that the Pinehurst area could provide for their massive tournament. U.S. Kids Golf, a non-profi t organization that conducts tournaments for young golfers under the age of 12, brought their World Championship to the Sandhills. The event has been another success story for the area. U.S. Kids has returned every year since 2005. Last year’s championship saw approximately 2000 participants from over 50 countries, plus their parents and family members, visit the area. Like the U.S. Open and the other tournaments that come to town, the community supports the U.S. Kids Championship. More than 700 people served as volunteers in 2014. Thirteen different golf courses are used during
the championship. Hotels, condos, resorts and houses are booked with families staying in the area. Restaurants are fi lled nightly. According to Chris Vonderkill, U.S. Kids vice president of tournaments, the impact on the lo- cal economy is nearing the $7 million mark. An impressive fi gure to local offi cials. “We can’t underplay the value and impact of
U.S. Kids Golf,” said Caleb Miles, the CEO and president of the Pinehurst Convention and Visi- tors Burea, in the local newspaper, The Pilot. “It has changed the dynamics of our summer busi- ness here, especially in late July and early August.” Miles added that people come to the event from
all over the world. These visitors typically stay for longer periods of times, adding up to more dol- lars spent in the area. If there was any doubt as to how the U.S. Kids
Golf organization felt about the Pinehurst area, all people had to do was read the local headlines in February of this year. That’s when the Atlanta based company purchased Longleaf Golf and Country Club, a Dan Maples designed course located on Midland Road between Pinehurst and Southern Pines. Plans are already in place to establish a national golf academy at Longleaf for junior golfers. “We’ve really felt welcomed over the years,”
U.S. Kids Golf founder and CEO Dan Van Horn told Ted Natt of The Pilot. “We’re looking for- ward to really developing youth golf.”
THE NUMBERS What does all this tournament hosting mean both locally and to the state of North Carolina? Locally it means more business and more customers, especially for the lodging industry and restaurants. Even a tournament like the North & South Junior Championship, where approximately 180 juniors vie for a chance to add their names to the prestigious list of past winners, means an increase in business.
Continued pg. 27
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