Buddies Trip- Prize/Gift

[TGus]

I'm organizing a small scale buddies trip. We are playing 36 day 1 and 18 day 2, 8 total guys. 

I'm trying to think of prizes for winners, and potentially a gift bag for each attendee. What ideas do you all have, or have liked in the past? 

[MNUte]

That is very dependent on the group.  

How big is your budget?

What do you all like outside of golf?

You guys the sentimental types? Aka if you get a custom bag tag for each, would they use it?

How old are each of you?

And so on. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I had plenty of buddy outings over the years as well as charity events where everyone got a goodie bag. Typicially they had a small golf towel, a sleeve of balls, tees, some snacks, and maybe a divot tool.

One nice touch was an embroidered golf towel to remember the event. It had something like

Boys Trip 

Myrtle Beach

May 2007

If you are staying at a resort and only playing there, or just playing one course you add the name to the towel as well.

Another good thing to do is have a trophy made. Base your rounds on handicap. At the end lowest total gets the trophy. His name is engraved on it when you get back home or you can get the type where you just add the name plate. This trophy is brought to your next outing and up for grabs again. 

For a prize, I would stick with a gift card to a golf store. Equipment is personal.

 

[TGus]

Mostly late 20s, early 30s, with a couple in their 50s. Budget is relatively flexible. I like the bag tag idea, and hats seem solid as well. We're going 36 holes at Deere Run, and 18 at a county course the next day.

[Stuka44]

13 hours ago, TGus said:

Mostly late 20s, early 30s, with a couple in their 50s.

I agree with all of the above.  The only thing I would add to the gift bag, as a sort of reminder, and in case somebody doesn't have one, would be an inexpensive ball mark repair tool.

Edited January 24, 2022 by stuka44

[ballplayer002003]

Something we always do every year is have each player put in money towards a hole in one purse.  It can be anywhere from $5-$50 depending on what you want.  The leader of the group just keeps the cash and brings it back down every year.  The first person that hits a hole in one gets the entire purse.  We have a pretty large sum of cash waiting for one of us after doing this for a while now.

[PBH3]

2 hours ago, ballplayer002003 said:

Something we always do every year is have each player put in money towards a hole in one purse.  It can be anywhere from $5-$50 depending on what you want.  The leader of the group just keeps the cash and brings it back down every year.  The first person that hits a hole in one gets the entire purse.  We have a pretty large sum of cash waiting for one of us after doing this for a while now.

Love that idea!

[Tom the Golf Nut]

3 hours ago, ballplayer002003 said:

Something we always do every year is have each player put in money towards a hole in one purse.  It can be anywhere from $5-$50 depending on what you want.  The leader of the group just keeps the cash and brings it back down every year.  The first person that hits a hole in one gets the entire purse.  We have a pretty large sum of cash waiting for one of us after doing this for a while now.

Boy the leaded would have been getting money from me for 32 years and counting! 

[Shapotomous]

We do a fall trip each year to Ocean City and I order hats with OC Golf 20xx embroidered on them as a give away.  We have enough for two teams to do a ryder cup competition (6 holes each format) on the last day so I get the hats in two colors for the teams.  

[ballplayer002003]

On 1/24/2022 at 12:38 PM, Shapotomous said:

We do a fall trip each year to Ocean City and I order hats with OC Golf 20xx embroidered on them as a give away.  We have enough for two teams to do a ryder cup competition (6 holes each format) on the last day so I get the hats in two colors for the teams.  

Please tell me you play Lighthouse Sound

[den748]

I think a post trip prize might be might be well received.  Take a group picture and get a scorecard and frame that for everyone who came.  This will be pricier than you might realize but I think it is something people might prize and not just get and toss.  Great for hanging in an office or golf room. 

[Shapotomous]

4 hours ago, ballplayer002003 said:

Please tell me you play Lighthouse Sound

As Rocky would say.....Absalooootlee!  Last year was Lighthouse, Rum Pointe (my favorite) and the third day that I missed was Baywood Greens.  I have to say though, Lighthouse greens were very beat up and disappointing.  The only way they could have been bumpier is if aeration had been done the day before.

