Cost of hosting USGA event

[Scott_Park]

I had heard that the host course for a USGA event must cover considerable costs.  Based on a conversation with a club official, I remember it being on the order of over $100K, which includes a dinner, new range balls, admin costs and possibley any course improvements.

Does anyone have some insight on this as there have been a few clubs step away from hosting due to the cost.

[Tom_Doak]

Scott:

It depends on the event but I've heard numbers 2x and 3x what you posted.  And that's not counting any "course improvements".

[BCrosby]

Tom's estimate is closer to the mark. It also depends on whether you count lost revenue during the time the club is used for the event. Cart, pro shop, lesson revenues, etc. You will also have some additional maintenance staffing and/or overtime costs.

Bob

[Pete Blaisdell]

Depends on the Championship. The costs can vary greatly.

What is hard to measure for any USGA Championship is the logistics. Transportation, food, putting together a volunteer base to handle a 1000+ details, caddies, caddies, storage, spectator flow, advertising, special events,practice facilities and schedules,programs, media, parking, hotels, communications----the list is seemingly endless and is not only measured in dollars but tens of thousands of man hours . It's akin to putting together a military campaign. I've been involved in many USGA Championships and there is always one constant present in a successful Championship and that is people, dedicated to the point of obsession. Putting the right people in the correct areas of responsibility is paramount. The various Committee Chairs must have unique leadership qualities and the local Chairman of the Championship proper MUST be the correct choice to oversee all the volunteers. Success will start with this person. Money and good people who love the game and are proud of a USGA Championship coming to their area are the prerequisates .

[Jeff Goldman]

According to public financials, Chambers Bay spent $1.3 million on the Am. Even if a decent chunk was course changes, talking $800,000 for that one

[jeffwarne]

I had heard that the host course for a USGA event must cover considerable costs.  Based on a conversation with a club official, I remember it being on the order of over $100K, which includes a dinner, new range balls, admin costs and possibley any course improvements.

Does anyone have some insight on this as there have been a few clubs step away from hosting due to the cost.

A lot of it is overkill. It's a golf tournament,not an invasion.

100K is quite low,depends on the event of couse.

Never made sense to me why club would pick up tab whe the USGA has numerous ways to subsidize costs of events.(including entry fees of competitors)

[Aaron McMaster]

I had heard that the host course for a USGA event must cover considerable costs.  Based on a conversation with a club official, I remember it being on the order of over $100K, which includes a dinner, new range balls, admin costs and possibley any course improvements.

Does anyone have some insight on this as there have been a few clubs step away from hosting due to the cost.

j

Definitely depends on the event....Most clubs take on an am or women's open to help themselves in a bid for the US Open.  Last I heard if you get an open the usga pays a club a fee to basically lease the course for the week.  Sometimes they help with costs if the course is in need of improvements but at times it falls on the club..... I think it's pretty obvious why the usga is using places like Bethpage, Chambers bay and Torrey more than Shinny or The Foot etc and it all revolves around money.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Depends on the Championship. The costs can vary greatly.

What is hard to measure for any USGA Championship is the logistics. Transportation, food, putting together a volunteer base to handle a 1000+ details, caddies, caddies, storage, spectator flow, advertising, special events,practice facilities and schedules,programs, media, parking, hotels, communications----the list is seemingly endless and is not only measured in dollars but tens of thousands of man hours . It's akin to putting together a military campaign. I've been involved in many USGA Championships and there is always one constant present in a successful Championship and that is people, dedicated to the point of obsession. Putting the right people in the correct areas of responsibility is paramount. The various Committee Chairs must have unique leadership qualities and the local Chairman of the Championship proper MUST be the correct choice to oversee all the volunteers. Success will start with this person. Money and good people who love the game and are proud of a USGA Championship coming to their area are the prerequisates .

Pete,

Well said, I couldn't agree more.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Never made sense to me why club would pick up tab whe the USGA has numerous ways to subsidize costs of events.(including entry fees of competitors)

Jeff,

You can't buy the notoriety for equivalent funds.

Some clubs feel it's a good investment and part of giving back to the game.

Other clubs feel differently.

[Jim_Kennedy]

In '01 the majority of the members at WF (85/90%) voted yes to hold the '06 Open.
The club netted (est., after loss from guest/outings, etc.) 2 million dollars from its 7 million dollar lease arrangement w/the USGA, and that doesn't include sales in the pro shop.

Giving something back and adding to a club's notoriety is not the only benefit from holding an Open.  

[Mark Chaplin]

I have it on good authority a well known US Ryder Cup venue cleared $10m from the event.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I have it on good authority a well known US Ryder Cup venue cleared $10m from the event.

Mark,

That's a PGA event.

Jim Kennedy.

The Open is in a category all by itself when it comes to USGA events

[Jim_Kennedy]

Pat,
The US Open truly is in a class by itself.

Public courses like Bethpage or Pinehurst stand to gain more actual dollars than a private from the lingering effects of the exposure (increased green fees/play) and from the public sale of soft goods (a couple of years prior to, date of, and then post event) with the US Open logo.

 

[Tim Martin]

Pat,
The US Open truly is in a class by itself.

Public courses like Bethpage or Pinehurst stand to gain more actual dollars than a private from the lingering effects of the exposure (increased green fees/play) and from the public sale of soft goods (a couple of years prior to, date of, and then post event) with the US Open logo.

 

Jim-You are spot on as I defy anyone to find anything in the Bethpage Pro shop where the Black Course merchandise does not have 2002 and 2009 U S Open on it. Anything.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Pat,
The US Open truly is in a class by itself.

Public courses like Bethpage or Pinehurst stand to gain more actual dollars than a private from the lingering effects of the exposure (increased green fees/play) and from the public sale of soft goods (a couple of years prior to, date of, and then post event) with the US Open logo.

 

Jim-You are spot on as I defy anyone to find anything in the Bethpage Pro shop where the Black Course merchandise does not have 2002 and 2009 U S Open on it. Anything.

Tim,
I have never had a Bethpage cap wander into the shop that doesn't say 2002 or 2009 on the crown. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Even the tonga briefs have a special logo...putterboy.

I believe that the apparently-unlabeled swizzle sticks, when held under black light, betray a greenskeeper attempting to choke a certain open doctor, but that might just be the corn liquor talking.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Chambers Bay spent (reportedly) 1.4 million hosting the US Amateur

Soldier Hollow expects to spend 200k on the men's Public Links event

Neshanic Valley expects to spend 100k on the women's Public Links.

[Greg Tallman]

So hosting a US Amateur would cost a few hundred thousand? For that I get all of the TV build up, magazine publicity and live televsion broadcast for 4-6 hours on Saturday and Sunday?

If I had a USGA worthy facility opening in the near future you better believe I would make every effort to secure the highest profiile, non men's Open USGA event possible, even multiple events in a relatively short period if plausible.