Just want to have an Idea of what the PDGA is doing in regards to gaining some larger cooporate sponsorship for the coming year. What is the direction the you are leaning toward. Discgolf Packages to major corps. or personal meetings via online with advertising managers..f.ex..

John Duesler is doing marketing to seek sponsorships for the PDGA. He would be the one to address his plans. I know he has asked for anyone who has potential major sponsorship leads to contact him so he can pursue them. [email protected]

Any idea what the names of some of the potential event sponsors are and or the steps hes taking to gain favor with these companies. Just curious.

Nope. Not sure if he's going to post here and haven't talked with him. I would guess any plans are more likely to be published thru the PDGA email newsletter.

Any chance(since there is now a thread) that we can get day by day updates here. I am very curious to see what the PDGA is doing for the commercial growth of our sport right now. Whats that mission statemant again?
We know you must be very busy, building yourselves "four" courses that have to be ready for worlds next year.

The PDGA Announcements thread is the primary one used for official PDGA communication on the message board. The PDGA email newsletter will likely be the most frequent and official way to get any information about various PDGA projects. Some of us doing the projects post updates more regularly but you shouldn't expect daily updates from anyone.

Three of the four courses being used for 2006 Pro Worlds already exist. None are at the new National Center. The fourth course is being developed on Pete May's Hippodrome property which is close to the other courses around Augusta which is at least 30 minutes from our new National Center. Assuming we make enough progress on the first course being developed at the NDGC (North Course), their tentative plan is to use it for Mixed Doubles.

So far, we're making good progress but there's still lots to do to get it in playable shape for next summer. Brian Graham posts upcoming workdays on the NDGC thread for those in the area who would like to help out. The next work week is from Dec 31-Jan 6 when I'll be there to do more clearing with local volunteers and get some anchors installed. All are welcome to help if they visit the area during the work periods. We may have at least a 9-hole loop playable by the end of January if all goes well.

What have you done to secure sponsorship?????

I sounds easy, ask a company to sponsor disc golf and recieve free money.

It is not that easy, large corporations do not just donate money, the look to see how much money is spent vs how many attend the event.

So if they put in $10K into a music event attended by 20K people, they get 50 cents per person.

At a disc golf event, we are talking about 100-200 people. Maybe worlds would be like 300-400.

Even with 400 people attending the event, we are only talking about $200.

Remember, we hired a company to help us get sponsorship. How much came out of that??? $0 in income and a lot of expences.

After that, we had a guy who's job it is to get sponsorship for groups like ourselves. Was he even able to get us any?????

It is not that easy, just try getting local sponsorship for you local event. For every 10 doors you knock on, you might get one small sponsorship. (event then, they may not continue to sponsor every year)

Yeah, I think asking for sponsorship funds is the toughest job in disc golf.

Yeah, I think asking for sponsorship funds is the toughest job in disc golf.


I agree.

I have a real simple solution...

I have a real simple solution...


Don't ask? :)

Obviously, yes.

It would be nice to have corporate sponsors like Powerade , Nike , Coke , Pepsi , Denny's , Del Taco , KFC , 7/11 ........ /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

The only way to get those sponsors is by growing the spectator base. Tournaments with a showcase final, even if only 6 holes, is a good start. If you play in such an event, then don't be caught hanging out in the parking lot partying while the finals are going on, get out on the course. Beyond simply doing that, bring several non-discgolfers to spectate.

We can't wait for the PDGA to generate critical mass spectator-wise. Everyone that plays needs to bring people to spectate at tournaments if we're to demonstrate to potential sponsors that their messages will reach consumers.

Right now I'd say that best thing going in disc golf promotions-wise is the movement that has been exemplified by Marshall Street with their videos and word-of-mouth. As other tournaments take these ideas, expand them, and refine them we will gradually see our efforts to attract bigger sponsors gain traction.

... Gatorade ... :cool:

You have to give sponsors value. How many times I've approached potential sponsors with that sinking feeling of "what are THEY getting out of this?" If you believe you're offering potential sponsors value, your salesmanship will be so much more convincing.

I had a banner day this summer. After getting rejected by the bike shop, I approached my mechanic.

