From NYC Tourism web site
MAYOR GIULIANI, PGA TOUR COMMISSIONER FINCHEM & TOURISM CHIEF NICHOLAS ANNOUNCE EFFORT TO BRING PGA TOURNAMENT TO NEW YORK CITY
- PGA Tournament at New Jack Nicklaus Golf Course to Benefit WTC Victim Families -
New York City (December 28, 2001) - The City of New York, the PGA Tour and NYC & Company - the convention and visitors bureau -announced jointly today that discussions are underway to bring a PGA tournament to New York City. The tournament would be played at the new Jack Nicklaus-designed municipal course slated to open in 2003 at Ferry Point Park in The Bronx.
In a recent meeting at City Hall, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani discussed bringing a premier competition to the Ferry Point course to honor the memory of victims of the September 11 tragedy. In addition, the charitable proceeds of the event would provide support to the families of NYC police, fire and rescue personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
"We share Mayor Giuliani's desire to establish a high-level tournament in New York City for this worthy cause," Commissioner Finchem said. "We look forward to working with the City of New York and the New York corporate community in this effort. Although we face challenges in terms of available dates and events on our schedule, with the support of the city and New York's corporate leaders we are hopeful those challenges can be overcome."
"I have no doubt that once completed, the new golf course at Ferry Point Park will offer breathtaking views and provide one of the most spectacular venues for golfing in the United States," the Mayor said. "Such a world class facility deserves a world class golf tournament. I'm thrilled that the PGA is exploring how to bring a pro tournament to the Sports Capital of the World and to do so in a way that honors victims of the World Trade Center attack."
"We are proud to be associated with the City of New York, and to have the opportunity to bring what we hope will be a quality golf experience to the residents in and around New York. The potential of a PGA Tour event coming to Ferry Point Park adds just another exciting dimension to this project. Hopefully, my design team and I will meet the challenge of creating a golf course that will not only test the talented players who make up the PGA Tour, but will also be an enjoyable and memorable experience for the players who will visit the course on a daily and year-round basis," said Jack Nicklaus.
"Hosting a PGA tournament in New York City is a terrific boost to our efforts to market New York City as one of the top sporting destinations in the world," said Cristyne L. Nicholas, President & CEO of NYC & Company - the city's official tourism marketing organization. "As frequent home to the World Series, potential host of the 2007 Super Bowl and a finalist in the bid for the 2012 Olympics, New York City is the ideal location for a PGA Tour event."
The Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course currently under construction at Ferry Point Park is the result of a partnership between Flag Luxury Properties, LLC, New York-based golf course developer Gagne Development Corporation and Jack Nicklaus' Golden Bear International. The 220-acre project will include a driving range, 35,000 square feet of banquet/conference space and freestanding restaurants. Located on nearly one mile of waterfront in what has been called the best new golf course location in the United States, Ferry Point Park is within twenty minutes from midtown Manhattan and is convenient to western Long Island, Westchester County, southern Connecticut and northern New Jersey. The golf facilities will be open to the public and operate on a daily fee basis. The driving range, banquet/conference center and restaurants are expected to open by the end of 2003 and the golf course in the last spring or early summer of 2004.