August 2008
From Tehama, the Coogan Shirt (201042), shown in lapis blue, is made of 80s/two-ply double mercerized pima cotton rib knit. Luxury performance at its best, the shirt can go from the course to the office to drinks with the guys. Reader Service #141
Hole in One Golf Programs
Learn how to put together a complete golf apparel program so your client can put on a top-notch golf event. And, don’t forget the logoed golf club covers.
From a high-end polo shirt to a $5 giveaway, every component of a golf apparel program is important. Unfortunately, many distributors overlook the most important aspects of a golf outing, and some of the most crucial items may be those that most distributors haven’t thought of – or worse, don’t even know exist.
Here are five pieces of advice that every distributor should consider before taking a swing at a golf program for a valued client.
1. Determine the crowd
“The number one thing is, you have to speak to the client and find out what kind of people are going to the event,” says Michael Kaufman, owner of Wear It’s At (asi/356021). He notes that the type of golf event typically determines the amount of money the client is prepared to spend on it. “You have to consider budget, too,” he says. “How much are they going to spend per person? A lot of times, these things are for charity and you have to be a lot more frugal. Try to be aware of what’s out there and try to accommodate your client.”
Ryan Andrews, president of Venture Marketing (asi/351527), says it’s important to be inquisitive, particularly about the centerpiece of all golf outings: the polo shirt. “The best advice that a new distributor can receive if they’re selling golf apparel to a client or a golf event is to ask quite a few questions first,” he says. “How are the shirts being used? Are they handed out at an event to clients, or are they client gifts, or for internal use, or salespeople’s uniforms, etc.? Usually, if it’s a client gift, the client will buy a higher-end shirt than if the shirts are worn as part of an internal uniform.”
Andrews points out that all the big-name golf brands, such as Ashworth Inc. (asi/37128), Greg Norman, Cutter & Buck (asi/47965), Tehama, Ping and Nike, have entered the promotional products world. “After you know the usage, determine if the client wants a certain brand,” he says. “The last obstacle is to find the best shirt and brand that fits their budget. Always get a sample for sizing purposes and, so the client can feel the fabric.”
2. Go high end
Many golf events are part of an expensive gathering for valued sponsors or top employees. As such, many high-end items could be in demand, according to Ford Smith, a rep for the San Antonio office of American Solutions for Business (asi/120075). “When you’re doing country club-type deals, you get into some really nice glassware, plaques and different awards,” he says. “There can be a hundred-dollar award for a men’s and women’s championship.”
Kaufman works with real estate companies, home builders and apartment associations that embrace the high-priced products. One of his clients is Peirce-Phelps, a residential heating and air conditioning distributor that hosts a golf event for its “million-dollar club,” a collection of top sales reps. “We did a high-end Ping golf shirt with the logo on the chest, an embroidered ‘million-dollar club’ logo on the chest and a Carrier air conditioning logo on the sleeve,” he says. “It was very, very well-received.”
Andrews points out that all the big-name golf brands, such as Ashworth Inc. (asi/37128), Greg Norman, Cutter & Buck (asi/47965), Tehama, Ping and Nike, have entered the promotional products world. “After you know the usage, determine if the client wants a certain brand,” he says. “The last obstacle is to find the best shirt and brand that fits their budget. Always get a sample for sizing purposes and, so the client can feel the fabric.”
Many of the classier golf outings feature additional festivities. Pam Bennett, another client of Kaufman’s, is the executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Philadelphia (AAGP). Bennett has been running an annual golf tournament for her company’s sponsors for 19 years. “I always give out a very good golf shirt. I’m talking stuff that retails for $60 to $75,” she says.
But the AAGP’s outings are most famous for their luxurious post-tournament dinners, which feature whole lobsters and filet mignon. Accordingly, Bennett orders lobster bibs and cocktail napkins from Kaufman. “We have really nice cloth bibs for each person at the table, and we have the platinum sponsors’ logos screened on to the cloth,” she says. “These sponsors have paid $10,000 a year to have those sponsorships, and in a room with 250 people, to have their name plastered across them makes them very happy.”
3. Be creative
While golf polos are the staple of any golf apparel program, it’s the distributor’s job to convince the client that there’s plenty more out there. “A lot of times, people are looking for different stuff,” Kaufman says. “They’ll say, ‘Michael, give me some other alternatives than just the shirt, because everyone and their brother has a bunch of different golf shirts.’”
Kaufman likes to present clients with items they had never thought of for a golf event, such as golf umbrellas, rolling cooler bags and gift kits that feature a divot tool and a ball bag clip. “Sometimes, people are too parochial. They only have certain things on their minds,” he says. “I think you can certainly pitch people without being overbearing. Obviously, people are dependent on us to present these items.”
Andrews recently distributed a hybrid golf club – a club that combines the characteristics of an iron and a wood – as a giveaway for the Ronald McDonald House Golf Classic. “All the players were amazed at such a high-end gift, and several players actually used the club during the round,” he says. “This was a high-value-perceived gift, as the charity spent less than $40 for a name-brand hybrid with a logo on the head cover.”
4. Don’t forget the ladies
In the past, nearly all golf wearables were geared toward men. Not anymore, Andrews says. “All clients will enjoy getting a nice name-brand golf shirt, but now the ladies are happy as the apparel manufacturers have greatly improved ladies’ apparel over the last few years,” he says. “It’s more fashion forward, and the sleeves and waists are more fitted.”
Women may be more selective about their attire than men – many women prefer sleeveless golf shirts, for example. That’s why Smith makes it a point to give his clients multiple options when it comes to female golf apparel. “Most of the time, I just bring certain things in and let the women look at them,” he says. “That seems to go over really well with the ladies because they don’t like to wear men’s clothes.”
A big fashion hit for women on the golf course is a nice-looking visor, which he made for one of his top clients who hosted an event in Mexico. “Women don’t like to wear these constructive caps or the clip-on visors, so there are certain things you really need to know,” Smith says. “A lot of the ladies like visors and we had an ample supply of everything to make sure that everyone was fitted up right.”
5. Provide non-golfing items
It may sound funny, but as evidenced by Kaufman’s bibs and cocktail napkins, a great golf apparel program isn’t limited to golf-exclusive items. “Another good suggestion, if the budget allows, is to throw in some small items if you have an additional $5,” Andrews says. Products like logoed sunscreen bottles that golfers can attach to their bags, or a first aid kit that fits in the bag – “a small gift that a golfer will use and that will stay in their bag,” according to Andrews – will do nicely.
Smith has done work with a company that sponsors golf outings in Mexico. Many of the company’s employees like to head to the beach when they’re done golfing. He makes sure to cover those needs, too, by providing low- and mid-priced products. “For the beach, we have nice beach towels and tote bags to put everything in,” he says. “We also do oversize T-shirts – a lot of women like those – and of course, sunscreen and lip balm.”
Smith, like Andrews, points out that while some distributors may see these items as independent from a trip to the golf course, a lot of folks choose to keep them securely in their golf bags for future outings. “Most people keep an item in their golf bag or their trunk, or they throw it away,” Smith says. “These are some really nice items that people keep.”
Pitch this complete golf apparel program
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Anatomy of a Golf Pro
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Shane Dale is an AZ-based freelance writer.
