Golf Sponsorship Spending On The Rise

IBM announced a four-year partnership with the USGA this year and among many components of the deal, Big Blue helped re-launch USOpen.com as a platform to demonstrate its digital technology expertise. In addition to IBM, the USGA signed a four-year partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland in a deal estimated at $3 million a year. The USGA's other corporate partners are American Express and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.'s Lexus division.

“By working with a limited number of sponsors, the USGA has successfully raised the value of its sponsorship packages by providing corporate partners an uncluttered marketing environment,” said William Chipps, IEG Sponsorship Report's senior editor. Other golf properties have enhanced their corporate relationships by developing customised, turnkey activation programmes. For example, the PGA Tour earlier this year created a health-themed programme around Hartford, Connecticut's Travelers Championship that provided strategic tie-ins with GlaxoSmithKline plc's Avodart medication and other health-focused corporate partners.

Spending on golf remains healthy despite the fallout in the financial services sector, one of the sport's most active sponsors, Chipps added. “The serious issues facing the financial services industry are sure to have some impact on golf sponsorships, but the ability of golf properties to work with other industries will help to offset any loss of funds,” he said.