Rob Bradley, the 2011 Dixie PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, is the PGA general manager at TimberCreek Golf Club in Daphne, Alabama.

When I was at my previous facility, we had a tournament for companies in the oil industry. They wanted to do prizes from outside of golf, so I used some of the connections I had in the community to come up with some unique ideas. For the top prize, I went to a local jeweler and bought high-end watches. There were 20 flights in the tournament, so we bought 20 watches to give away as first-place prizes. I received artwork from the tournament director, and we customized each watch with the logo and put the year on it. Then we went to other local retailers and bought 20 barbecue pits, televisions and radios for the second-, third- and fourth-place prizes. We did this for three straight years, and the organizers were very happy in that the participants had something to shoot for in those top prizes.

This was a win all the way around. Not only did it not cost me anything, but the jeweler and the other retailers cut me in for 20 percent while also giving the tournament organizer a discount. For the retailers, they were able to move a large amount of merchandise and received a nice check from someone they wouldn’t normally have as a customer. In the end, everybody was happy. It’s important to get out into the community and develop these connections so you know who to approach in these cases. I had spoken at the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce, and had developed a network of sources. It’s part of thinking outside the box to meet your customers’ needs.

If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email rob@pga.com

Editor’s note: The above comments reflect the opinion and experiences of the submitting PGA Professional and are not endorsed by PGA Magazine or the PGA of America.