The PGA staff designated two locations in Pender County for parking – Blake Farm and the NC Spot Festival lot. The “Spot Lot” parked up to 5,000 cars.
While it slowed traffic on US Hwy 17 those golf fans had to fill their fuel tanks and their stomachs. The trash containers each morning were filled with Dunkin Donut coffee cups and we heard one guest boarding the shuttle who was raving about “that donut shop” called Burney’s Sweets & More.
The media reception, hosted by five county and two town tourism entities, was held at The Sailfish Restaurant at Scotts Hill Marina. Shannon Pitts and his staff served a shrimp boil, chicken, fixings, drinks and entertainment alongside the water’s edge. Guests included PGA officials, an Associated Press photographer, golf writers from McClatchy Newspapers, Reuters, CBS, and international writers from Scotland, Australia, and Germany. We were later told a group from CBS returned to Sailfish later in the week for dinner.
At Eagle Point, Pender County had an expo tent. Staffed by Pender County residents, this venue gave us an opportunity to promote Pender County. We talked about our beaches, our rivers, the sea turtle hospital, our history, and our blueberries. We talked to visitors from New York, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia, just to name a few.
We met golf fans who wanted to relocate. They asked questions about neighborhoods and about our festivals and about our schools.
From the expo tent, we distributed thousands of visitor guides, countless hand sanitizers, sunscreen, and bug spray, which were provided by the Pender County Health Department. Many golf fans commented, “Pender County is giving items that are for our safety” to which we replied, “That’s the way Pender County Health rolls!”
Pender County residents were visible in many volunteer opportunities. In addition to the expo tent, volunteers served in the media center, as marshals, as ambassadors, and working in transportation.
The final numbers regarding the economic impact of the Wells Fargo Championship is still being tabulated. But we know it created additional jobs for groundskeepers, food vendors, and the many services demanded by an event with a crowd of more than 25,000 per day.
We learned of caddies and golf officials who stayed on Topsail Island who were impressed by the beaches.
We met a Charlotte native who brought her family to Surf City while she volunteered at the tournament. She was extremely impressed by the beaches, the turtle hospital, and the dining choices. This Wells Fargo employee said she was going home to tell her co-workers about Topsail Island.
While the Wells Fargo Championship visited the Cape Fear Region, it was Pender’s County opportunity to promote the county’s beauty, history, and our economy.
