Hole in one
It pays to be part of your client’s event from start
to finish, both from a monetary and a loyalty
standpoint. See our sidebar on planning a golf
tournament (page 114) to get started.
Last year, McGeath decided on a leather putting cup
with a metal logoed ball marker imbedded in the middle of the cup – a great item to keep in the office for
stress relief or on the desk to hold change, paper clips
or miscellaneous office items. “They were a big hit and
we provided them with enough extra for them to use
for giveaways throughout the year,” McGeath says.
Being able to handle all of its client’s needs enables
MGolf to get the business and keep it. “The trip itself
is worth about $15,000 for us, with about $5,000
being for promotional gifts,” says McGeath. “It also
keeps us in the game for other product business for
this company throughout the year.”
Get Inside Their Heads
Michael Kaufman, proprietor of Wear It’s At
(asi/356021), a division of Kaufman Advertising, says
he’s run the gamut with products for promotional
golf events, because it all depends on what the client wants. It seems he almost had psychic powers in
choosing products for a homebuilder client that was
holding a fall golf outing in Philadelphia.
“We got PING windshirts and those golf umbrella
drizzle sticks for the guys’ bags so they didn’t get wet,”
says Kaufman. “It turned out that there was inclement
weather that day, so it really worked out with the two
products we chose.” The homebuilder’s organization
appreciated the time Kaufman took to plan the event
and come up with a high-end shirt that they could
give to attendees to wear during the game. “Generally when clients come to you, they ask you for a few
recommendations, and the client had brought up that
they like the look of the long-sleeve windshirt and
that they wanted something really nice,” Kaufman
says. In his more than 10 years of working with golf
promotions, he’s noticed that some clients are frugal
and just want something small to hand out, but some
Hole in one
Many tournaments are an annual event, while
some are held more frequently, depending on
location. Working with the client’s budget, think
practical but unique to ensure repeat business.
are willing to go whole-hog and spend the money.
“There’s also a constant challenge to give them
something they haven’t done before in a previous
golf event,” Kaufman says, but the usefulness of an
item always seems to be key. One year, he provided a
portable cooler on wheels for a client’s golf tournament at a country club in Newark, DE, and it was
very well-received because of its practicality.
Wear It’s At has provided everything from divot
fixers and golf hats to shoe bags and awards for the
game winners. “There’s a wealth of things out there
to choose from, and if you choose a unique item
in the right price range, the client will come back.
That’s when you know you’ve been successful in
your promotion,” Kaufman says. s
Andraya Vantrease is an editorial intern for Advantages.
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received. “We specialize in unique golf-oriented products, so on one of their trips we provided them with
premium logoed golf balls and golf shirts,” says Mike
McGeath, owner of Mgolf. “Then we always include a
unique product that will be enjoyed when they receive
it and will provide memories for a long time.”
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