Women's Open to Be Biggest Ever

By Matthew Moriarty: Staff Writer, The Pilot

The 2007 U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club is still more than half a year away, but it can already lay claim to being the biggest ever.

"Three weeks ago, we became the most successful Women's Open in history as it relates to corporate hospitality," said Ricki Lasky, director of sales and client services for Pinehurst Championship Management (PCM), which is staging the Women's Open for Pine Needles.

Corporate hospitality sales for next year's championship have reached $2.9 million, topping the previous record of $2.78 million, set last year.

"We've been very encouraged by the response," said Kelly Miller, president and CEO of Pine Needles and Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club.

Lasky hopes that by selling the remaining table packages, the revenues can top out at about $3.1 million or $3.2 million.

"Corporate North Carolina has really taken the Women's Open under its wing and supported it," Lasky said.

Some of the top corporate clients are Pepsi Co., First Citizens Bank, RBC Centura and Progress Energy.

"Ninety percent of it is in-state business," she said.

Events such as this one provide a big boost to the local economy. The local Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that the 2001 Women's Open funneled $60 million in to the local economy.

The local area has more hotel rooms now -- enough to handle all the players, media and USGA workers who will be coming to be a part of the tournament, as well as some of the spectators.

That means they will all be staying in Moore County, as opposed to the U.S. Opens in Pinehurst in which many people stay in the eight to 10 surrounding counties.

"In general terms, I expect it to meet and exceed the impact of 2001," said Caleb Miles, president and CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Miller believes the interest of the corporate clients will translate into interest from the general public.

Tickets for the championship went on sale months ago. So far, sales are on track to break the record of 131,000 spectators set in 2005 at the Cherry Hill Country Club in Colorado.

"Being the competitive bunch we are, we'd love to break that record as well," Lasky said.

'Attention to Detail'

PCM, which has managed each of the Opens held in Moore County, has gotten used to its tournaments breaking records.

"Ninety-five percent of it is planning," she said. "If it's not done by the week of the championship (then that's a problem). Once the week gets here, we can relax somewhat."

PCM's strategy is to stand out by planning ahead and selling an experience, Lasky said. "It's a seamless effort to get there," she said. "It's the attention to detail that truly sets us apart."

Those details include everything from the corporate hospitality tents to the landscaping to security to parking. PCM handles volunteers and vendors as well.

"Basically, we handle everything outside the ropes," Lasky said.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) will take care of the golf. The course is ready, Miller said. Pine Needles shut down the course in 2004 for restoration.

"The course is really in good shape," he said.

By January, grandstands and other championship infrastructure will start going up.

Lasky said PCM has a great relationship with the USGA. It should, considering the way the USGA has raided PCM for employees.

The most recent person to defect was Reg Jones, championship director during the U.S. Open in Pinehurst last year.

"We hated to see Reg Jones leave," Lasky said. "He's such a great leader. But the show must go on, as they say."

The USGA has hired away several from PCM's staff of about six.

"They've taken several from us," Lasky said. "But we have the utmost respect for them."

'Draw on Experience'

One of the other reasons for the success of the upcoming championship is the work of the executive council, Lasky said. PCM learned from the two men's opens at Pinehurst that having a group of top business leaders as an advisory council makes a huge difference.

For the two men's opens, it was called the President's Council. For the upcoming Women's Open, it's called the Executive Council.

It's made up of the top women business leaders in the state. There are 16 members. The council has helped with corporate client recruitment and is managing the charitable contributions.

"They've been instrumental in our success so far," Lasky said.

Roberta Bowman, vice president of sustainability and public interest for Duke Energy, is the co-chairwoman of the council. She said the council's job is to support the Open in whatever way it is needed. She chaired the Executive Council in 2001.

"We thought we did a lot of things really right," she said, "and now we can draw on that reservoir of experience that comes from hosting and make a few refinements of things to do different."

For example, she said, the Open is such a strong draw on its own now that there will be no women's health fair.

The council has set a goal of raising $207,000 for charitable donations. The recipients will be the YMCA, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the N.C. Institute of Public Policy, N.C. Outward Bound and Sandhills Community College.

"It will go towards programs that benefit women," Bowman said.

Also, like the 2005 Open, spectators will be able to purchase upgraded tickets for an air- conditioned, soft-chaired pavilion. In 2005, it was the Putterboy Pavilion. Next year it's being called the Carolina Pavilion.

Tickets to the Carolina Pavilion went on sale to Pinehurst Resort members last week. They will go on sale to the general public on Jan. 1.

"So far, so good," Lasky said.

Another thing that has contributed to the success of this campaign is that PCM has done it several times by now. It's using most of the same vendors and many of the volunteers are veterans of the 1999 Open, 2001 Women's Open and 2005 Open.

About 2,700 volunteers have already signed up for the championship next year.

'Hot Commodity'

It also helps that the new guard of Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis and other rising stars will be taking on the old guard, including defending champion Annika Sorenstam, who also won at Pine Needles in 1996.

"We've got the strongest field," said Claire Corso, championship coordinator with PCM.

Incidentally, Sorenstam is good friends with Pine Needles matriarch Peggy Kirk Bell.

"It takes the LPGA back to where it all started to where it is now," Miller said. "I know Mrs. Bell is excited. She wishes it was tomorrow."

"Women's golf is a hot commodity," Lasky said. "It will only grow in the future. It's exciting selling in 2007. Back in 2001, it was a much tougher sale."

It's not just Wie and her opponents, Lasky said. Spectators have learned to appreciate the women's game, especially men, Lasky said.

In 2001, the demographics showed that two-thirds of the spectators were women. Now, it's likely to be the other way around.

Men can relate to the shots that the female competitors are hitting, Lasky said.

"It's a great time for women's golf," she said.

The USGA is using this championship in new ways in hopes of getting more children interested in the sport. The first row of each grandstand will be reserved for children. Also, kids under the age of 17 will be admitted free with a paying adult.

A junior day of some sort is in the planning stages, she said.

'Like No Other'

Lasky said she would like to see more excitement from the local community.

She said she is not feeling the buzz in the air like there was during previous championships.

She wants to see the community more involved. To help that, she's pushing the Web site, www.2007womensopen.com. But she said that she's not worried.

"I know where we are going to be," she said. "There's no pressure."

The success of the Open so far continues to prove that people associate Pinehurst and Southern Pines with world-class golf.

"It's going to be a championship like no other in a place like no other," Bowman said.

"There is just something about the Sandhills and golf," Lasky said.

Lasky said that she can't imagine a championship coming to Moore County and not breaking records.

"I don't foresee that happening," she said. "Corporate North Carolina backs us and will continue to back us."

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