Told him his sign would stay up at the course for a year -- a real, professional, hard-backed sign -- then he'd get the sign. I summed up the frisbee golf demographic for him as "young guys with bad cars." Gerardi's Service Station, most honest mechanics in Worcester, and msdgc sponsor.

Buoyed by this success, next stop was Crowley's Package Store. In years past, they'd donate a 30-pack of Budweiser if we were running a "big" tournament. This time we had the tee-sign value to offer, and the offer was Hole 18, with directions right on the sign.

"How much beer do frisbee golfers drink," she asked.

"How much beer do frisbee golfers drink!" I countered. "Maybe we should ask how much frisbee golf the drinkers play." (Who KNOWS what I said really, though it was surely ridiculous)

I think players meetings should be short AA meetings. Everyone steps up and says they're an alcoholic and can't putt a lick.

How much DO we drink? Seems to be a whole lot of answers...We drink so much that we buy the two-beer Homer hats in sixpacks. Okay stoopid.

How about ... We drink so much we're sponsored by Crowley's Package Store, three short miles away! Customer service from people with good personalities. It's amazing, you'd swear they only hire people with good personalities (what a concept!).

Another tee sign that works great: local pizza place with its menu and phone number on Hole 14 and "We deliver to (insert course name here)." They can be rewarded by being the lunch vendor at your tournaments.

Trail off.....How much do frisbee golfers drink?

We drink so much we need to take up rugby just to cut down.

Jason, this is why your charisma and salesmanship are so valuable to disc golf. You know how to raise sponsorship $$, and this is the most crucial element necessary to expand organized disc golf. We'll never get anywhere while we're still playing for each other's entry fees. We need you to teach others.

Thanks for all you do and happy holidays!
-Jeff

Uh, Jeff, most of it was Steve's idea. Anyway, I sent you an e-mail, Jeff. Did you get it?

I sent you an e-mail, Jeff. Did you get it?



No, I have not received an e-mail from you.

It is true that it is important for tournaments to demonstrate value to their sponsors. The main ingredient that we are lacking to do this is spectators. I don't know how you roll, but I have my own fan club.(Actually that is a lie, but that doesn't mean that you can't start one up.)

I have been to tournaments that give away prizes to people who stick around and watch the final 9, and it gets the tournament players to stick around. However, I think that it more beneficial if tournaments could bring out spectators that are not players in the tournament. The reality is that there are far more people who do not play disc golf, than do. In order to bring out the number of spectators that would be impressive to sponsors, you will need to find ways to lure these poor unsuspecting folks to stand out in the heat and watch disc golf.

These are my suggestions as to how to attract/create disc golf spectators

I would make is to send out a press release to your local papers informing them of the tournament.

You could also drum up more spectators, if you were able to give disc golf demonstrations to various groups(schools, churches, county fairs,recreation centers, etc.) prior to the event. These would be increasingly more successful if these demonstrations were put on by some of the super stars of our sport.

If you do invite spectators to come out you will need to think about how they will be able to see the action. Expecting non disc golf spectators to follow a final nine through a heavily wooded course may not be reasonable. So when you do set up a final nine layout, you may want to take into consideration of how the gallery will be able to see the action. It will be easier to maintain a large gallery if you can minimize the distance that they must travel. You could even go as far as to create holes that would extract Ooows and Aaahs from the gallery, when the players rip disguting drives.

You may also provide refreshemnts, spectator packages, and/or "door prizes" for those who come to watch.

I have not tried any of these suggestions that I have offered here yet. I will apply some and all of these principals to the club events that I will run this year, and can fill you in on how they went. All of these suggestions are time consuming, but I think that you will find success in creating a gallery.

You will not see the real benefits of these efforts until the next year. It will be then you can tell a sponsor that you had 90 players last year, and a gallery of 250 people. Or you will be able to say that your tournament had a write up in your local paper, or that it recieved a 90 second spot on the evening news. I can't predict your individual success in these efforts, but I think that it is apparent that it is hard to ask for sponsorship for just 90 people.

Tommy Donelson

Given that Disc Golf is not a stadium sport, I doubt it will ever have huge numbers of live spectators. Pursuing this angle, IMHO, will not be ver productive in a cost benefit sense.

