The Biggest Names in Ladies’ Professional Golf Draw Record Attendees
July 15th, 2009 by WCVA
Washington County saw some “green” when the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s (LPGA) Safeway Classic teed off at Pumpkin Ridge in late August 2009. Attendees met representatives from the WCVA and our industry partners, the Hilton Garden Inn and Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
According to event organizers, a record number of attendees turned out to see many of the world’s top female golfers compete in the annual tournament. Of the 87,800 spectators, approximately 8,700 – 13,100 visited from outside the Greater Portland region, pumping several millions of dollars into the local economy.
To assist with providing information to these out-of-town guests, the WCVA partnered with the Hilton Garden Inn of Beaverton to staff a shared booth in the corporate display village. Representatives from both organizations answered questions, gave directions and distributed 600 of the popular fold-out Washington County maps with Hilton-branded fliers inside.
“This was an effective partnership that showcases how our organization can partner to provide visitor information, which generates additional interest in our county and its attractions,” said Laura Garratt, WCVA’s sports sales manager, who was present at the booth August 28-30.
The Safeway Classic, presented by Coca-Cola, was in its first year at its new location in Washington County — Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek course in North Plains. The tournament moved to Washington County after years of being played in Portland.
Sporting events such as the Safeway Classic are an important revenue generator for Washington County. In 2008, the WCVA helped secure a total of 4,992 room nights, bringing in an estimated economic impact of $1,236,548.
The most common questions for staff were about area restaurants and wineries. Local residents and visitors alike utilized the WCVA fold-out map for a comprehensive look at the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route, other golf courses, and shopping, among other points of interest.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 8:49 pm and is filed under Stakeholders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.