Nick Jacobi is a PGA Master Professional and the PGA General Manager at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe, North Carolina.
Nick Jacobi on the importance of offering range ball sponsorships to local businesses:
We are a very busy golf course and practice facility just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. There are more than one million range balls struck on our range each year, and we’ve made some recent enhancements to the target options to support our expansive range and bustling business. Despite such success, even amid the pandemic, cutting costs where possible is still good business. After considering ways of doing this, we implemented a range ball sponsorship program in 2021 that allows local businesses to get their name and logo on our new range balls. We bring in three new shipments of 12,000 range balls each year, but our facility pays for just one of them. The cost of the other two are covered by selling range ball sponsorships. With over one million golf balls hit at our facility each year, this is a great opportunity for business leaders in our community to get their name seen over and over and over again. One of the current range ball sponsors is a local law firm, and they’ve already committed to renewing for 2022. The other “business” is actually our two independent contractor instructors, with whom I have developed a mutually-beneficial agreement. They usually pay for range balls at half price for their lessons. I offered them FREE range balls in exchange for them covering the cost of the third range ball shipment, and they were all for it. So, in addition to free range balls for their lessons, they’re putting their names and contact info on 12,000 brand new range balls.
Nick Jacobi on the business impact of offering range ball sponsorships to local businesses:
As I stated, finding areas to reduce costs is prudent business, even during these robust times in golf. In addition to saving $11,000-$12,000 in range ball costs each year, we’re developing relationships with other business professionals in our community. We’re also helping our in-house PGA instructors benefit from the process by partnering with them on that third shipment. It’s one of those scenarios that benefits all parties. Moving forward, we know, based on early interest in this program, that if we wanted to increase the frequency of new range ball shipments, the cost would be covered by yet another new sponsor. After all, businesses are always seeking new marketing opportunities, and it’s great that we can be part of the success of our neighboring businesses.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email njacobi@stonebridgegolfclub.com.
