PGA Tour’s economic impact shows golf remains big business in South Carolina

The sport of golf demonstrates that golf has become a commercial activity in South Carolina, as highlighted by the increasing demand for golfing hours throughout the state and especially at resorts along the Atlantic coast.

According to a 2022 report from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, golf brings $3.3 billion annually to the state’s economy.

Economic impact reports for the state’s two 2024 PGA Tour tournaments, the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing on Hilton Head Island and the Myrtle Beach Classic, show nothing has changed.

Dating back to 1969, the Legacy has generated $134.9 million in economic impact, according to a study by Clemson University’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.

According to calculations by Destinations International, the Myrtle Beach event contributed $15.4 million to the economy in its first year.

The difference in impact is clearly significant, and its roots go back to Heritage’s longevity (nearly 60 years at the same venue) and its status as a “signature event” that guarantees the Tour’s best golfers will be competing.

The Myrtle Beach tournament started from scratch, in the “opposite field” category, and golfers who did not qualify for the signature event played in Charlotte on the same dates.

Still, the Myrtle Beach tournament “exceeded our expectations in every way,” tournament director Darren Nelson said in a news release.

This year’s effort is Heritage’s sixth in the last 25 years, and statistics show growth has skyrocketed from $44.6 million in 1999 to $134.9 million generated in April. The 2024 total is an 11% increase over 2019, after adjusting for inflation.

Bob Brookover, Clemson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Department director, said tournament director Steve Wilmot and his staff are committed to creating an unforgettable experience at Heritage, and the numbers speak for themselves.

Using web-based data from more than 4,000 fans who attended the tournament, as well as information from the Heritage Classic Foundation and various sponsors, the researchers measured Heritage’s economic impact in four ways:

Direct spending estimate: $106.6 million;

Number of jobs created: 1,611;

Net revenues of state and local governments: $8 million;

Total output: $134.9 million.

The Myrtle Beach survey showed that 52% of the estimated 40,000 fans visited the Grand Strand from across the U.S. and 12 countries.

The 2025 Heritage will again be a signature event played the week following the Masters in April, with defending champion Scottie Scheffler leading the field. The 2025 Myrtle Beach Classic will again be played on Mother’s Day weekend in May.

Chip shots. The Haskins Foundation announced that USC All-Americans Hannah Darling and Louise Rydqvist have been named to the 25 players named to the Fall 2024-25 Annika Award Watch List. Created in 2014 and presented by Stifel, the Annika Award is given annually to the top female Division I college golfer as voted by players, coaches and members of the college golf media. … Jessica Edwards (Spartanburg/USC Beaufort) won the Open Amateur title and Jordan Britt (Ridgeland) led the Open Professional division at the South Carolina Women’s Open at Cobblestone Park GC. In senior competition, Pam Prescott (Piedmont) topped Lea Venables (Simpsonville) among the amateurs and Yvonne Cox-Holmes (Cumming, Georgia) won the Professional title.