Hole In One Insurance News from Hole In One International

Having trouble deciding whether you should hold your insured putting contest or million dollar shootout contest before or after your golf tournament?  Don’t feel that you have the time for any golf contests before or after the golf outing?  If the answer is ‘yes’ to either of those questions, then you’ll definitely want to consider having your players qualify, or even participate, in your golf contests “between” the 9s.

After players finish playing the 9th hole on the golf course, have them gather ’round for a chance to sink a 50-foot or longer putt or score a hole in one with one of our various golf contests!  It’s the perfect opportunity to qualify your contestants during this time; otherwise, have them pre-qualify prior to the golf tournament and hold the actual golf contests during that time.  The choice is strictly up to you!

“The great part about the insured golf contests we have to offer is the fact that we’re able to offer flexibility as far as when you’re able to hold them”, notes Kristen Hansen, Marketing Assistant with Hole In One International.  “We realize that each golf tournament will have varying time restraints and we do our best to accommodate each committee’s needs the best we can.  Having the ability to conduct your golf contests between the 9s is a great example of this.”

“A common misconception is the fact that we’re unable to insure a putting contest or million dollar shootout unless an actual golf tournament is taking place”, Hansen adds.  “This is not at all the case, as putting contests and million dollar shootouts can most definitely be insured as stand-alone events.  No tournament?  No problem!”

If you have any other questions about holding golf contests “between the 9s”, don’t hesitate to give Hole In One International a call at 800-827-2249.  You can also email us with any questions!

Now here’s an idea you may not have thought about before: golf tournament surveys!

A survey is a great way to get feedback from your golf tournament participants and attendees on what you can possibly improve on in the future to ensure that people keep coming back each year for more!  The questions you want answers to will obviously vary, depending on the nature of your golf outing, but here are some example questions you may want to consider asking:

• How did you enjoy the golf course?  Did you find it too easy, too challenging or just right?
• Would you be willing to travel to play a new course?  If so, how far?
• Do you prefer to play golf on a public golf course or a private country club?
• What day of the week is most ideal for you to participate in golf outings?
• Do you feel that we offered enough various contests and activities throughout the day?
• Were the food and beverages offered during the day of the golf tournament adequate?

Passing out golf tournament surveys to each and every player/attendee at the end of your golf outing is also a great way to gather referrals – whether they be golfers or volunteers — by asking them to list people that they would like for your committee to contact in the future regarding any future golf tournament events!  The more leads the better, right?

For more ideas on creating golf tournament surveys, feel free to give Hole In One International a call today at 800-827-2249… or email us at any time.  We’re here to help when it comes to help making your golf tournament a success!

Want to give your tournament participants and volunteers a way to remember your golf outing for years to come?  Then be sure to take as many photos and videos as possible before, during and even after your event!  Just make sure they’re quality photos/videos.  Wondering how to ensure that they are?  Hole In One International is here to explain how to make the most out of your visual memories and provide you with some great ideas!

Photos
Make sure you pay attention to what you’re taking photos of!  (This may seem elementary, but truth be told we see a lot of photos of scenery and beverage carts.)  While these types of photos are okay to have, it’s still important to focus on your main subject: your tournament participants!  Be sure to gather some great action shots of your players, individual photos and team/foursome photos.  Have your designated photographer (if applicable) drive around in a golf cart and take some unique photos.  Also be sure to take photos of any contest winners you happen to have!  If/when hole in one insurance is included in your outing, be sure to take a photo of any winners you have next to the prize they’ve won, if it happens to be out on the golf course; otherwise, have them stand by the appropriate signage on the hole that shows what they’ve won!

Videos
Be sure to take footage of your golfers throughout the duration of your outing.  Put together a ‘collage’ of sorts to share at your awards ceremony and sell to participants (as well as to use to promote the next event). It will make for plenty of laughs – especially if you manage to catch some footage of any golf follies, such as a player being stuck in an inescapable sand trap or a player’s ball landing straight into a water hazard.  Depending on the amount/quality of video equipment available at your golf tournament, you can also station the video cameras on a specific hole on the course and video each golfer playing that particular hole.  Or, if you have the time, you can even video each golfer’s performance from start to finish and possibly sell a video of their performance to them.  Looking to give your sponsor(s) additional exposure?  Feel free to include any necessary commercials in the video as well.

Need more photo/video suggestions?  Feel free to give Hole In One International a call at 800-827-2249… or email us, and we’ll be sure to help you out and give you more pointers!

Wondering how some golf tournaments are managing to fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars? What if we told you it has to do with the inclusion of an auction? That’s right — unless you’re holding a major Celebrity-Am or Pro-Am which includes big-time sponsors, it can be extremely difficult to fundraise large amounts. Adding an auction to your golf outing is the key to achieve those big figures. In fact, many times auctions will make more money than the actual golf tournament itself!

