Golf's Final Major: Impact Of The 2015 PGA Championship - Forbes

For the second time in five years, the PGA Championship returns to Whistling Straits (Kohler Kohler, Wisconsin), located one hour north of Milwaukee.  Golf’s biggest names are traveling to “The Badger State” to compete for the fourth and final major of the year.  The major story-line revolves around 22-year-old Jordan Spieth, who hopes to make history by capturing his third major championship in 2015.

Designed by the legendary Pete Dye, Whistling Straits ranks among the top of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” by Golf Digest. It features eight holes that hug the shoreline, has views of Lake Michigan from all 18 holes and significant elevation changes throughout the course.

Image courtesy of PGA of America.

Economic Impact

For 1,100 Wisconsin residents, new full-time and part-time jobs were created regionally and locally due the event.

“The PGA Championship continues to have a significant economic impact each year and the industry is excited to return to Wisconsin, one of the most passionate golf states in America,” says Steve Mona, CEO of World Golf Foundation.  ”Record spending at hotels, restaurants and retail shops during the week can be attributed to golf and the positive benefits it provides to the local and regional community.”

Can’t make it this year or didn’t score tickets?  More than 28 hours of live PGA Championship coverage will be broadcast by CBS CBS and TNT to 44 international distribution partners.  Total reach is expected to be 500 million households in 200 countries.

As discussed in our piece on The State of the Golf Industry in 2015, the golf industry creates a nearly $70 billion economic impact on an annual basis in the U.S. and supports nearly 2 million jobs, as well as $55.6 billion in annual wage income.  One of 75 full or part-time jobs in the U.S. is in the golf industry.

The Badger State

According to GOLF 20/20, Wisconsin’s golf industry generates a $2.4 billion economic impact, $770 million in annual wage income and supports 38,500 jobs.  In fact, Wisconsin and the upper Midwest states own the highest percentage of golfers per capita in the country.

With 15,350 golf facilities nationwide, Wisconsin may have a shorter season to play than other states, but still accounts for 643 courses and employs 510 PGA Professionals.

“Wisconsin golf fans have a lot to be excited about, as the 2017 U.S. Open will be held at Erin Hills in Hartford, just north of Milwaukee and southwest of Whistling Straits,” says Mona.

Volunteers

Kohler, a village in Sheboygan County and home to Whistling Straits, is receiving excellent support from its residents and others from around the country in preparation for the event.

More than 3,400 people will volunteer their time at 2015 PGA Championship, including representation from 42 states and 4 foreign countries.  These volunteers are necessary to help the tournament run smoothly and so that the 200,000-plus fans throughout the week have an enjoyable experience.

Environmental Value

To maintain championship conditions, Whistling Straits is armed with a 55-person grounds crew and more than 100 volunteers for the PGA Championship.

Originally an airport, anti-aircraft training facility and prospective nuclear power plant site, the course began to take shape when Herb Kohler reached out to Dye with the hope to transform it into a seaside links course.

After 12,126 truckloads of sand were unloaded, Dye crafted dunes, hills and fescue grass fairways to create his masterpiece. Drawing its inspiration from Irish links golf, the layout features 22 acres of natural fescue fairways and 200-plus acres of rough.  Whistling Straits is one of 15,350 golf courses in the U.S. that account for more than two million acres of green space.

Today, the once-barren airport is one of the most highly-coveted destinations in the world.  With a new era of players being ushered in and fighting for the limelight, the stage has been set for golf’s grand finale of the major championship season â€" and it should not disappoint.

Darren Heitner is a lawyer and the Founder of South Florida-based HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C., which has a focus on Sports Law and Entertainment Law.