Report: USGA expected to make major move to Pinehurst
The U.S. Golf Association has had a major presence in Pinehurst the past 30 years, staging the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Amateur championships multiple times in the Sandhills.
Now, the USGA could be making another major move.
The national organization, the sport’s governing body in the U.S., is expected to announce Wednesday that it is moving its USGA Golf Museum and part of its national headquarters to Pinehurst, according the The Pilot of Southern Pines. A joint press conference with USGA, state and Village of Pinehurst officials is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Pinehurst Resort.
The N.C. legislature recently passed a bill to provide as much as $18 million in state incentives to an unnamed sports organization that would bring major championship events to the state. Sponsors of the bill did not specify the business, sport or events.
The organization, in turn, must meet certain requirements, including the spending of $5 million for two buildings totaling at least 30,000 square feet for an equipment and testing center, and a museum and visitor center, and “departments within the business.” Another requirement: that the economic benefit be at least $800 million for the state in a 10-year period and to create at least 35 new staff jobs and 50 in all.
The organization would be required to hold at least one men’s major professional championship every five to seven years that has an economic benefit of $90 million, at least one women’s major championship event every 10 years, plus staging 13 other championship events.
The Pilot of Southern Pines reported Tuesday that the announcement Wednesday would tie together the USGA’s planned move and the state financial incentives.
The USGA, which has its national headquarters and museum in Liberty Corner, N.J., first brought the U.S. Open to Pinehurst Resort in 1999. The late Payne Stewart won with a clutch par putt on the final hole, striking a victory pose for the ages.
That was followed by the 2005 U.S. Open and 2014 Open, all held on the historic No. 2 Course, and in 2024 the U.S. Open will return to Pinehurst.
In 2014, there was an unprecedented coupling of national championships, with the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open held in consecutive weeks on No. 2. Martin Kaymer of Germany was a runaway winner of the U.S. Open and Michelle Wie earned her first major championship in the Women’s Open.
Officials said the “doubleheader” generated $140 million in visitor spending and had an economic impact of more than $238 million.
The USGA also has held the U.S. Amateur championship in Pinehurst in 2008 and 2019 and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1989. The 1994 U.S. Senior Open also was hosted by the resort.
The USGA championships havn’t been confined to Pinehurst Resort. The U.S. Women’s Open has been held at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines in 1996, 2001 and 2007 and is scheduled to again come to Pine Needles in 2022.
The USGA’s campus in New Jersey contains the association’s Research and Test Center and the USGA Golf Museum, which has thousands of golf artifacts, photos, videos and memorabilia.
Pinehurst once was the location of the World Golf Hall of Fame, which opened in 1974 and moved to St. Augustine, Fla., and reopened in 1998.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 9:53 PM.
