SAN ANTONIO — It’s not the favorite hole of locals who play the golf course, but spectators love to gather around the 16th hole at TPC San Antonio to see whether PGA Tour players can navigate the peculiar par 3 that has a bunker in the middle of the green.
The hole measures around 185 yards, depending on tee placement, and it has long been an interesting twist for players at the Valero Texas Open. The attribute was likely paying homage to No. 6 at Riviera Country Club, a course designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell.
And a year ago, Golfweek reported marketing manager Liz Ortiz was the mastermind behind renaming the hole “The Avocado,” which fits in well with the chips-and-guac vibe the south-central Texas tournament gives off.
A handful of shirts made their debut last year and the response was instant. The limited stock started flying out of the merchandise tent early Thursday and only picked up steam after local hero Jordan Spieth aced the hole in his opening round of play. By mid-morning on Friday, all the shirts were gone.
From last year’s story:
Ortiz, a graduate of nearby Texas State, who started working in merchandising with the course nearly four years ago. Ortiz admits she knows little about golf, but when she first toured the course, the thing that popped out to her was the green on 16.
“During COVID we were out here looking at the property. It was my first Valero,” said Ortiz, who originally hails from Fort Worth. “The former merchandising manager was showing me around and on 16 I was like, ‘Wow is this called the avocado hole?’ She looked at me and said, ‘No, it’s just 16.’ And I said, ‘Well it looks a lot like an avocado. Let’s call it that.’ But nothing really happened.”
Of course, after last year’s success, a light bulb went off for both Ortiz and PGA Tour merch staffers.
This year, arriving in the merch tent just off the 18th hole at the Oaks Course is like stepping into Boudro’s on the Riverwalk (famous for its tableside guacamole) — more avocado than you can shake a stick at.
“We focused on that this year,” Ortiz said this week as the Valero got underway. “We have a lot of items with the avocado logo that we didn’t have last year.”
She’s not bucking for a raise or promotion externally, but Ortiz would appear to have a good case for one as the avocado now adorns multiple shirts, hats, flags and even plastic tumblers in an effort that is likely to really take hold this year.
“It’s been really great,” Ortiz added. “I’ve been able to work with PGA Tour headquarters merchandising and we’ve collaborated. They ask me opinion on some of these things. And since it did so well, we actually have avocado merch in the golf shop, too, so now it sells throughout the whole year.”
If the look on the merch seems brighter, well, there’s a reason for that, too. The shop has been expanded and new lighting fixtures were installed throughout to put a little extra shine on all those avocados. There are also TGL hats, new gear from Mizzen and Main and other vendors on site, including Knockaround and Maui Jim.
“Everything is bigger and better,” Ortiz said.
Read the full article here
