A Quick Nine: Best golf prizes

A great time with friends, co-workers or business partners; a tremendous golf course, friendly competition, often some celebrities and almost always catered food. Playing in golf outings can often be one of the most satisfying golf events amateur golfers do throughout a year. But you know what they really love? Goodies.

Be it a "closest to the pin" prize or a well-stocked goodie bag, golfers love to show off their swag as keepsakes of a great time at a golf event.

In 2008, PGA Professional Brad Martin won a new Buick after making a hole-in-one at the PGA Professional National Championship. We find this to be a better prize than the prize Scottish golfer Elliot Saltman recently won for an ace - his body weight in ham. Yep. Ham.

With almost 150,000 Facebook fans on our PGA.com Facebook page, we asked them what great prizes/gifts they've walked away from the course with. Here are 9 of our favorite answers:

9. Golf clubs - no matter how happy you are with your set, it's always fun to get a new toy (or entire new bag) to try out.

Jeff Case: Nailed a hole in 1 during a tournament and won a set of Taylor Made irons.........Sweet !!!!!!!
Franklin S. Davis Jr.: Full set of golf clubs with a budwieser golf bag. Too bad I am left handed! Closest to the hole, 18 inches on a 166 yard par 3.

8. Trips - Go to the golf course and you might wind up on the beach! Or Las Vegas! Or any other awesome destination.

Brent Davis: 2 Delta tickets anywhere in North America. Long Drive at the Atlanta Hawks fundraiser. I went to Vegas baby. Vegas.
Sarah Vaughan: Trip to st. Andrews!
Si Marshall: Trip to Dubai courtesy of Cleveland/Srixon, flights, accommodation and golf... Was outstanding :)
Tim Lamar Won a trip for 2 to Myrtle Beach....

7. Ballgame tickets - Teams often donate tickets to a charity event. Golfers win, charity wins and teams gain new fans. Hard to beat!

Mark Boyd tickets to the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits
Bill Stempien: 4 tickets to a University of Michigan football game. 50 yard line. 20 rows off the field. Played against Eastern Michigan University.

6. Sports memorabilia - Autographed baseballs, golf flags, hats, etc...No sports brings all the sports together like golf.

Kathy Anderson: A Masters flag autographed by Ben Crenshaw.
John Haskins: a signed David Toms Cleveland hat

5. Clothing - Whether it's a shirt from the tournament, shoes, a jacket or a hat - golfers love to wear their logos of the courses/events they've played.

Trevor Lee Inman A Nike Windbreaker!
Suzanne Hanse Boyd My husband (and everyone else playing in the tournament) got a pair of Peter Millar loafers at the Member Guest at Shaol Creek in Birmingham, AL last year. Now THAT was a great goodie bag!!!

4. Golf - One of the best prizes a golfer can win is...more golf!

Paul Amundson Closest to the pin on short par 4...10 feet from pin, won weekend golf outing at The Prairie Club in NE...got a chance to spend some quality time with three great friends on a perfect September weekend.
Brandon Bowers: 2 free 18 hole games at settlers bay golf course Alaska was given to me.

3. Other - Some hard-to-fit-into-catagories prizes our friends have received. Where the heck are you guys playing?

Kathy Kenzerski: My husband!!
Jerold Jerry Sharp: I won TV's at two different tournamnets.
Ed Goodwin: a "caddyshack" Gopher head cover!
Beverly Benjamin: A huge bucket of Tommy Bahamas rum (dark & light) and glasses, coasters, napkins, recipe book and a big round crystal bowl trophy for first place in symphony golf outing!
Jeff Yager: In Germany The Prizes are a Bit different, I once recived a basket full of Sausage and wine for a 1ST Place Tournament, I also won a Trip to Lorret Del MAr Golf Course Spain, pretty good day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Trophies - No matter what else is offered, it's hard to beat the satisfaction of having hardware to hang on the wall or place on the mantle.

Mariell Bruun: I won a tournament in Norway, called norwegian cup and i recieve a titleist Cameron putter, and a cystal trophy.
Steve O. Campbell: A medal for the Short North Tavern Ryder Cup championship. (Columbus, OH)
Mike Osterbur: A replica pewter Claret jug for taking second in the second flight of a open tournament in my area. It's only about a foot tall but it looks awesome on the mantle and gets a lot of golf conversations started.

1. Memories - The greatest prize of all according to you

Don Spann My greatest prize (moment) was my second hole-in-one while playing with my son, two son-in-laws and a grandson. Fun time to remember.