“It was a great opportunity to showcase the Dayton region, and one of our great country clubs and golf courses at NCR,” said Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Kershner, who was among those attending.
“NCR Country Club has a long history of being a beautiful and competitive golf course. And I’m excited that we are on the (USGA’s) radar screen,” he added. “The energy was amazing … and it was great weather.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
The USGA tourney’s last two rounds were streamed live nationally on Peacock and on replayed on the Golf Channel, giving the region “high visibility … on the national stage in a very positive way,” CVB President and CEO Jacquelyn Y. Powell said in an email.
The Dayton area’s estimated economic impact includes Montgomery County, which has nearly 7,000 hotel rooms, according to the CVB. Data was not broken down into categories such as lodging, entertainment and dining, the organization said.
The tournament won by Jill McGill was the fifth U.S. Golf Association championship hosted by the Kettering course. It featured some of the biggest names in women’s golf, JoAnne Carner, Juli Inkster, Hollis Stacy, Annika Sorenstam and Jan Stephenson, among them.
More than 400 volunteers recruited largely through USGA membership, NCR and the Miami Valley Golf Association worked the tournament, according to Katherine Khoury, USGA senior manager of the open.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Area businesses and other groups also contributed, according to Kettering Economic Development Manager Amy Schrimpf.
“The number of companies and organizations, volunteers and spectators involved to help ensure this event was a success demonstrates Kettering’s level of hospitality and ability to host world-renowned events,” Schrimpf said. “We hope to have the opportunity to do it again soon.”
Previous PGA and USGA tournaments at NCR South include the 1969 PGA Championship, 1986 U.S. Women’s Open, 1998 U. S. Mid-Amateur Championship, 2005 U.S. Senior Open Championship and the 2013 USGA Women’s State Team Championship.
Economic impact data on the 2005 pro golf tourney was not available, according to the CVB.
About the Author
