This story by Jonathan Bym previously appeared in The Pilot newspaper at this link.
A new study produced by the United States Golf Association confirms that the U.S. Open in June was one of Pinehurst’s most successful events. This year’s championship, the first with Pinehurst as one of the USGA’s Open “anchor sites,” generated $242.5 million in economic impact for the state of North Carolina.
A USGA news release accompanying the report said that total surpasses the impact dollars reported for the first-ever back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships in 2014.
The report also showed that this year’s Open supported more than 1,800 jobs, and brought in $95.7 million in visitor spending, which broke down to more than $1,100 per-visitor spending.
Following the Opens in 2014, NC State University, the USGA and the local Convention & Visitors Bureau set out to study the event’s economic impact. That study found the back-to-back Opens at Pinehurst No. 2 generated more than $140 million in visitor spending and had a statewide economic impact that topped $238 million.
Besides Pinehurst’s new status as an anchor — four more Opens are scheduled through 2047, including the second ever back-to-back men’s and Women’s Open in 2029 — this year was the first Open at Pinehurst since the USGA opened its second headquarters, GolfHouse Pinehurst. That operation now houses the organization’s new golf equipment test center, USGA Experience, the World Golf Hall of Fame and 70 full-time employees. Staff members from the National Development Program, the Green Section, championship operations teams, equipment standards engineers and others now work on the 7-acre campus, a short walk to the iconic No. 2 course.
The World Golf Hall of Fame and USGA Experience saw more than 28,000 people come through the doors since the building opened in late May.
“We made a promise to North Carolina when we announced not only Pinehurst as an anchor site, but also a permanent office there, that the worldwide golf community would take notice — and the state would benefit for years to come,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement. “One year in, and we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do together in this golf-rich area.”
With a large base of operations now in Pinehurst, other initiatives from the USGA have left an impact in the local area. Its Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program (GAP) graduates its second group of 14 golf course maintenance workers this coming week from Sandhills Community College. The one-year training program of in-class and in-field learning to increase the skill set and raise the pay of those in the program working in local courses.
The GAP program will continue for at least the next five years through $1 million dedicated by the USGA to sustain the GAP workforce development initiative in the region. The program will also expand to Horry Georgetown Technical Community College in January. Other contributions from the Carolinas Golf Association, Ewing Supply, Pinehurst Resort and Country Club were made to the program.
And with the opening this past April of Pinehurst’s newest golf course, No. 10 off N.C. 5 in Aberdeen, the USGA is using part of the property for its Outdoor Testing Pavilion and test range. The space is being used to test golf balls, clubs and equipment manufactured in the U.S. and Mexico for USGA rule conformity.