LPGA Event Coming to Rogers

[mcheiss]

I had heard that the LPGA was looking into possibly relocating a course to Northwest Arkansas from Tulsa's Southern Hills. I haden't realized until today that the plans are now official. The LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship presented by John Q. Hammons will be Sept. 3-9, 2007, at Pinnacle Country Club. Who else but Hammons and Pinnacle to be involved in this project. The local economic impact of this event is expected to be about $15 million. So far I've heard first look estimates of attendance for the event from 15,000 to 20,000 people per day.

[masons_dad1]

I had heard that the LPGA was looking into possibly relocating a course to Northwest Arkansas from Tulsa's Southern Hills. I haden't realized until today that the plans are now official. The LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship presented by John Q. Hammons will be Sept. 3-9, 2007, at Pinnacle Country Club. Who else but Hammons and Pinnacle to be involved in this project. The local economic impact of this event is expected to be about $15 million. So far I've heard first look estimates of attendance for the event from 15,000 to 20,000 people per day.

Do women's sports really have that much of an economic impact? I'm not a golf fan, but it seems that men's golf gets more publicity and I guess is taken more seriously, so I wonder how well attendance will be for the NWA LPGA.

[mcheiss]

Do women's sports really have that much of an economic impact? I'm not a golf fan, but it seems that men's golf gets more publicity and I guess is taken more seriously, so I wonder how well attendance will be for the NWA LPGA.

I think it will do well, since NWA has literally no sports (except for the U of A). There's plenty of Pinnacle people that will attend, not to mention people who are curious.

You have to think about all of the people spending the night in hotels, eating in restaurants, and shopping in the area, which adds up.

[Mith242]

I had heard something about this, but didn't know it was official yet.

[slyder1]

Do women's sports really have that much of an economic impact? I'm not a golf fan, but it seems that men's golf gets more publicity and I guess is taken more seriously, so I wonder how well attendance will be for the NWA LPGA.

The LPGA draws about maybe a third what the men's draw. Springfield is lucky to host the Mens PGA National Tour at the extremely nice Hiland Spring's Golf Club. It's called the Price Cutter Charity Championship and draws about 150,000 poeple. Hiland Springs's has never not had a waiting list of more than 200 people to get a membership.....there are no homes under 1.2 million on this Golf course! Springfield hosts all of the State Amateur Golf Tournaments as well as many more.

You guys should be excited about this even though its LPGA, all of the golf community (which there are ALOT) in this area will start noticing that NWA is a great place to play golf.

[mcheiss]

For now I'll take an LPGA event. I hope that some day we could get a PGA event, but I'm not counting on it. I know Pinnacle is nice, but I'm not sure if it's right for a men's tournament.

[swake]

I had heard that the LPGA was looking into possibly relocating a course to Northwest Arkansas from Tulsa's Southern Hills. I haden't realized until today that the plans are now official. The LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship presented by John Q. Hammons will be Sept. 3-9, 2007, at Pinnacle Country Club. Who else but Hammons and Pinnacle to be involved in this project. The local economic impact of this event is expected to be about $15 million. So far I've heard first look estimates of attendance for the event from 15,000 to 20,000 people per day.

Tulsa isn't losing it's LPGA tour stop, it's moving to late April/early May so that it won't be so close to The 2007 PGA Championship which is next year at Southern Hills. The club is also looking at bidding for another US Open.

Also, the Tulsa's LPGA tour stop hasn't ever played at Southern Hills. It was at Tulsa Country Club near downtown for a couple of years and has been played the last few years at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow. Hammond's lost his primary sponsor spot to SemGroup, a big Tulsa oil company.

[mcheiss]

Tulsa isn't losing it's LPGA tour stop, it's moving to late April/early May so that it won't be so close to The 2007 PGA Championship which is next year at Southern Hills. The club is also looking at bidding for another US Open.

Also, the Tulsa's LPGA tour stop hasn't ever played at Southern Hills. It was at Tulsa Country Club near downtown for a couple of years and has been played the last few years at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow. Hammond's lost his primary sponsor spot to SemGroup, a big Tulsa oil company.

Ah, I just got the two confused I see. I read about Southern Hills and must have thought that's where the LPGA tour was playing.

[masons_dad1]

For now I'll take an LPGA event. I hope that some day we could get a PGA event, but I'm not counting on it. I know Pinnacle is nice, but I'm not sure if it's right for a men's tournament.

Yeah, most of the courses in NWA are built more as amateur hobby courses and out of appreciation of golf by the developers. I know that Lost Springs was designed and built by one of those Lindseys as a hobby and not as a tournament course. The last I saw was that NWA doesn't have any golf courses listed on a national level, but on a statewide level there are a couple that compete.

[mcheiss]

Shadow Valley and Pinnacle Country Club are the best in Rogers for Tournaments.

[Mith242]

Yeah, most of the courses in NWA are built more as amateur hobby courses and out of appreciation of golf by the developers. I know that Lost Springs was designed and built by one of those Lindseys as a hobby and not as a tournament course. The last I saw was that NWA doesn't have any golf courses listed on a national level, but on a statewide level there are a couple that compete.

I've always heard good things about Stonebridge. But I still think some of the other golf courses in the state outdo it. Maybe it's still not quite good enough to be considered on a 'national' level.

