I’ve been running a charity golf tournament every summer for the past six years, and I’m thinking of adding a hole-in-one prize challenge this time to spice things up. Thing is, I’ve heard mixed opinions on whether these promos really bring a good return or if they’re just flashy distractions. Anyone here actually tried one? Curious how it affected turnout, sponsor interest, or even just general player excitement?

I’ve helped organize a couple of corporate-sponsored golf events and actually just wrapped up one where we included a hole-in-one challenge for a luxury car prize. And man, I was surprised by the buzz it created. We had more early registrations than ever, and a couple of our sponsors specifically mentioned the challenge as the reason they wanted their logo on the banners this year. It’s not just hype—it can translate into ROI if you handle it right. One thing we did early on was use this calculator to break down the costs and see what kind of margin we’d have backofnapkin.co : https://backofnapkin.co/business-calculators/hole-in-one-challenge-revenue-and-prize-calculator/. Super helpful in making sure the insurance costs didn’t eat us alive. Also, pro tip: offer a realistic prize—doesn’t always have to be a car, even a $10k cash prize made folks take it seriously.

Jumping in here—I’ve seen these challenges from both sides, as a player and as a volunteer organizer. They definitely add excitement, even if no one wins. That anticipation at the par 3 is electric. ROI aside, it just makes the day feel more special.