Golf Outing Contests: A Practical Guide to Hole-in-One, Putting, and More

Contests are what make a golf outing feel like an event instead of just a round of golf. They add excitement, and, despite what a lot of organizers assume, they actually help the day flow better, not worse. Here's how the most popular ones actually work, including the parts nobody tells you until you've run a few.

We'll cover five: the hole-in-one contest, the putting contest, and the three contests that show up at nearly every outing (closest to the pin, longest drive, and straightest drive).

The Hole-in-One Contest

This is the most popular contest at golf outings, for obvious reasons: the hole-in-one is rare, exciting, and even more dramatic with a prize on the line. Every golfer gets one shot at a par 3 during the round. Sink it, and they win.

How the Insurance Actually Works

In most cases, the outing takes out an insurance policy to cover the prize. The premium is set by three factors: the number of golfers, the distance of the hole, and the value of the prize.

Sourcing the Prize

Cars are a popular hole-in-one prize, and plenty of outings get support from a local dealer who provides the car and, ideally, covers the insurance too. Be realistic about how hard that ask actually is: car dealers get flooded with sponsorship requests, and driving a car out to the course plus paying for coverage takes real time and money on their end. Many outings instead ask to simply borrow a car for the day and pay for the insurance themselves, or find a separate sponsor just for the hole-in-one prize.

You're not limited to cash or a car, either. Since the insurance only cares about dollar value, you can get creative: a Masters trip, a cruise to Alaska, a motorcycle, even a hot tub set up right on the hole.

“I had one outing display a boat as the hole-in-one prize. The guy who brought the boat out enjoyed himself a little too much, and ended up sleeping in it after the outing was over.”

The Putting Contest

This is our favorite contest to run, for a simple reason: not everyone can hit a green in regulation or bomb a drive, but everyone can putt. It's essentially miniature golf, and it's genuinely accessible to your whole field.

How It Works

As golfers pass the putting green during their round, they stop and try to qualify: typically 2 or 3 attempts at a putt from 10–15 feet. Sink it, and they advance to the final round. After play wraps up, qualifiers gather at whichever green ends up closest to the clubhouse (often the practice green or the 18th), where everyone attempts a 25-foot putt. Whoever gets closest earns one attempt at a 50-foot putt for the cash prize.

Most outings insure this one too. A $10,000 prize typically runs around $360 in premium.

Why It's Worth Running

The format naturally builds toward a finale that happens right when everyone's already gathered for cocktail hour near the clubhouse. Golfers get to watch and cheer the final putt live. It's genuinely exciting when someone sinks it.

The Revenue Math

There are two layers of revenue here. First, charge an entry fee to qualify:

Then add a sponsorship layer: sell the naming rights as the “Putting Contest Sponsor” for a flat fee (commonly around $500):

Some outings skip insurance entirely and instead split the pot: half to the charity, half to the golfer who sinks the putt. Framed that way, sinking the putt becomes a genuine payday for the golfer, which can make entries more attractive even without a big insured prize. You can also skip the cash prize altogether and give away something donated, like a pro shop item. It's easier to attract a sponsor when there's real money on the line, since it looks like the sponsor is the one giving it away.

“Won't It Slow Down the Round?”

This is the most common objection we hear from organizers, and it doesn't hold up. A full field of golfers benefits from more activity, not less. Golfers rarely complain about being occupied. They complain about standing around waiting on the group ahead of them. A putting contest gives them something to do exactly when they'd otherwise be idle.

The Standard Three

These show up at nearly every outing because they're simple to run, cost almost nothing, and don't need a volunteer stationed on-site.

Closest to the Pin

Run on the easiest par 3 (or every par 3, if you want more prizes). The course provides a measuring tape and sign-up board. It's entirely honor-system, no volunteer needed. Men and women compete together on the same hole.

Longest Drive

Held on a wide-open par 4 or 5. The course places a marker in the fairway; the longest drive moves it and signs the sheet. The ball must land in the fairway to count. If women are playing, pick separate holes for men's and women's long drive.

Straightest Drive

The course draws a line down the center of the fairway. Distance doesn't matter, only proximity to the line. Men and women can compete on the same hole.

None of these need a big prize. A pro shop gift certificate or a donated item is plenty. The appeal is the competition itself, not the payout.