Hartford Yard Goats Go for Different Kind of Swing to Keep Fans Engaged

For four days at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, “ball four” will be changed to “ball fore!”

In an odd, yet compelling marketing initiative, the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, will be transforming their ballpark into a nine-hole Par-3 golf course for fans to enjoy from September 27-30.

This activation between the Yard Goats and Callaway Golf — which they’re calling “Links at The Yard” — is a demonstration of how dedicated the baseball team’s brand is to fulfilling its commitment of offering fans a fun experience. More than anything, the event keeps the Yard Goats’ brand name top-of-mind even after the baseball season has concluded, and does a great job of emphasizing the team’s fan-first identity.

#BREAKING Links at the Yard presented by @CallawayGolf coming to #DunkinDonutsPark Sept 27-30. Play par-3 style golf at DDP. Golf, beer, food, fun. Book your tee times today!

→ https://t.co/DaBsK6RHCa pic.twitter.com/8wVwAhdIDv

— Hartford Yard Goats (@GoYardGoats) August 8, 2018

“We saw Petco Park out in San Diego hold their “The Links at Petco Park,” the last few years, and they’ve done a really great job,” Yard Goats Team President Tim Restall stated. “Looking at their event, we realized we could offer something similar for our fans here in Hartford.”

It’s not often you have a chance to play golf at a ballpark in the middle of a crowded city. “With our ballpark here in Hartford, you get that awesome Hartford city skyline, paired with the novelty of getting to play golf on a baseball field,” Restall said.

What sets the “Links at The Yard” activation apart is the effort Restall and his team poured into putting this together. 

“Anybody can just kind of cobble something like this together,” Restall said. “We wanted to make sure it remained authentic to what we here at the Yard Goats are all about; we take things up a notch and want to be known for our consistency doing everything at an excellent level.”

The time and attention to detail that went into organizing “Links at The Yard” does just that, showing that an inherent part of the Yard Goats and Dunkin’ Donuts Ballpark identity is providing a world-class, well, everything. From concessions and promotions to experiences like this, the team understands that it takes a lot to win the attention of today’s consumer.

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Speaking of golf and other elements you may not traditionally see at Dunkin’ Donuts Ballpark, Restall noted that the “Links at The Yard” activation has also drawn interest from sponsors they don’t typically work with. Not only is it great for the team’s brand, but it also opens up the opportunity for additional revenue streams generated by new partners and sponsors particularly intrigued by the event. 

That’s what we call a home run — or, rather, a hole-in-one.