A year ago, the USGA ponied up $1 million to invest in the Southern California golf scene in advance of the 2024 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. The move helped kickstart the renovation of the popular Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, part of what organizers hoped would raise somewhere in the neighborhood of $18 million.
On Wednesday, USGA officials announced a similar investment in the municipal golf ecosystem of Pittsburgh, which sits just down the Allegheny River from the famed course Oakmont Country Club that will be hosting its 10th U.S. Open this June.
At historic North Park and South Park golf courses, each of which has hosted a USGA championship in the past, and Pittsburgh’s Bob O’Connor Golf Course in Schenley Park, the organization will add funding to “increase participation and support sustainability goals.” The green fees at each of these locations are $20 or less.
“The key to sustaining growth in the game relies on a thriving public golf ecosystem, and it’s why the USGA has promoted it for more than 100 years,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a release. “Public courses are entryways that provide affordable, player-friendly golf across America. As the game continues to grow as a recreational sport, we need to ensure these community gems have the tools they need to succeed – and it starts with us.”
Also, in line with the USGA’s sustainability mission, the organization’s Green Section will offer free consulting services to the three courses, which included use of the DEACON management system, which a release called “an advanced technology platform created by the USGA to help golf courses improve the playing experience while more effectively managing resources like water, labor and maintenance budgets.”
According to numbers provided by the USGA, hosting a U.S. Open can drive somewhere around $200 million in total economic impact to host communities through direct, indirect and induced spending – and about 1,500 jobs are created for the week of the event.
“There’s so much good that comes from hosting a national championship, and we want to shed light on all of it,” said John Lynch, president of Oakmont Country Club. “This year, we’re showing the golf community what the City of Champions is all about, and making sure golf is part of its sports legacy.”
Read the full article here
