The economic impact of golf in America is an astounding $68.8-billion each year and charitable giving generated by golf clocks in at nearly $4-billion a year. There can be little question that both of those impacts are being felt this week with the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid being played at the Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor.
Of considerable note is the celebratory check for $100,000 presented this morning by the PGA of America to the Benton Harbor Promise program during the Host Communities Breakfast alongside the Harbor Shores club house.
PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague presented Lynn Todman and Cathy Averill of the Benton Harbor Promise with the oversized check today to help fulfill the promise made to Benton Harbor graduating seniors of a 2-year post-secondary education free of charge following their graduation from high school.
Sprague talked about the long term economic prosperity generated by the game of golf and contributions over the years to the Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor, the First Tee Program and the Benton Harbor Promise program. The PGA of America is celebrating its 100th anniversary year this year and just announced this week the renewed commitment of Whirlpool Corporation and KitchenAid which steps up to full title sponsorship of the Championship beginning next year and assured play at Harbor Shores every other year from now through 2024.
The community of Benton Harbor and all of Michigan's Great Southwest is gaining global live television exposure in more than 130 countries to an audience of 200-million households this week.
Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad likened Benton Harbor to other great cities hosting major sporting events, calling it "one of America's great cities," with an event that unifies the region, providing economic development, and promoting youth in the community. He called the partnership between the PGA of America, KitchenAid and the community at large as "clearly a marriage made in heaven."
St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey echoed Muhammad's comments, thanking the partners for bringing the event to the community and "raising the bar," by boosting the tourist trade which the city of St. Joseph has increasingly embraced to elevate to a new rank above the "mullets and rock n' roll," of the Venetian Festival and the Krasl Art Fair. He gave a prime example of the attraction of the community about renowned author David McCullough who addressed the Economic Club of SW Michigan recently and expressed great delight with what he found saying he and his wife will definitely be back to explore "this great town."
Benton Township Supervisor Kevin White shared the same sentiments, saying he was "humbled by the huge impact" of the Championship.
State Senator John Proos and State Rep Al Pscholka delivered a legislative resolution saluting the PGA of America for bringing the event to the community and the state of Michigan, with Pscholka calling the region the best place on earth to live.
Championship Chairman Mike Todman applauded the Executive Committee members who got up at 3am this morning to pay a visit to the ground crew recruited from multiple states across the nation to help keep Harbor Shores in prime condition throughout the event. After retiring from Whirlpool last year, Todman told the audience today that he and his wife have the ability to live virtually anywhere in the world, "but choose to stay here because of the people who work hard every day, and who have been through a lot over the past 10 years," thanks not only to the golf course, but the people who have created the transformation under way.
PGA leader Sprague says a lot of people ask why they come back to Harbor Shores and he says there are three key reasons including:
- It's a championship grade golf course, crafted by Jack Nicklaus…
- The corporate support, which doesn't get any better than the partnership with KitchenAid…
- The community support, clearly exhibited and working to make a difference in the community…
Sprague called the new agreement moving the name KitchenAid from the back of the event name to the front, "a new beginning, and a new era for Benton Harbor." It wouldn't be possible without the incredible community support readily evident in the 1,700 volunteers…the 608 who have been back for each of the three years hosted here, and the nearly 600 who have already signed on to be back again in 2018.
