Scoring New Markets: Cannabis Brands Find Value in Golf Events

Golf sponsorships have traditionally been associated with luxury brands, financial institutions, and beverage companies, but cannabis is slowly finding its place on the fairways. For dispensaries and cannabis brands, golf offers a unique intersection of business networking, leisure, and consumer engagement. While opportunities differ depending on whether brands target major televised events or local tournaments, both avenues present meaningful possibilities if approached strategically and within regulatory boundaries.

At the national level, the PGA TOUR and other professional circuits maintain conservative endorsement standards. Historically, these organizations have hesitated to embrace cannabis companies, particularly those tied to THC products, due to reputational considerations and federal restrictions. However, hemp-derived CBD has already carved out a small space. For instance, PlusCBD sponsored the Farmers Insurance Open in 2020, showing that compliant CBD products can gain entry into professional golf sponsorships when positioned responsibly. This pathway remains open largely because the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp containing less than 0.3% THC, although the FDA continues to scrutinize marketing claims and product categories. Brands exploring televised sponsorships must remain careful with messaging, focusing on wellness and lifestyle rather than therapeutic claims.

For dispensaries and THC-forward brands, the more accessible sponsorship opportunities lie within local and charity tournaments, member events, and cannabis-owned golf days. Many states permit event sponsorships as long as the audience is verifiably 21 and over. Charity tournaments or private member-guest events meet this threshold, allowing brands to participate through hole sponsorships, logo placements on tee sheets and scorecards, branded contests like closest-to-the-pin, and VIP hospitality lounges. These platforms enable direct engagement with an affluent, golf-oriented demographic without the advertising restrictions of national broadcasts.

Some cannabis companies have gone further by creating their own branded golf days or tournaments. In states like California, where cannabis events require special licenses, this model allows dispensaries and brands to craft controlled environments with education, storytelling, and experiential marketing. While on-course consumption is typically restricted, the branding and networking opportunities remain significant. The key is to align with licensed event organizers to ensure compliance with state and local regulations.

When evaluating sponsorship opportunities, brands should keep several compliance guardrails in mind. All audience interactions must be limited to adults over 21. Messaging should avoid unverified medical or therapeutic claims. Each state’s specific rules around advertising and events must be respected, and all creative assets should be pre-approved by event organizers to ensure alignment with brand standards. By embedding compliance checks directly into sponsorship contracts, dispensaries and brands can reduce risk while maintaining credibility.

From a business perspective, sponsorships should be tied to measurable returns. Key performance indicators might include new customer sign-ups during event registration, redemption rates of special promotions tied to the tournament, increases in retail traffic during the sponsorship window, and B2B leads generated from hospitality interactions with industry professionals and local influencers. Compared to traditional digital advertising, golf sponsorships offer higher-touch engagement with a premium consumer base.

Golf provides a rare combination of exclusivity, lifestyle alignment, and community engagement that few other sports can match. For dispensaries and cannabis brands, the challenge is not whether opportunities exist, but how to structure them within the complex regulatory landscape. Hemp-derived CBD can serve as the entry point into televised golf sponsorships, while THC brands can thrive in the charity and local event space. By carefully navigating compliance and focusing on measurable business outcomes, cannabis companies can use golf as a powerful stage to connect with consumers and elevate brand perception.

Discover cannabis events and networking opportunities here.