Golf Ball Drop Fundraiser Software That Keeps Every Number Straight

How to run a golf ball drop fundraiser

A golf ball drop fundraiser sells numbered golf balls, drops them from a helicopter, drone, crane, or ladder truck onto a golf green, and pays the prize to the buyer whose ball lands closest to the pin. Chance2Win handles the ticket side: numbered balls sold online and at the course, in one drawing pool.

1. Get the course and the drop approved. Agree the date, the green, and the landing area with the golf course. If you use a helicopter or drone, the operator handles the flight permissions. Check your state’s raffle rules too, starting with our state-by-state summary of online raffle rules.
2. Choose the drop method. A helicopter draws the biggest crowd and the most sponsor attention. A drone, a crane, a bucket truck, or a fire department ladder truck costs less and works well for smaller drops.
3. Set ball prices and bundles. Sell single balls and bundles, for example one ball for $10 or five balls for $40, so supporters buy more than one.
4. Pick the prizes. A cash prize, a share of ball sales like a 50/50, or a donated prize. Many drops also pay second and third closest.
5. Publish the rules before you sell. Write down the winning rule, what happens in a tie, and what happens if no ball lands on the green.
6. Sell online and at the course. Share your Chance2Win link for weeks before the event, then take cash and checks at registration as manual orders. Every ball number lands in the same pool.
7. Match the physical balls to the numbers. Use pre-numbered balls that match the ticket numbers. A refunded number is retired, never recycled, so no two buyers ever share a ball.
8. Run the drop and publish the winner. Measure the closest ball, check its number against the ticket record, and publish the winner on your raffle website.

Golf ball drop rules to publish before you sell

• How the winner is decided: closest to the pin, or into the hole first, measured by a named official.
• Ties: how two balls at the same distance are settled, for example by a re-measure or a split prize.
• No ball on the green: what happens if every ball misses, for example the closest ball anywhere on the course wins.
• Attendance: whether buyers must be present. Most drops let supporters win without attending, which is what makes online sales work.
• Prizes and payout: the prize for each place and when it is paid.

A golf ball drop at a golf tournament fundraiser

A golf tournament fundraiser is the natural home for a ball drop. Sell balls with player registration, offer sponsor packages with logos on the ball drop page, and keep selling to spectators and supporters online until the drop. Chance2Win reports sales by sponsor package, so sponsors see what their support raised.