How creative Air Cannon activities can help charity golf tournaments raise more money, entertain golfers, and keep play moving.
What happens when you take the same Air Cannon to three different charity golf tournaments on the same day?
At Targeted Possibilities, we recently had the opportunity to find out.
On October 23, our teams supported three charity golf tournaments across the Carolinas. Each organization had a different goal, a different course layout, and a different idea of how they wanted to use our Golf Ball Air Cannon.
The result? Three completely different experiences that demonstrate why there is no single best way to use an Air Cannon at a charity golf tournament.
And more importantly, why choosing the right format matters.
St. Joseph Catholic School: Taking Aim at the Green
Our first example comes from the annual golf tournament supporting St. Joseph Catholic School at Cobb’s Glen Country Club in Anderson, South Carolina.
The organizers wanted to give players the opportunity to use our Air Cannon to reach the green on a challenging par 4.
It proved to be a popular addition.
Of the 27 teams competing, 23 purchased the Air Cannon experience. That’s approximately 85% participation, generating $1,840 in additional fundraising revenue from player participation alone.
The activity also provided an opportunity for business sponsorship.
But firing directly to the green comes with an important consideration: pace of play.
When a cannon sends balls to the green, the next group must wait until the previous team has cleared the putting surface. If a team chooses not to participate, that group must play the hole normally, potentially creating additional delays.
For this reason, we generally don’t recommend firing directly to the green for tournaments with more than 20 teams.
That doesn’t mean it can’t work for larger events. It simply means tournament size, course layout, and the format must be carefully considered.
Live Like Madison: Accuracy Meets Creativity
Our second tournament took us to Live Like Madison, an organization dedicated to making a difference in the fight against childhood cancer.
Their tournament organizers wanted something different.
Rather than focusing on maximum distance, they worked with us to create an accuracy-based Air Cannon challenge.
Players had the opportunity to test their aim, with their results influencing the next part of the hole.
The activity was included in tournament registration and offered an additional sponsorship opportunity.
What made this format especially effective was its ability to accommodate a larger field.
With 34 teams participating in the tournament, our Air Cannon activity operated without creating delays.
This is a great example of how a little creativity can make a big difference.
An Air Cannon doesn’t have to be about hitting the ball as far as possible. Sometimes a different challenge is exactly what a tournament needs.
Feeding the Fearless: A Classic Competition That Delivers
Our third event supported Feeding the Fearless, an organization that recognizes and supports the first responders who serve our communities.
For this tournament, we used one of our most popular formats: a longest-shot competition.
Players competed to see who could launch their ball the farthest before moving forward to complete the hole.
It’s a straightforward activity that adds some friendly competition while keeping the experience moving.
And the players responded.
Approximately 80% of the teams participated in the Air Cannon activity, helping generate additional fundraising revenue for the organization.
Just as importantly, the activity operated without creating delays.
Sometimes the simplest approach is the right one.
The Best Air Cannon Format Depends on Your Tournament
These three events highlight something we’ve learned from working with charity golf tournaments throughout the Carolinas and beyond.
There isn’t one perfect Air Cannon format for every event.
A tournament with 15 teams may have very different needs from one with 35 teams. A difficult par 4 may offer opportunities that aren’t available on a shorter hole. Some organizers want a distance competition, while others prefer an accuracy challenge or an activity that is included with registration.
All of those factors matter.
At Targeted Possibilities, we work with tournament organizers to determine how our activities can best support their goals.
That means considering three important questions:
1. Will it help generate revenue? Whether through player participation, sponsorship, or inclusion in a fundraising package, the activity should contribute value to the event.
2. Will golfers enjoy it? A successful activity should give players something fun to talk about long after the tournament ends.
3. Will it keep the tournament moving? Adding an activity shouldn’t mean adding unnecessary time to an already long day on the course.
The goal is to find the right balance.
Planning a Charity Golf Tournament for Spring 2027?
If you’re organizing a charity golf tournament next spring, now is a great time to start thinking about ways to make your event stand out.
An Air Cannon can be much more than an opportunity to launch a golf ball hundreds of yards.
With the right approach, it can become a fundraising opportunity, a sponsored attraction, and one of the most talked-about experiences of the day.
And as these three tournaments demonstrated, the possibilities go well beyond one standard format.
At Targeted Possibilities, we’re proud to help organizations create activities that support their fundraising goals while keeping golfers entertained and moving through the course.
Planning your next charity golf tournament?
Visit Targeted Possibilities and let’s discuss how we can make an Air Cannon work for your event.
We put the FUN back into FUNdraising!
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