What could be better than offering a wonderful, creative gift at a golf tournament or outing? How about offering two or three of them.
Many facilities are now putting multiple items together to create more excitement for tournament participants with a grander presentation that can happen all at once or be spread out over the course of the event. These are often related to a larger theme and can be logoed beforehand or be part of a personalization or “shopping” experience.
For example, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, holds its annual spring member guest tournament – called the Dye’s Valley Invitational – in late April or early May with 120 to 140 participants. For the 2025 event, themed “Kick off the Summer in Style,” members and guests were able to choose from a variety of Olukai footwear, including leather sandals, slip-ons and golf shoes, while also receiving a Stanley mini cooler and Knockaround sunglasses.
“We worked with Olukai and decided on four different styles to offer,” says Merchandise Manager Mallory Wilvert, AGM. “They sent in a size run of each style so participants could try them on and receive the shoes on site.”
Participants also received the mini cooler and were able to choose among multiple types of sunglasses from Knockaround, a San Diego-based company that focuses on “accessible style.” All three items were given out the first day of the tournament.
“Offering multiple gifts for a tournament is a great way for participants to feel like they are getting a great value,” Wilvert says. “There are also times when participants may not need or want one of the items, so having multiple gifts helps to ensure participants are getting something they will enjoy.”
For the 2025 Men’s Summer Classic Member Guest held in July at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye Beach, New Hampshire, Head Professional Jim Schouller, PGA, created a three-pronged gift that evoked the spirit of Abenaqui’s coastal location.
“We did a monochromatic golf bag, hat and glove with a custom tournament logo that had a beachy/surf vibe,” he says. “The participants really enjoyed the presentation.”
All 144 players were able to choose between a Callaway Hyperlite Carry Bag and Cart Bag, while everyone received the same logoed hat and glove. The gifts were distributed at registration, which enhanced the presentation, according to Schouller.
“Having all the tournament favors tied together helped to provide a seamless experience for all the contestants,” he adds. “The colorways, logo and presentation allowed us to portray the level of expectations for our premier event.”
Additionally, Medinah (Illinois) Country Club often works with multiple gifts, as Director of Golf Casey Brozek, PGA, and his staff work to enhance more than 50 annual events. Some recent favorites combined golf and lifestyle brands, including the Women’s League Kickoff, whose travel theme was complemented by a leather bag tag that doubles as a luggage tag and a logoed piece from Dashclip. At the Annual Medinah Classic, 312 players received a custom bottle of bourbon in a tournament logoed leather bag from Ghurka, as well as custom knives from Flint & Flame paired with steaks from Meats by Linz.
“Like many clubs, we find it to be one of the more challenging aspects of event planning, especially when trying to consistently deliver something fresh, thoughtful and memorable for our members and guests,” he says. “Too often, we’ve heard the comments about ‘not needing another golf shirt,’ so we have to work hard to get creative and do something different.”
According to Brozek, identifying creative, high-quality options is a major focus during the off-season, with each event requiring multiple rounds of discussion, coordination and follow-up. Medinah Director of Retail Shawn White leads this effort to curate unique and meaningful gifts and, this year alone, he has organized five events featuring combination gifts that were well-received by participants.
“We are thoughtful and intentional about gifting,” Brozek adds. “We are not stuck in a presentation that repeats and always plan for a gift that is unique, highlights an experience or is simply given in a special way.”
