LPGA tour a boon for area economy *UPDATE*
By Sarah Stephens
Progress editor
It will be more than a year before the Ladies Professional Golf Association brings the Navistar Classic to Prattville and Capitol Hill, but you wouldn't know it by talking to department heads in charge of food service, the fairways, greens and hospitality.
In their minds, time is short and there is much to do.
"This is a very important event and we will be ready for it," Sean Curry, director of golf, said.
The announcement last week of the new golf classic lifted the spirits of golf enthusiasts, who were disappointed when Nationwide opted not to return to Prattville for their tour.
Prattville Mayor Jim Byard Jr. said that immediately after learning Nationwide was not coming back, city and state officials went to work looking for a replacement.
"We knew there were other possibilities out there and we knew we wanted to them to consider Prattville and what we have to offer," Byard said. "This is going to be a great thing for the Prattville community and it means millions and millions of dollars in revenue."
It also means that the city will have to dole out some money as incentives, just as it did to get Nationwide here. That amount is still up for debate, Byard said, and under negotiation.
The difference between Nationwide and the LPGA event is huge.
"With Nationwide, you had about 50 golfers compared to the 140 we are expecting for Navistar," Curry said. "With Nationwide, we fed about 300 people breakfast and lunch. If you do simple math, you can expect to at least double that amount for this event in the fall."
In order to make that happen, it will taken an increase in staff, something Curry has already considered.
"Fortunately, we have other facilities to draw from in order to make sure we are prepared," Curry said. "We would rather pull in experienced people who know what they are doing than try to train someone during that time."
Curry expects the The Legends at Capitol Hill Hotel to be full, but surrounding hotels and motels will reap the benefits of the thousands of people expected to come and be a part of the gallery for the four-day event.
"They are going to be staying in the hotels, eating at the restaurants and shopping at the stores," Curry said. "This is going to benefit everyone."
Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Jeremy Arthur echoed Curry's sentiment, adding the event will mean an additional $4 million to $8 million in additional revenue to the area.
"It is hard to gauge the exact amount, especially considering this is our first time to have an event of this size," Arthur said. "But whatever it is, it is more than we would have seen, and something that will have a huge, positive impact."
While other officials may be busy calculating the expenses and revenues, Robert Wingo is more concerned with grass, fairways, bunkers and drought.
Wingo is the director of maintenance for the three golf courses at Capitol Hill, and he is paying particular attention to The Senator course these days, as it will be the home of the Navistar Classic in the fall of next year.
"In this, you are talking about a double-tee event and that is really going to change our morning and evening routines," Wingo said.
Double tee means that the entire course will have golf action at one time. With Nationwide, the golfers started on the first half of the course, then moved on to the second half. This allowed for maintenance crews to flow in directly behind golfers and make repairs. With a full field event and 140 golfers, that will not be an option during the Navistar Classic.
"What it means is we will be here around 4 a.m. preparing the course, and here late at night making repairs," Wingo said.
Even without a tournament on the horizon, the task of maintaining more than 500 acres of golf courses is daunting for the 45-person crew. There are no days of rest where mowing and water are concerned, and the recent drought has given Wingo sleepless nights.
"Right now, there are places on the course that are just burned up and brown," Wingo said. "But we are working on that."
All greens are mowed twice a day by the staff, which is also always on the lookout for unexpected surprises or divots left by golfers on the fairway.
"We will really start the process of preparing for Navistar in earnest in January," Wingo said. "The plan is to do everything so the course will peak about the week of the event. That means the proper timing of fertilizer and chemicals and a lot of planning."
Of the three courses available for the tour, Curry explained why The Senator was the best choice.
The Senator is designed much like golf courses in the Scottish Highland, without trees but with many dunes.
"It has bent grass and, logistically, it makes more sense when you consider having to move in bleachers and stands," Curry said. "You also consider emergency situations if we have to get everyone off the course quickly due to a lightning storm or other emergency."
However, Curry said perhaps the biggest reason for choosing The Senator is that it will be very different than most golf courses found stateside, because it does mimic the Scottish courses.
"When you look at The Legislator, it is kind of a mixture of what you can find in other courses," Curry said. "The Judge is by far the most difficult course and has 14 holes along the water."
When it comes to golf, Curry knows what he is talking about. As the senior golf professional on staff, he began his love for the game at the age of 12.
"I was fortunate in that my family was a member of a country club and my parents would drop me off for the day and pick me up in the afternoons," Curry said. "I spent my time on the golf course, and even in that first year ended up being a pretty good golfer."
Curry believes the key to improving the game and growing the fan base is to reach out to younger players. Young, professional golfers like Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie have done a lot to bring in younger players, Curry said.
"Golf is the kind of sport that once you go out and do it a couple of times, it can really hook you and draw you in," Curry said. "We offer complimentary clinics throughout the summer to try and draw in new golfers. But I believe the best way is still to reach out to the junior players. That draws not only them, but their parents as well."
While everyone at Capitol Hill will have his or her hands full in the fall of 2007, Curry said he tips his golf hat to the maintenance crew.
"People really don't give these people enough credit, but they are the ones that keep it going," Curry said. "This is a team and the members lay it on the line day in and day out to make the courses as beautiful as they are. They make my job a lot easier, in fact."
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