How the PGA TOUR’s media team uses data to engage fans nationwide

The PGA TOUR transformed its marketing efficiency by leveraging GrowthLoop to unify first-party data, streamline audience segmentation, and optimize in-house media campaigns. The results were more precise targeting, reduced ad spend, and a scalable foundation for future fan engagement strategies.

The PGA TOUR is one of the most prestigious organizations in golf, hosting elite tournaments across the globe. Unlike traditional leagues tied to specific cities, the TOUR operates as a “traveling circus,” engaging fans in different locations every week. This unique setup offers incredible opportunities for fan engagement but also presents challenges in maintaining personalized connections with its diverse audience.

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SITUATION

Data became accessible, but activation was a hurdle

A few years ago, the PGA TOUR moved its audience data to Snowflake, marking a critical shift from a third-party warehouse system. While this improved data access, it highlighted a new challenge: how to activate this data effectively for marketing.

The in-house media team, which handles all paid media campaigns internally, sought a way to leverage this data for precise targeting. Without the right tools, they struggled to unify insights across ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and fan accounts.

CHALLENGE

Scattered data led to wasted ad spend

With data scattered across multiple systems, the TOUR faced inefficiencies that hindered their efforts to engage fans:

Wasted budget -Ads were often served to fans who had already purchased tickets or merchandise.
Missed personalization - Opportunities to connect meaningfully with fans — like offering loyalty perks — were frequently overlooked.
Limited insights - Disparate data sources made it difficult to create comprehensive audience segments for targeted campaigns.

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Additionally, the team required a marketer-friendly solution that didn’t depend on extensive data science expertise to execute segmentation and activation.

SOLUTION

GrowthLoop helped transform their approach

The PGA TOUR turned to GrowthLoop to bring their data to life. With GrowthLoop, they:

Unified first-party data - With a Snowflake integration, they consolidated fan data across accounts, ticket purchases, and merchandise into a single source of truth.
Simplified audience segmentation - The in-house team was empowered to build and activate precise audience segments without relying on technical specialists.
Optimized ad campaigns - With highly targeted campaigns on Meta, LinkedIn, Trade Desk, and Google Ads, the team reduced costs while improving performance.

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This solution provided the TOUR with a customizable and scalable approach to audience activation, tailored to their unique business model.

RESULTS

Precision targeting delivered real results

The PGA TOUR saw measurable improvements in its marketing strategy:

Improved media efficiency - Achieved lower cost-per-engagement and cost-per-link-click metrics thanks to highly refined audiences
Enhanced revenue generation - Used audience insights to upsell fans on premium hospitality packages and increase ticket sales.
Built for growth - Established a strong foundation to expand data activation into other channels like email and push notifications.

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By integrating GrowthLoop into their marketing workflow, the PGA TOUR was able to overcome data silos, run smarter campaigns, and connect more effectively with fans nationwide.

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