[mcheiss]

Aloatian and Chenal Valley are pretty good one's in Little Rock. Hot Springs has some good one's in the Village.

[Aporkalypse]

Aloatian and Chenal Valley are pretty good one's in Little Rock. Hot Springs has some good one's in the Village.

Golf Digest's rankings are usually considered pretty reliable by a lot of golfers:

Best in State Rankings: 2005-2006

ARKANSAS

1. (1) Isabella C.C., Hot Springs Village *

2. (2) Chenal C.C. (Founders) Little Rock *

3. (5) Ponce de Leon G. Cse. Hot Springs Village *

4. (4) Diamante G.C. Hot Springs Village*

5. (8) Big Creek G. & C.C. Mountain Home

6. (3) Pleasant Valley C.C. Little Rock *

7. Balboa G. Cse. Hot Springs Village*

8. (6) C.C. of Little Rock *

9. Chenal C.C. (Bear Den Mountain) Little Rock*

10. Stonebridge Meadows G.C. Fayetteville

The Alotian in Little Rock was named the best new private golf course in the country last year. There's talk of a PGA event there but the terrain and private nature of the course would make it tough. Some people have mentioned Pleasant Valley as a better course for that, which it is, but it's not as beautiful. The NCAA Golf Central regionals were held there a couple of years ago.

Pinnacle used to show up in these rankings, especially when it was Champions. I wonder what happened, if it's a management issue or something.

Getting an LPGA event is pretty cool. Womens' golf is a lot closer to men's golf than say, WNBA to the NBA. I would go watch.

[mcheiss]

These remind me of the rankings I saw on Arkansas Business not too long ago. I didn't quite agree with this. I don't see how only one NWA golf course made it in the top 10. Shadow Valley, Pinnacle, and some of the one's in Bella Vista are cleary much better than some of the Hot Springs Village One's, IMO. I heard that these rankings came from a poll of golfers, which isn't very reliable in my books, seeing as how almost all of these courses are in central arakansas.

[Aporkalypse]

These remind me of the rankings I saw on Arkansas Business not too long ago. I didn't quite agree with this. I don't see how only one NWA golf course made it in the top 10. Shadow Valley, Pinnacle, and some of the one's in Bella Vista are cleary much better than some of the Hot Springs Village One's, IMO. I heard that these rankings came from a poll of golfers, which isn't very reliable in my books, seeing as how almost all of these courses are in central arakansas.

The one in Mountain Home made it and nearly always get mentioned and nobody lives there People drive up there just to play it. Belvedere CC used to be a regular as well and since has dropped out.

I don't know, everything I hear from serious golfers is the same, Pinnacle aside. Most people agree that's a good course. The Chenal courses may get a boost just from the fact that they are Robert Trent Jones courses.

Benton Co is probably ripe for a Chenal-esque development out around Beaver Lake somewhere. The hill and water there could give you visuals similar to the Alotian.

[mcheiss]

Benton Co is probably ripe for a Chenal-esque development out around Beaver Lake somewhere. The hill and water there could give you visuals similar to the Alotian.

That would be nice, and could be used for attracting large events. Of course it might be hard getting enough flat land out there, as well as all those pesky homeowners (If you know what I mean). May'be Coose Hollow Condos or the other Condo Project near Lowell will have a Golf Course.

[Aporkalypse]

That would be nice, and could be used for attracting large events. Of course it might be hard getting enough flat land out there, as well as all those pesky homeowners (If you know what I mean). May'be Coose Hollow Condos or the other Condo Project near Lowell will have a Golf Course.

You don't have to have flat land to build a golf course. Chenal's Bear Den Mountain course is really in the midst of some big hills adjacent to Chenal Mountain. I think the problem like you said is to find vacant land as a lot of people already live there. The reason the Chenal courses and Alotian could be built where they were is that all of that land belonged to Deltic Timber and was completely vacant.

The terrain up around Bella Vista is pretty but most of that area around Lowell is pretty flat, isn't it?

[Mith242]

These remind me of the rankings I saw on Arkansas Business not too long ago. I didn't quite agree with this. I don't see how only one NWA golf course made it in the top 10. Shadow Valley, Pinnacle, and some of the one's in Bella Vista are cleary much better than some of the Hot Springs Village One's, IMO. I heard that these rankings came from a poll of golfers, which isn't very reliable in my books, seeing as how almost all of these courses are in central arakansas.

I admit I don't golf and I'm no expert but I'm always hearing how many of these other courses are better. I suppose there could be some bias but maybe we also just don't have golf courses that are up to par with some of these others. At least Stonebridge managed to sneak in the top ten.

[masons_dad1]

Arkansas does not have 1 single golf course listed in Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest" ranking.

Arkansas has 2 golf courses listed in Golf Digest's "Best New Private" ranking

#1. The Alotian Club - Roland, Ark.

#6. Blessings - Johnson, Ark.

Blessings Golf Course is home of the Lady Razorbacks and the Fred W. and Mary B. Smith Razorback Golf Training Facility. So at least Northwest Arkansas did make it onto one of Golf Digest's national rankings. As did The Alotian Club in Roland, AR.

Considering how many "new" golf courses there are in NWA I wouldn't be surprised to see more of them making onto Golf Digest's rankings.