Does golf need The Heritage?

[jeffwarne]

It was all over the airwaves that The Heritage needs a new sponsor.
Is it worth it for a company to spend 6 millionish for a golf event.
Do they really attract new business because of it?
has anybody ever switched phone servive because of a golf tournament.

They gush about how the players "love the event"
If you "love" something, would you play in it for 1/2 the purse?

Are the purses going to kill the tour?
Would Tour players quit playing if purses dropped 50% or more?

No judgements here, just curious.

[Brent Hutto]

I've always assumed the "advertising" was just the excuse for most sponsors. Probably more about spending $6,000,000 of Other People's Money for the privilege of being top dog at a big-time golf event for a week. And inviting everyone you know to come along.

[Carl Rogers]

May I modestly suggest a re-write of the title of this thread?

to .... "Does the Tour need the Heritage?"

I like  the course.

[Chris Buie]

I would say the tour would be a much lesser place without this tournament.  The whole event seems to have a distinctive personality.  Too many of the tour stops seem pretty much the same - those boring TPC style courses.  A lot of times I can hardly tell one from the other.
The beguiling Low Country ambiance of Harbour Town with the spanish moss and the waterways etc. is something I would hate for the tour to lose.
I don't really like narrow courses and I'm not really a fan of Pete Dye - and yet I'm glad to see this particular course on the tour.  It's good to have a change of pace and nice to see the guys have to work the ball rather than just get out there and blast it.  I even like those railroad tie type features at Harbour Town.  That would rarely appeal to me but in this case it does.  Almost always I like wide, naturalistic, not overly difficult but interesting courses.  But there is room for variety - and this course is definitely an interestingly rendered affair.
As far as whether the tour players would go there with a lesser purse - maybe not.  But if certain individuals elected not to go there because the purse was not large I would think they were making a statement about their own character - and I would not be impressed. 
The tournament is very important to the community - in a lot of ways.  I strongly believe they should keep this tournament going.

[Dan Byrnes]

Players aren't going to stop playing. Because purses drop.  I can't recall but isn't the 125 all north of a million bucks?  I am not sure of the demographics here but that is a pretty good living.  It is doubtful too many of these players would have alternative career opportunities that they would take if say top 125 was only 500k a year. Also outside of the superstars that tee money for drivers, balls hats etc depend on being seen.

It goes the same in all sports.  They or others would play for less but not if they don't have to. 

Dan 

[Tim_Cronin]

Over a decade ago, a friend of mine who was a tournament director said that players would play for 10 percent of what they were playing for, because that's what they did. They played.  That would have meant $130,000 purses instead of $1.3 million. Today, it would mean $600,000 purses instead of $6 million. Leaving aside the competition from the European Tour, he's more right than ever. What else would they do, regrip clubs?

[Jordan Caron]

Is it worth it for a company to spend 6 millionish for a golf event.
Do they really attract new business because of it?
has anybody ever switched phone servive because of a golf tournament.

I discussed this a few weeks ago on another forum regarding Golf Canada (RCGA) and RBC's involvement with sponsoring tour players and  the Canadian Open.  I don't see how spending 20 million dollars on slapping logos of a few big name players makes it worthwhile for any to switch or start using RBC for their various services.  Same with slapping 6 million to be a title sponsor for a 7 day event. 

With all the means of marketing and advertising, I don't see how sponsoring event is a valuable business decision these days. 

A good read for any marketing people on the site. 
http://www.marketingwithmeaning.com/the-book/about-the-author/

As a side note, is anyone else a little surprised a golf course isn't named after a brand much like sports arenas are? 

[Mark Saltzman]

Is it worth it for a company to spend 6 millionish for a golf event.
Do they really attract new business because of it?
has anybody ever switched phone servive because of a golf tournament.

As a side note, is anyone else a little surprised a golf course isn't named after a brand much like sports arenas are? 

Jordan,

AT&T was way ahead of you getting its name on the two courses at the TPC at San Antonio.

http://www.tpcsanantonio.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=263491&ssid=174249&vnf=1

[Mark Chaplin]

The guy who finishes 24th and earns more than I do in a year as a senior emergency services officer probably thinks this event is very important. As will the guy who makes more for winning the event than I will in a lifetime. It's all gone very wrong.

[Sean_A]

Jeff

Golf doesn't need anything but golfers.  Everything else is add ons - even the courses.  Its a heavy load folks want this game to carry.   

Ciao

[Jud_T]

Golf certainly doesn't need the Heritage, and neither apparently does the tour.  Nothing against the area or the course, but it's simply cold hard economics, the likes of which we're all dealing with these days.  And if this is the most underrated course on tour, as David Feherty said on Thursday's telecast, then golf needs a hell of a lot more than the Heritage...And I don't think there's an excess of companies plunking down $6mm just to brag to their buddies.  Golf attracts a very nice demographic for advertisers, upper-middle class white males.   How much does a company pay for a 30 second commercial during a Sunday PGA tour event?  How many times is a sponsor's name mentioned or seen during a telecast?  How many top clients and employees are entertained at the event?  What's the tax break for the charitable contributions the event brings in?  What's the goodwill worth? Seems to me if I'm Mercedes or BMW I can't really think of a much better vehicle for reaching my target audience than a top golf event.  There just may be a couple events too many or the price needs to come down to 4 or 5 million, just like that beachfront property down the road from the event has...