Auctions are not only extremely popular, but it also gives participants the opportunity to buy an assortment of things that they would not normally buy. It’s ideal for a time-filler as well — not all of your golfers will finish their rounds at the same time. By holding an auction, you’re able to provide those who finish early with an activity to that will keep them on-site. It is also a great opportunity for golfers to get to know one another and network. But most importantly, at least to those looking to fundraise, it generates major moolah.

The key to generating “major moolah”, however, lies in the items.  While it’s essential that you acquire some big items, it’s also important to have several smaller items as well to ensure that you’re catering to everyone’s various budgets.  Some popular auction items consist – but are not limited to – the following: vacations, rounds of golf, jewelry, sports-related items, etc.  To obtain your items, you can buy them, have them donated, or acquire them from auction companies on consignment.

Be sure to have a designated Auction Chair whose sole duty is to focus on the auction and make sure it’s a success.  Make sure to start in advance when running your auction – post it [on your website] and promote it!  Allow non-golfers to join in and place their bids.  Its a good idea to work towards having credit cards accepted at the event and, be sure to collect the money that evening, if at all possible; otherwise, it becomes a hassle to collect after the fact.

More questions about running your golf event?  No problem!  Give Hole In One International a call today at 800-827-2249 or email us if you need more pointers!

Decisions, decisions! There are so many to make when it comes to planning a successful golf tournament… including which golf tournament format to choose!

Hole In One International is here today to give you the scoop on some of the various golf tournament formats and explain the unique aspects of each. Hopefully by the time you’re finished reading this blog post, you’ll be ready to make an informed decision as to which would best suit your golf tournament!

2-Day Event
Turning your golf outing into a 2-day event really gives your players the sensation of being “one of the pros!”  Use this one-of-a-kind format to your advantage and be sure to acquire more sponsorship money!  Running a 2-day event also means giving players a whole other day to possibly win a grand prize if a hole-in-one insurance policy is being utilized!

Celeb-Am
Give your golfers the amazing experience of playing with a local – or even national – celebrity!  This is a surefire way for your golf tournament to get the attention it deserves!  Be sure to invite the celebrities to be on your committee.

Golf Marathon
Possibly one of the best tournament formats as far as fundraising is concerned… so all you non-profits, listen close!  Recruit 40 golfers to help your organization’s cause by raising money from friends and colleagues and play 100 holes of golf the day of your golf outing.  Not convinced of a golf marathon’s potential?  Look at it this way: Should all 40 golfers manage to raise $10/hole and play 100 holes that day, then you will have fundraised $40,000!  Now imagine increasing the amount the golfers fundraise and, well… you do the math!

Pro-Am
Find a local golf professional that shares the same devotion for your cause and/or that you know well.  Having your players golf with a golf professional means that, chances are, your golfers will be more than eager to pay more for it!  This is a great opportunity to insure a grand prize using hole in one insurance; chances are, the golf pro will tell their other pro buddies and you’ll end up with one heck of a turn-out!

Night Golf
Hold your golf tournament during the night hours and play with glowing golf balls — it’s sure to be a big hit among your participants!  For additional fun, award your best (or perhaps even better, your worst) performing player at the end of the tournament.  One thing’s for sure: No one’s going to be playing at their absolute best when the visibility is low!

Snow Golf
Don’t let inclement weather steer you away from holding a golf tournament — instead, simply hold a “Snow Golf” or “Ice Golf” tournament! Imagine the fun your players will have as they skirt around the snow/and or ice, attempting to get their ball on the green (or in this case, the “white!”)

Looking for more creative ideas for tournament formats? Subscribe to our blog and watch for Outing Formats … Part 2!

Want to turn your next event into a “Golfapalooza” extravaganza?  An insurance agency based out of Ohio recently teamed up with a local sponsor, giving dozens of golfers numerous ways to win in a series of giant prize golf contests.

On the specified promotion date, the following golf contests were insured: a 3-putt combination putting contest, a shootout featuring multiple cups on the green, a 75-yard chipping contest and a ball in the circle contest.

The 3-putt combination putting contest, which consisted of 3 separate putts (10, 30 and 50 ft.), was worth a $10,000 insured prize.  A total of 37 amateur players qualified throughout the golf tournament in order to participate in this golf contest.

The golf shootout, which featured a total of 9 separate cups on the green, was insured for 5 shots per cup!  As far as the prizes available, there was one hole worth a $25,000 camper trailer, one worth a $25,000 boat, one worth a $25,000 vehicle, one worth $25,000 cash… and one worth $1,000,000!  If any of the 5 pre-qualified players were to make a hole-in-one into any one of the 5 insured cups, they’d win the designated prize… and Hole In One International would write the check!

The chipping contest took place on the driving range and also featured 5 contestants.  If any of the 5 contestants were able to chip a golf ball from 75 feet away, they would have scored $10,000.

Last but not least, the ball in the circle contest was also insured for 5 contestants.  If any of them had managed to make the 300-yard shot and if the golf ball landed within the “circle”, which measured 10 feet in diameter, they would have also been paid out $10,000… again, compliments of Hole In One International!