[Middler]

Depends on your budget, and it's a nice touch IMO, I've seen everything from:

• small trophies (dumb IMO but some like them),
• sleeve or dozen premium golf balls,
• golf towel or bag tag from course you're playing,
• magnetic ball marker from course you're playing,
• hats or shirts from course you're at,
• gift card for use at pro shop from course you're at (or home course),
• bottle of scotch, bourbon, rum, Irish or whatever,
• beer koozies,
• small cooler or insulated tumbler (Yeti),
• quality divot repair tool (e.g. Scotty, PitchFix, Flix) with course logo or not,
• endless gag gifts possible...

Outside gag gifts, I'd suggest a quality small item over a cheap big item - e.g. a $15 divot repair tool over a $15 dozen balls.

[ballplayer002003]

22 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

As Rocky would say.....Absalooootlee!  Last year was Lighthouse, Rum Pointe (my favorite) and the third day that I missed was Baywood Greens.  I have to say though, Lighthouse greens were very beat up and disappointing.  The only way they could have been bumpier is if aeration had been done the day before.

Aww man that's too bad.  Usually they roll pretty good.  You need to play Baywood, it's beautiful and has a unique hole with an island fairway.  You like Rum Point over Lighthouse? Interesting.  I was looking at buying a home on Rum Point just this past year.  

[Hickory4ever]

As Middler suggests, prizes from the courses you have played (towels, ball markers, etc.), especially if they are premium courses. Great memories.

[geralndionio]

Not too long ago, I decided to do one of these, too. Already looked at travel agency in Calgary to warm Spain. And soon we will all be flying together. And because of that, I've already packed all my gear. And I came up with the same games. But the prizes I've chosen are. To the first one I will give my favorite hockey stick. To the second one, I'm gonna get my favorite sneakers. That's it. There will be two places in total.

Edited February 19, 2022 by geralndionio

[maxroy46]

The latest ranboo hoodies has such a good collection for trips. I used once in my northern trip I really like it.

Edited May 23, 2022 by maxroy46

[eddyjim]

On 4/14/2022 at 12:53 PM, encreed said:

I just keep it simple and straight:  t-shirts, full-zip hoodies, hats, and some beer custom can koozies.

it may look decent, cool. but what type of shoes do you wear??

[SchmidtDalio]

On 4/14/2022 at 12:23 PM, encreed said:

I just keep it simple and straight:  t-shirts, full-zip hoodies, hats, and some beer custom can koozies.

I appreciate you sharing such a great stuff. I adore Karl Jacobs clothing. Their clothing is made of really great material. It was worn by my wife at her birthday celebration.

Edited August 31, 2022 by SchmidtDalio

[nickdived45]

My friend gifted me tshirts, jeenes, and hoodies on my birthday last week, and I really like them. Which has osm designs.

[lukafred]

On 1/23/2022 at 10:52 PM, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I had plenty of buddy outings over the years as well as charity events where everyone got a goodie bag. Typicially they had a small golf towel, a sleeve of balls, tees, some snacks, and maybe a divot tool.

One nice touch was an embroidered golf towel to remember the event. It had something like

Boys Trip 

Myrtle Beach

May 2007

If you are staying at a resort and only playing there, or just playing one course you add the name to the towel as well.

Another good thing to do is have a trophy made. Base your rounds on handicap. At the end lowest total gets the trophy. His name is engraved on it when you get back home or you can get the type where you just add the name plate. This trophy is brought to your next outing and up for grabs again. 

For a prize, I would stick with a gift card to a golf store name gifts flash. Equipment is personal.

 

budget is £40, it’s a group gift for a work colleague, bloke in his 20s. I’m clueless, but am the resident gift organiser. I don’t know anything about what he has, is there anything generic I could get with a golf theme to it??

[Northern Monkey]

As has been mentioned previously for a generic idea I find a golf towel is a good prize