In Full Swing

Golf events are swimming with promotional products, providing suppliers and distributors with hundreds of opportunities to make a lasting impression.

There are almost 29 million golfers in the United States 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," "instructions," "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.

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Digging in the Duds:

A huge part of golf is the apparel that the players wear on the course. Broder Brothers 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 that as a lifestyle brand."

The current trends? A good mix of traditional colors with bright fun colors, solids and stripes and even houndstooth-checked outerwear. Men and women are dressing very similar too. They both want a "comfortable fit that allows flexibitly and athleticism."

Can't Beat the Brands:

Golf is a very brand oreinted sport. Clients want the best clubs, the best shoes, the best everything. What is the easiest way to ensure the quality of the products? Stick a well known name on them like Titleist, Taylormade and Nike. These three are among the best but the competition is getting fierce and any company wanting to rise above its competitors will need to offer products that replicate what the pros have. 

Show Me the Money:

A 2009 survey of American golfers conducted by Golf Magazine found the average golfer will spend $2,776 per year to satisfy their cravings for the links. The bulk of the money is spent on the equipment and seeing as a set of 10 clubs can cost more than $1,000 it's no wonder gold is called the rich man's sport. However, there is also a lot of money to be made. Golf Invite offers a hole-in-one and putting-competition packages for clients who want to space up their normal tournaments. They include prizes such as a Harley Sportsters, BMW 3 series, British open packages for two, Hawaii trip packages fir two and custom packages that can be created by the client. 

You Do the Work:

Nothing impresses a client more than when a company can handle all aspects of their promotional needs for an event. Listen to your clients 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. If you do this and do it well, you will have a never ending list of repeat clients. 

Get Inside their Heads:

Everything from divot fixers and golf hats to shoe bags and awards. It's your job to select the products that they will want. If you know it's supposed to rain, try wind shirts and umbrellas. If it's normally a beautiful time of year, try moisture wicking polo shirts and visors with sweatbands. Talk to your client so that you understand them but take all the external factors into account in your decision making as well. 

Fun Facts:

1. The first gold 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 6 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 would is the Tactu Golf Club in Morococha. 

10. Approximately 23% of golfers are women.