[Bruce Wellmon]

Just asking.
WHY does the Tour schedule both the Heritage and the seniors basically 50 miles apart the same weekend?

[Terry Lavin]

I don't know about "need", but it sure would be a shame if this tournament faded away.  Hilton Head is a phenomenal golf resort destination.  Harbourtown is an interesting golf course.  South Carolina is an underrepresented area for sports in general.  The event has plenty of tradition, with a great winners roster.  The lighthouse by 18 is iconic.

It would bum me out.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I think the venue is wondeful, the course and the surroundingarea always been great to the tour, but that appears to go unnoticed by the powers at Ponte Vedra...what would be wrong in taking 5% of the purse from every event and rewarding the Sea Pines area for all of their hard work over the years and sponsoring the event that way....call it something like the The Players event...oh yes that name is already taken........they could then pat themselves on the back for doing something good to help the game, instead of their own pockets.

We continue to hear about all the charity dollars that the tour evnts raise...come on players dig into your own pockets..well not actually...just 5% from 20 events on you finance your own event.
A very good PR gesture, and saves the removal of one of the few notable courses you play each year.

[Jeff Shelman]

Tim,

Most of them would have to learn how to regrip a club before they'd actually be able to do it for a living.

[Greg Tallman]

As long as they have another location to go play for the same purse they truly won't care. Suer they will reminisce about the good ole days at Sea Pines and the wibes/families will tell the new event "...this is how they did this at Sea Pines..." but alas the winner will become a millionaire if not already and all will be well.

That said I doubt it happens. The holding compnay was hosting no less than 5 potential sponsors and has a huge investment at stake in the area having recently purchased virutally everything on the property not already owned by the group. Big plans for renovations of the hotel... etc.

We will see The Heritage at Harbour Town in 2012.

[Matthew Rose]

The tour doesn't need Harbour Town, but it would be much less interesting without it.

[Mike Hamilton]

Certainly not...but after attending the event on Thursday I think it would be a shame to see it go.

I would say the tour would be a much lesser place without this tournament.  The whole event seems to have a distinctive personality.  Too many of the tour stops seem pretty much the same - those boring TPC style courses.  A lot of times I can hardly tell one from the other.

I wholeheartedly agree.  I was also able to attend a day at the WM Open at TPC Scottsdale...the Spring Break of golf tournaments...and the contrast was astounding.  From the course to the crowds to the obvious efforts the Hilton Head community.

In addition, I am not a fan in general of trees on golf courses and Harbor Town is really defined by the alleyways and overhanging limbs of the trees.  But it does make for an interesting change of pace to watch these guys deal with a different type course.

[Criss Titschinger]

A good read for any marketing people on the site. 
http://www.marketingwithmeaning.com/the-book/about-the-author/

And thus my personal and professional life come full circle. Never thought I'd see MWM mentioned on GCA. I work for the same company of the author of that book. If I see him around the office, I'll have to let him know he was mentioned here.

The tour doesn't need Harbour Town, but it would be much less interesting without it.

This sums of my thoughts. The casual sports fan isn't tuning in just to see Harbour Town the way they'll do the Masters or US Open. It is one of the few courses I talk about with my non-GCA golf buddies that they actually recognize. I think the Tour and Sea Pines would both be fine without the event, but it would be a shame to lose it.

[Scott Stearns]

The tour doesnt need the Heritage--WE need the Heritage.  Its a great course.  much more fun to watch than other stops.

Most cos dont sponsor tourneys for the TV coverage---they do it for the Pro-Am and other entertainment opportunities.  Taking the head of IT to play a Tour pro-am does something for the relationship--something others often arent able to provide.  We can all argue abt whether it is worth $6 million---but it seems like few things are worth what i pay for them. 

whether it gets a sponsor or not next year, life and the tour will go on.

A better question might be-why not just admit it and have three levels of tour, below the majors and tour champ.

WGCs and events Tiger plays
Events Tiger does not play-these go off at 80 pct of the full purse
Fall season and opposite field events


thirs

[Jordan Caron]

A good read for any marketing people on the site.  
http://www.marketingwithmeaning.com/the-book/about-the-author/

And thus my personal and professional life come full circle. Never thought I'd see MWM mentioned on GCA. I work for the same company of the author of that book. If I see him around the office, I'll have to let him know he was mentioned here.

Bob is awesome.  I've sent him a couple of emails regarding an idea for RBC to help Golf Canada with it's player development program but it seems RBC is more interested in creating brand awareness outside of Canada.  

RBC was mentioned somewhere in stepping up as the title sponsor for the Heritage.

http://canadiangolfer.com/g4g/2011/04/25/rbcs-golf-strategy/

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

The tour needs the Hertitage like it needs Riviera. There are so few interesting classic courses on the tour which lend themselves to great shotmaking and short game play.

[Brian Ross]

Good news from down here in the Low Country!  It was announced today that RBC has picked up the sponsorship for the Heritage tournament for the next 5 years, so it will be around at least through 2016!  

[Eric Smith]

Good news from down here in the Low Country!  It was announced today that RBC has picked up the sponsorship for the Heritage tournament for the next 5 years, so it will be around at least through 2016!  

Super great news!!

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