The famed Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club golf course is still riding a wave from the 2007 men’s U.S. Open as it launches marketing for the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, to be played there July 8-11.
The 2009 women’s Open was held this past week at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. Now, the women’s national championship moves across the state and back to Oakmont and will be telecast by ESPN and NBC. The championship is expected to attract 125,000 people to the region for the week—about half of the attendance for the men’s championship in ’07. Officials said the event will mean $30 million in economic impact for western Pennsylvania.
While the women’s Open has been at Oakmont only once, the men’s championship has been played there eight times since 1927. In addition, the U.S. Amateur Championship has been played there five times, most recently in 2003, and the PGA Championships were contested at Oakmont in 1922, 1951 and 1978.
According to The Tribune-Democrat, with Oakmont hosting the men’s Open in 2016, the USGA and the club are offering a special ticket package aimed at driving up attendance for the women’s event in 2010. Golf fans can purchase packages that include tickets to the U.S. Women’s Open as well as tickets for the next men’s event in western Pennsylvania. Additionally, kids under 17 will again be admitted free to watch golf next year, and the first row of the grandstand will be reserved for young fans.
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