Golf is a popular recreational pastime across the United States and Canada, and has grown into a large entertainment industry in its own right. According to the National Golf Foundation, the sport has seen a 30% increase in engagement since 2016, and the PGA reports that the total number of active golfers could represent as much as 11% of the United States’ population. Both traditional courses and casual golfing like Topgolf and Drive Shack experiences bring in hundreds of thousands of people year over year; with that many people coming to fixed locations, there’s an opportunity for business partnerships and advertising that is unlike any other.
Direct Fairways has done what any keen business does, and turned that opportunity into real value for its partners. Established in 2015, the leading advertising company is dedicated to connecting golf courses across the U.S. and Canada with innovative marketing solutions and partnerships. Their business model is built on mutually beneficial arrangements that bring local businesses and communities together, and with over 3000 courses in their network, it’s a model that’s been proven successful time and time again.
Direct Fairways prides themselves on delivering quality products to golf courses in their network, while also giving local businesses the opportunity to advertise to a large, engaged, and growing audience. Their high-quality advertising materials and services are designed to help courses grow visibility, attract new customers, and enhance member engagement—all provided at no cost to the courses themselves. With a broad range of products and services available, and the community driven advertising focus, Direct Fairways operates by bringing businesses and communities together for everyone’s mutual success.
“At Direct Fairways, our decisions and culture are guided by a commitment to empowering and inspiring our team members,” says [SPOKESPERSON]. “We foster a family-oriented environment that emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and mutual support. These values shape how we approach our work, interact with clients, and drive the company forward, ensuring that growth and success are achieved together.”
Quality Products At No Cost
One of the unique variables key to Direct Fairways’ model and success is the choice to provide materials to partnered golf courses at no cost. By providing high-quality printed products at no cost, golf courses are able to receive valuable promotional materials without any hit to their budgets—removing any pain points and leaving only good reasons to partner up. These materials are professionally produced and include items including but not limited to scorecards, yardage cards, course guides, and informational kiosks, all intended to enhance the on-course experience for golfers and provide real-estate for advertisers and sponsors. Courses can, and often do, use these products to showcase their own offerings, from memberships and events to dining and tournaments, but those spaces can be used for more than their own self-promotion.
“The advertising placements allow small and mid-sized businesses to get in front of an engaged, high-value local audience they often struggle to reach affordably,” [SPOKESPERSON] explains. “Businesses gain visibility within their own community, supporting a local-to-local marketing ecosystem that benefits golfers, businesses, and courses alike.”
By working with Direct Fairways, courses can promote their own events, memberships, and amenities using quality materials received at no cost, and also provide partnership opportunities for local businesses. This creates a recursive win-win marketing ecosystem that brings communities together for the benefit of the course, the golfer, local businesses, and Direct Fairways all at once. These advertisements are thoughtfully integrated into golfers’ daily use items, and the entire process is handled by Direct Fairways, from creative production to distribution, and is backed by a robust quality control process.
“Each department is supported by dedicated managers who oversee operations and maintain high standards,” says [SPOKESPERSON]. “Departments conduct weekly training sessions to reinforce best practices, and managers monitor calls regularly to ensure quality and consistency. Additionally, managers can join live calls when needed to provide real-time guidance and support, ensuring every customer interaction meets our standards of service.”
The Direct Fairways Process
The typical customer journey and relationship with Direct Fairways can start one of two ways: either they reach out directly to the company, or the Fairways sales team may initiate contact. Once interest is established and the sponsorship agreed upon, the sponsors then provide the artwork and necessary materials, branding, and style guide information for their advertisements. Then it’s all sent off to Direct Fairways’ in-house graphic design team for ad creation, with proofs sent to the sponsor for approval; nothing is printed without the sponsor signing off, and they have up to four art changes per year to ensure that their message is being delivered exactly as they want it to be.
After everything is set and approved, the printing process begins. The created ad(s) are printed on the selected course products—scorecards, yardage cards, course guides, and so on—and the sponsor is notified upon completion. Delivered Product Confirmation and tracking information is sent to the sponsor as well to ensure that everything is transparent and traceable. The advertising time begins officially once the new ad reaches the course, guaranteeing that sponsors only pay for the period of live exposure. Throughout this entire process the sponsor is supported by Direct Fairways’ customer service team.
Speaking of customer service, Direct Fairways has recently implemented a number of improvements to both enhance sponsors’ experience and streamline overall operations. Strengthened communication strategies provide sponsors with more proactive updates, shortened printing timelines for faster launches, and extended operating hours for better support availability. Support has also been improved by additional customer service staff, an online chat feature, and automated processes for art submission tasks, all aimed at making the process smooth and efficient from start to finish.
“In addition to these service enhancements, Direct Fairways has introduced a new on-course kiosk designed to elevate the golf experience,” [SPOKESPERSON] adds. “This kiosk allows courses to showcase their amenities, integrates GHIN scoring, provides up-to-date weather information, and features fully customizable tiles—giving each course the ability to tailor the display to fit its unique needs and offerings.”
