$60 Million PGA Windfall Expected

Tuesday, August 7th 2007, 2:23 pm

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Cha-ching. That cash register sound will be music to the ears of area retailers this week, as tens of thousands of visitors are expected in town for the 89th PGA Championship, snapping up everything from steak dinners to bouquets of roses.

The golf tournament figures to have an economic impact of at least $60 million on the Tulsa area, with as many as 125,000 visitors expected Wednesday through Sunday, according to estimates from the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

Compare that with the rare basketball tournament or weekend horse show that swings through Tulsa, generating just $2 million to $4 million in economic impact, and the PGA is in a league of its own.

Not to mention the kind of national publicity you can't put a price tag on.

"This is a very big deal," chamber spokeswoman Sheila Curley said. "The type of publicity that showcases Tulsa is immeasurable. It's the type of publicity that's impossible to buy."

Throughout town, business owners were preparing for a potential windfall, including a possible 20 percent increase in revenue over normal receipts in some cases.

At the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown, only 60 rooms were left unbooked out of 460, and the general manager there said he hopes to be sold out late Tuesday or Wednesday. Normally during this time of year, the hotel sees 60 to 70 percent of its rooms booked.

Parkhill's Liquor and Wine, located about a mile from Southern Hills Country Club, the tournament site, expects to see a 20 percent jump in sales this week due to PGA traffic.

"Obviously, all the businesses are going to benefit from the sheer number of people," wine manager Milton Leiter said. "Hopefully, adult beverages are part of their plan, as far as we're concerned."

Area restaurants were advising local customers to phone ahead to see if they could even get a table while the PGA was in town.

"The week is filling up quickly. Thursday is full," said Kathy Bondy, the manager at McGill's seafood and steak restaurant, which has been preparing for the extra foot traffic for months.

Flower-shop owner Karen Bartel remembers the brisk business she did when the U.S. Open came to Southern Hills in 2001, and is hoping for more of the same. This week's special? A dozen roses for $9.99, cash and carry.

"We're always excited to have something new come through Tulsa," said Bartel, who owns Flowerama in south Tulsa.

Chamber officials, who spent 18 months preparing for the event, are hoping a successful PGA event will give the city more clout to land a major tournament or convention in years to come.

"There's not a bad perception of Tulsa. There's literally no perception," Curley said. "Tulsa is a beautiful, green city that is highly cosmopolitan and not what others expect."