SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Over the course of Super Bowl weekend, there was certainly no shortage of face-painted fans, celebrity performances, and packed parties. However, American sports magazine Sports Illustrated (SI) took a more tranquil approach by teeing off Big Game Weekend with its first annual golf invitational.
On Feb. 10, approximately 100 ticketed guests gathered at Talking Stick Golf Club. Matt Goldstein, the senior vice president of entertainment and special projects at Authentic Brands Group—the global brand management company that purchased SI in 2019 for a cool $100 million—said the venue “was a clear choice.” The 497-key Talking Stick Resort & Casino was also host to Shaq’s Fun House (Shaquille O’Neal is Authentic's second-largest shareholder) and Sports Illustrated The Party over the course of the weekend.
The invitational took place on Feb. 10. The day started with breakfast and a warmup before drone delivery company Wing used one of its high-tech drones to provide the tee-off ball.Photo: Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
Matt Goldstein, the senior vice president of entertainment and special projects at Authentic Brands Group, said the “drone drop at the first tee” was a personal favorite moment. “We wanted to kick off our first-ever golf invitational in a memorable way, and incorporating a unique ball drop added an element of fanfare."Photo: Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
An 11 a.m. shotgun start followed breakfast and warmup, and each touchpoint featured a different partner. “Our partner Wing (a drone delivery company) delivered the inaugural tee-off ball,” Goldstein explained, adding that the high-tech “drone drop at the first tee” was a personal favorite moment. “We wanted to kick off our first-ever golf invitational in a memorable way, and incorporating a unique ball drop added an element of fanfare,” he said.
Then, “each hole had dedicated activations and friendly competitions such as ‘Closest to the Pin,’ presented by Brooks Brothers, where the winner took home a Brooks Brothers custom sports coat.” And in other play-to-win moments, “LA Golf sponsored a blindfolded putting contest where the winner received a new LA Golf putter, [and] Dough Ball Whiskey sponsored ‘Longest Drive,’ with the winner receiving a yellow YETI Dough Ball cooler,” Goldstein explained.
The invitational was held at Talking Stick Golf Club, and tickets ran attendees $10,000 for a four-person team.Photo: Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
Local food trucks were tapped to help players recharge throughout the day. Vendors on-site included Randizzle’s Food Truck, Scottsdale’s Bourbon & Bones, and Phoenix’s Pork on a Fork.
Ultimately, we know what you’re thinking—a golf event during Super Bowl weekend? And to that, Goldstein said that each year, it’s about “producing events that stand out from the competition.” He was also sure to note that “each year we succeed,” and attributed the accomplishment to production partners JP Sports + Entertainment.
“Super Bowl weekend is ultimately an adult playground with endless entertainment offerings beyond Sunday’s Big Game,” Goldstein said, explaining that the idea for a golf invitational was born out of wanting to nod to “Sports Illustrated [as] the ultimate destination in celebrating sports.”
There were many play-to-win moments, including a blindfolded putting contest, where winners received an LA Golf putter, and a "Closest to the Pin" game that gave the winning golfer a Brooks Brothers sports coat.Photo: Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
"Dough Ball Whiskey sponsored ‘Longest Drive,’ with the winner receiving a yellow YETI Dough Ball cooler,” Goldstein explained.Photo: Courtesy of Authentic Brands Group
Off the green, the same message was conveyed with an adjacent, three-part social media strategy that Goldstein said included “organic and paid pre-event content aimed at driving registrations for foursomes; custom content creation and social tagging to support participating sponsors; ... [and] live content creation during the event to drive home our brand storytelling and the connection to the core SI brand messaging.”
Later that weekend, all eyes moved from the fairway to football. Sunday’s game ended in a 38-35 win for the Kansas City Chiefs, who pulled ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles thanks to a game-winning field goal.
Check back into BizBash later this week for a full rundown on the Super Bowl LVII, plus what other Big Game Weekend events caught our eye (including Shaq's Fun House, Sports Illustrated The Party, and more).