Nonetheless, the sport has tremendous appeal as a participatory sport and hence, I think it can be quite successful commercially. Disc golf would be better to take the cue from other sports that are live spectator challenged so to speak, yet do quite well with sponsorship.

Fishing and bicycle racing or bowling, might be good examples to look to. It seems to me that the key is to maximize TV time and to maximize the equipment sponsorship angle by maximizing PARTCIPATION. Then specialized equipment including clothing, shoes, etc will be a lucrative area for sponsors.

The edge disc golf program could do this, but penetration is very poor among school age children as far as I can see. -Invisible, more or less, relative to soccer for example - which when i was a child a century or so ago, was about where disc golf is now in terms of junior development.

i strongly disagree with the contention that disc golf isn't a good spectator sport. thousands of spectators attend every pga tournament and it's much more interesting to watch a disc fly than a golf ball.

of course woodsy, par-3 only disc golf courses aren't great for spectating, but they're not great for championship disc golf period.

as championship disc golf course design maturesthe sport becomes better competition-wise and spectator-wise.

the real growth in sponsorship will happen when there is sufficient tv spectator base to warrant live coverage. the way to demonstrate this to potential sponsors is to have large crowds for tournamnents.

How many thousands of spectators? 5,000 perhaps compared to 50,000 or more for football, baseball, etc.

I'm in no way trying to say that I think that increased spectators is anything but very good, I'm just trying to say that I doubt the MAIN source of sponsorship dollars will ever be crowds at PDGA events. I think it will be #1 and #2 mass participation and media coverage and perhaps #3 live spectators

Fishing has huge sponsorship but very few live spectators so that is possible though obviously it is better to have more spectators

I don't know this, but will guess that the crowds at PGA events were much smaller prior to extensive PGA coverage on TV and that sponsorship was due to TV coverage not live crowds. In other words, the crowds are a result of popularity obtained by TV and other means.

In any case, I have seen many sports on ESPN etc. with limited live spectators so it is possible to get the media before the live crowds - or while working that issue as well. What is needed is a good production (some have been mentioned already) and good pitch - neither of which I can do, so perhaps I should (and will) leave further discussion to the experts.

peace, Dave

How many thousands of spectators? 5,000 perhaps compared to 50,000 or more for football, baseball, etc.


"The 2005 EDS Byron Nelson Championship drew 259,000 fans, with 85,000 attending the final round of play. The event, which has sold out seven of the last nine years, has seen attendance figures consistently topping 250,000 fans every year since 1997" - and that's not even a major.



Fishing has huge sponsorship but very few live spectators so that is possible


Yes, the difference being, however, that the majority of americans have tried fishing at least once and virtually everyone can identify what someone is doing seated with a rod next to a pond. on the other hand, the majority of americans have never heard of disc golf and even fewer have actually tried it.


I don't know this, but will guess that the crowds at PGA events were much smaller prior to extensive PGA coverage on TV and that sponsorship was due to TV coverage not live crowds. In other words, the crowds are a result of popularity obtained by TV and other means.


Yes, TV coverage has grown live crowds. NO, sponsorship was not due to TV coverage, TV coverage was due to sponsorship. Sponsorship comes from knowing that money will buy exposure to an audience that will in turn buy a product or service. We must first demonstrate that we will provide an audience by increasing numbers of spectators before a sponsor will pony up to put us on TV.


In any case, I have seen many sports on ESPN etc. with limited live spectators so it is possible to get the media before the live crowds


yes, it's because sponsors were convinced to buy the time.

The big question is how much value is there to the eyeballs watching a disc golf telecast? Advertisers place high value on golf viewers who demographically fall into the 'have plenty of disposable income' category.

True that golfers have more disposable income than disc golfers, so chevy advertises instead of lexus.

A big breakthrough will be when high school athletes from affluent backgrounds start to choose to play on their school's disc golf team. The parents of these kids will be a prime audience for advertisers.

I work near a high school that has kids football games on Saturdays. For months I thought they were high school games due to a very loud crowd and professional sounding announcers. Finally, I stopped by to take a peak one day and saw that the kids were 8-10 year olds. Every quarter the announcer would shout out the names of a dozen local businesses sponsoring the game. The businesses weren't advertising to the kids playing, but the parents.