How Many Water Bottles Do You Need for a Golf Tournament?
The quick rule is two bottles per golfer. For a 144 golfer shotgun that is 288 bottles, or 12 cases. On a hot day in July or August, plan on three each and make it 432.
That gets you close. Here is what makes the number move, and the group almost every organizer forgets.
Start with the field
| Field size | At 2 each | At 3 each | Cases of 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 golfers | 144 | 216 | 6 to 9 |
| 144 golfers | 288 | 432 | 12 to 18 |
| 180 golfers | 360 | 540 | 15 to 23 |
| 240 golfers | 480 | 720 | 20 to 30 |
Five things that push the number up
- Heat. Anything above about 26 degrees and two bottles will not do it. This is the single biggest factor.
- A shotgun start. Everybody is on the course at once, so demand peaks rather than spreading across the morning the way tee times do.
- No halfway house. If the course has a turn stand selling drinks, golfers top up there. If it does not, your bottles carry the whole round.
- Carts versus walking. Cart golfers take a bottle because there is somewhere to put it. Walkers often do not.
- A long day. Registration at 8, shotgun at 9, dinner at 5 is a nine hour day, not a four and a half hour round.
The forty six people nobody counts
Here is the mistake we see most often. Organizers count golfers and stop there. A typical 144 golfer charity event also has:
| Who | Roughly |
|---|---|
| Volunteers and marshals | 18 |
| Sponsor reps working holes | 12 |
| Kitchen and bar staff | 10 |
| Registration and starter table | 6 |
| Extra people on site | 46 |
Those people are outside all day, often longer than the golfers. Add roughly two bottles each and a 288 bottle order becomes closer to 380, or 16 cases.
Volunteers standing at a par three for six hours in August will drink more than the foursomes rolling past them.
Why water beats the other tee gifts
Worth a moment on this, because the quantity question usually arrives alongside a budget question.
Everyone in the promotional business will tell you their product gets used. Almost nobody tells you how long. Over a four and a half hour round, with a 144 golfer field:
| Tee gift | Event cost | Per golfer, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Custom label water, 2 each | $216 | $0.33 |
| Sleeve of logo balls | $1,296 | $2.00 |
| Logo hat | $2,160 | $3.33 |
| Pack of logo tees | $216 | $7.50 |
Tees and pens are cheaper per unit. They just are not cheaper per second of visibility, because the bottle sits in the cup holder in the driver’s eyeline for the whole round while a tee is in the ground and forgotten. In August, on an exposed course, it is also the one item every golfer actually wants.
The broader case for branded bottles across any business is covered in our piece on custom water bottles as a mini billboard. A tournament is simply the setting where it works hardest.
Should you order extra
Yes, and not by much. Ten per cent over is sensible. Water does not spoil, cases stack, and leftovers go to the clubhouse, the volunteer thank you, or the office. Running out at the turn on a hot day is a different kind of problem, and it is the one people remember.
If you are putting your logo on them
Custom labels change the planning, because you are no longer buying off a shelf.
- Minimum run is 20 cases, which is 480 bottles. A large tournament covers that on its own. A 144 golfer event covers it with plenty spare for the season.
- Allow three to five weeks for printing and filling. Rush is possible but every tournament in the region wants the same two weeks in July.
- The per bottle price improves with the run. A single event at the minimum is priced one way. A club covering three tournaments, or a sponsor covering a season, is priced another. It costs nothing to ask for the bigger number first and scale back.
| Your event | Order by roughly |
|---|---|
| Early June | Late April |
| July | Late May |
| August | Late June |
| September | Late July |
Frequently asked questions
How many water bottles do you need for a golf tournament?
Two per golfer as a baseline, three on a hot day. For a 144 golfer field that is 288 to 432 bottles. Add roughly two each for volunteers, sponsor reps and staff, which is typically another 46 people.
How many cases is that?
A case is 24 bottles, so a 144 golfer shotgun needs 12 to 18 cases for the field, or about 16 once you count everyone on site.
How far ahead should I order custom labelled water?
Three to five weeks for printing and filling. For a July event, order by late May, because every tournament in the region wants the same fortnight.
What is the minimum for custom labels?
20 cases, which is 480 bottles. Most tournaments clear that on their own.
Water for your tournament
Tell us your field size and your date, and how many events you run in a season. Bigger runs price better, so the season number is the one worth quoting on. Get your custom quote, or call 905 670 7400.
Puretap Water Distillers Ltd., 950 Verbena Road, Mississauga. Bottling in the GTA since 1986.
