Taco Bell is trading tacos for tee times. The chain is hosting its first-ever golf tournament, the Live Más Open, a nine-hole event in Laguna Beach, California, on Nov. 2. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart will host the tournament at The Ranch, and the event will be streamed.
The tournament is the latest in Taco Bell’s string of experiential campaigns, following the Live Más Live event, The Cantinas “Early Retirement Community,” and the popup Bell Hotel and Resort. This time, the brand is bringing its fast-food energy to the golf course with a drive-thru built on the course, serving exclusive golf-inspired food and drinks.
Inside the Live Más Open
The 36-player tournament will feature nine foursomes, each pairing a qualifying fan with a celebrity, a pro athlete, and a creator. The event will include a live team draft, original challenges, and other on-course entertainment.
Fans can qualify for one of nine spots in the tournament through the Live Más Open Qualifier, which runs now through Sept. 27. The qualifier is available through Shot Shuffle at participating Topgolf locations or via free online entry. Players who score 200 points or more can enter a sweepstakes, and 100 randomly selected candidates will receive a one-month Topgolf Platinum Club Membership and an invitation to submit a player bio and video. Taco Bell will review those submissions and select nine fans to travel to Laguna Beach for the tournament. Entrants must be 21 or older.
Topgolf CEO David McKillips said the partnership fits the company’s mission of making golf more accessible.
“Topgolf has always been about making golf more accessible and social, which is why the Live Más Open is such a natural fit for us.”
“Together with Taco Bell, we want everyone to feel like they can be part of the game, whether they’re picking up a club for the first time or have been playing for years, with a chance to earn their way into the field and experience golf in a way they may never have imagined,” McKillips said in a statement.
What the Winners Get
The winning foursome will take home the first Live Más Open trophy. They will also receive purple jackets, a Taco Bell-colored spin on the traditional green Master’s jacket. The winning team gets one more prize: the chance to bring back a Taco Bell menu item for a limited time in 2027.
Taco Bell is also giving away more than one million offer codes through its rewards program. Members can get $25 off a Topgolf reservation during the Live Más Open Qualifier window, while supplies last.
Why Golf Now
Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer Luis Restrepo said the chain has always been a disruptor of conventions, which is why the tournament makes sense for the brand.
“With the Live Más Open, we’re playing a different game, bringing pros, celebrities, creators and fans together on the course in a way that hasn’t been done before,” Restrepo said in a statement. “Our fans have always shaped this brand, so when we create an experience like this, we want them to be a part of it, not watching from the sidelines.”
Qualifier Details
The qualifier is open to golfers nationwide. Free online entry is available, and entrants must be 21 or older. Here is how the process works:
- Players compete through Shot Shuffle at participating Topgolf locations or online.
- A score of 200 points or more earns entry into a sweepstakes.
- 100 candidates are randomly selected for a Topgolf Platinum Club Membership and a submission invite.
- Taco Bell selects nine fans from those submissions to play in the tournament.
The qualifier window runs through Sept. 27.
The Details at a Glance
The Live Más Open is scheduled for Nov. 2 at The Ranch in Laguna Beach, California. The nine-hole tournament will be hosted by actor and comedian Kevin Hart and streamed, with a drive-thru built on the course serving exclusive golf-inspired food and drinks. The winning foursome takes home the first Live Más Open trophy, purple jackets, and the chance to bring back a Taco Bell menu item for a limited time in 2027. Rewards members can also get $25 off a Topgolf reservation during the qualifier window, while supplies last.
Taco Bell’s move into golf is a bet that its fans will show up for the experience, not just the food. The brand has built a reputation for unusual activations, and the tournament is another attempt to turn a meal into an event. Whether the purple jackets become as iconic as the green ones remains to be seen. For now, the chain is giving fans a reason to pick up a club.
Source: nrn.com
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