The USGA reports that the 2024 U.S. Open Championship delivered $242.5 million in economic impact to the state of North Carolina, capping an extraordinary first full year of residency for the organization on the Golf House Pinehurst campus.
The number surpasses impact dollars reported for the combined 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships, which were conducted in successive weeks in Pinehurst and marked the last time the national championships were played on the famed Course No. 2.
The 2024 report, delivered by Eventcorp, also showed that this year’s U.S. Open supported more than 1,800 jobs, with a dedicated $95.7 million in visitor spending and an average per-visitor spend of $1,156.
“We made a promise to North Carolina when we announced not only Pinehurst as an anchor site, but also a permanent office in there, that the worldwide golf community would take notice – and the state would benefit for years to come,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan in a press release. “One year in, and we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do together in this golf-rich area.”
The USGA opened its seven-acre Golf House Pinehurst campus nearly a year ago, which now houses its new golf equipment test center, USGA Experience, the World Golf Hall of Fame and 70 full-time employees. They include the National Development Program staff, USGA Green Section scientists, U.S. Open operations teams and equipment standards engineers, among others.
Next week, 14 more golf course workers will graduate from the USGA’s Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program (GAP) debt-free at nearby Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst. Created in 2023 by the USGA’s Green Section, GAP delivers a one-year training program of in-class and in-field learning at no cost to the golf maintenance workers. Graduates receive an NC Journey Worker Card and a raise in pay at an area course. USGA Green Section staff based in Pinehurst serve as instructors for the program.
Along with regional collaborators that include the Carolinas Golf Association, Ewing Outdoor Supply, the Dedman Foundation/Pinehurst Resort & Country Club and other donors, the USGA dedicated $1 million to sustain the GAP workforce development initiative in the region for the next five years.
In October, the USGA also expanded its operation to the Pinehurst No. 10 property in Aberdeen with a new Outdoor Testing Pavilion and test range. The innovative Test Center is now fully operational – the only one of its kind to test all golf balls, clubs and equipment manufactured in the U.S. and Mexico for conformance to golf’s rules.
More than 28,000 visitors have walked through the USGA Experience and World Golf Hall of Fame building since its opening in late May. The Museum team launched a programming calendar in Pinehurst this fall, hosting authors, artists and notable players, with a more robust calendar planned for 2025.
“The opening of Golf House Pinehurst represents a pivotal investment in our local economy,” said Natalie Hawkins, president of the Moore County Economic Development Partnership. “The 2024 U.S. Open supported another 1,800 jobs across the state, showcasing the power of sports in driving regional prosperity. Bolstered by the innovative Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program, the USGA’s recent investments in North Carolina have strengthened our community. We couldn’t be more pleased that the USGA chose Pinehurst as its second home, and we look forward to partnering further with the USGA on future programs and initiatives that enhance and expand our local and state economy.”
“The 2024 U.S. Open capped off a record-breaking fiscal year for our destination in terms of every visitation benchmark we follow as an organization,” said Phil Werz, president and CEO of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Thanks to the USGA and Pinehurst Resort for staging such a memorable event with a worthy champion, which further solidified our rightful place as the ‘Home of American Golf.’”
Feature photo: Golf House Pinehurst campus/Mary Anne Pfrogner/Sandhills Sentinel.
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