Multiple contests, multiple ways to win!  Want to insure your own “Golfapalooza” event, featuring multiple golf contests?  Give us a call today at 800-827-2249.  You can also email us for a free, no-obligation quote!

Looking to hold a golf promotion that Hole In One International won’t insure?  No worries — our sister company, Odds On Promotions, is here to help!  Wanting to insure an off-course putting promotion or a golf ball drop?  Whatever the case may be, Odds On can help!  Let’s take a look at a few golf contests, what they entail and how they can benefit your company/organization:

Golf Ball Drop
Nothing screams ‘excitement’ like watching hundreds of golf balls, tennis balls or even ping-pong balls being dropped from a helicopter! Insuring a helicopter golf ball drop is not only easy as 1-2-3, but also extremely affordable! Ideal for selling sponsorships and generating fundraising dollars, charge your golf tournament participants a specific dollar amount to buy a uniquely numbered ball (or offer discounted prices if they buy multiple!).  Drop them from a helicopter onto a target area — if one of the balls falling closest to the target appears on a list of preselected ball numbers, Odds On will pay for the grand prize!  Not sure how to go about obtaining usage of a helicopter?  Consider teaming up with your local radio/TV station for publicity and borrowing their traffic helicopter in the process!  Or, get creative and use a hot air balloon or cherry-picker.

Off-course Putting Contest
Turn your next convention and/or awards banquet, tradeshow, or company function into a grand prize-winning event with a putting contest!  Select one participant at random (we suggest holding a raffle if you’re looking to fundraise; however, you can narrow down your participants in any fashion you’d like) and bring them back during or after your event to take a single 50 ft. or longer putt for the dough!  For more fun, have your contestant attempt a 3-putt combination!  If the contestant successfully sinks the insured putt(s), Odds On will pay out the specified prize amount!  In need of additional advertising materials?  Odds On  offers custom target templates, which feature the insured prize amount, description of the prize to be won and the sponsor’s name/logo! Need a putting ramp for your event?  Odds On has you covered for those too!

A Unique Hole In One Contest…
Surely you’re thinking that a hole-in-one contest can only occur at a golf course: well,  guess again!  Odds On has insured hole in one promotions at a variety of places.  Whether you want to try and score an ace from the top of a building, the balcony of a nearby condo, the top of your retail location or even from a plane or helicopter… again, we’ve got you covered!  The more unique the promotion, the more attention it will gain… so if you’re looking to stand out from the crowd, keep Odds On Promotions in mind!  We can help you come up with a custom-tailored hole in one promotion that’s sure to knock the socks off of your competition.

See any ideas you like?  In need of more?  Contact Odds On Promotions today at 888-827-2249 or send us an email.  One of our promotion specialists would be more than happy to not only provide you with more unique ideas for your next golf event, but a free, no-obligation quote as well on any golf promotion you choose!

By: Kristen Hansen

Are you thinking about insuring a golf contest or promotion that’s not offered on the Hole In One International website, or that’s not being held at a traditional golf course?  Well, there’s good news… and even better news:

The good news is that we can hook you up with a fabulous company who insures everything from golf ball drops to chipping contests… and even jumbo dice rolls which can be held during your golf tournament!  The even better news is that the prize insurance coverage is provided by our own sister company, Odds On Promotions!

Whether you want to hold your contest/promotion on an actual golf course or at a completely separate location, Odds On would be more than happy to help you plan, set up — and most importantly — insure your next golf promotion!

Feel free to browse all of the golf promotions Odds On has to offer… and if there’s not something on the list that you’re interested in insuring, don’t fret – just give one of their Promotion Specialists a call at 888-827-2249 or feel free to email them for a free, no-obligation quote and any other information you might need!

Looking to hold a contest or promotion at your upcoming fundraising golf tournament?  Looking for something unique…. something other than a hole-in-one or putting contest that will draw players to your event?  Thanks to Hole In One International’s sister company, Odds On Promotions, we’ve got just the promotion for you — a Pick ‘Til You Win lucky envelopes promotion!

Here’s how it works: Advertise up to a $1,000,000 prize and have all of your players enter a qualifier of some sort.  This can be anything from a golf contest (longest drive, straightest drive, closest to the hole, etc.) to a simple raffle.  Using Odds On’s “lucky envelopes”, have your finalists open one envelope at a time, revealing one of the three different prize values.  The first prize selected five times is the one they walk away with… and Odds On will pay for the prize!

Keep in mind: Odds On can also customize your inserts to display golf-related graphics!  For example, when opening up the envelope, instead of merely seeing “$20,000″ displayed in black text on the insert, you could have a golf course background and display the prize amount in a golf font comprised of golf balls to make them stand out!  The possibilities are endless.

Give Odds On Promotions a call at 888-827-2249 for a free, no-obligation quote and further information.  Let us know what you’re looking for… or, if you’re not sure, let one of our experienced promotions specialists help you out with some great ideas!  You can also reach Odds On by email as well, if you’d prefer!