1

this issue

ISSUE

07 NOVEMBER

2013

WGC – Bridgestone Invitational

Reno Tahoe Open

Wyndham Championship

The Barclays

Deutsche Bank Championship

BMW Championship

WELCOME FROM TOURNAMENT BUSINESS AFFAIRS

Welcome to the seventh issue of the Tournament Business Affairs Sales & Marketing Newsletter. This publication is designed to bring you up-to-date with best practices, sponsorship and brand activation, along with other useful pieces of information. This edition features numerous informative articles provided to Tournament Business Affairs by World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational, Reno-Tahoe Open, Wyndham Championship, The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship. Our sales update focuses on delivering an outstanding sponsor experience and provides some specific best practices for successful activation we hope you will find useful. Lessons from other Sports Leagues shares some interesting trends in upgraded concessions offerings.

In an effort to continually enhance and enrich this publication, Tournament Business Affairs appreciates all comments and suggestions. Improving the quality of the information we provide to you remains a top priority for our department. We encourage you to contact your Tournament Business Affairs representative with any questions or requests for additional information concerning the items featured in this newsletter. Looking forward to seeing many of you next week at Tournament Meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach. Have a happy holiday season!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sales Update Page 2 Lessons from other Sports Leagues Pages 3 - 4 Title Sponsor Integration Pages 5-7 Socially Speaking Page 8 Best Practices Pages 9-13 Birdies for the Brave Page 14 Together Anything’s Possible Page 15 Did you Know Page 16 In Closing Page 16

2

Sponsorship Activation From the staging of first class venues to the providing of exceptional client service, all PGA TOUR tournaments excel at delivering an outstanding sponsor experience. While the quality of this experience is critical to ensuring continued corporate support, the manner in which a client activates its sponsorship can significantly impact overall satisfaction and future tournament investment potential. Lack of perceived return on investment (ROI) may be the number one reason why a sponsor does not renew with a PGA TOUR tournament. Regardless of the overall experience, clients may not be able to justify continued investment if desired business objectives are not being achieved through the sponsorship. Though the onus is on the client to execute the activation of its sponsorship, sharing insight about how they can maximize their investment will go a long way toward building a long-term relationship. In many cases, this type of information is eye-opening for sponsors, particularly those that may not have experience with utilizing tournament assets. Some specific best practices include:

Assign a dedicated event planner Significant internal coordination is required by a tournament client in order to best position the company to maximize the impact of its hospitality experience. Some sponsors have dedicated event planners tasked with this responsibility, but if suc h an individual is not in place, it is imperative that this becomes a priority for an existing resource. There are simply too many logistical elements that need to be executed, and timelines that need to be followed, and key details will fall through the c racks without a dedicated point person in place.

Setting defined objectives For most tournament clients, sponsorship objectives typically include a mix of retaining / upselling existing clients, securi ng new clients, and rewarding employees. Early in the planning process, it is important that the client recognizes these objecti ves as the focus of the company’s investment with the tournament. Needs should be evaluated and the proper mix of objectives should be prioritized accordingly.

Developing an ROI formula As referenced earlier, lack of perceived ROI may be the number one reason why a client does not renew with a PGA TOUR tournament. In many cases, this shortcoming can actually be traced back to a lack of measurement. Sponsors need to ensure they are incorporating a way to measure “lift” associated with relationship building at the event, including the amount of renewal business secured, the amount of upsell and new business secured, and any spikes in employee productivity associated with tournament incentive or reward programs. While most individuals will walk away from the event feeling like it’s a “no brainer” to renew the investment, key decision makers will most definitely scrutinize the bottom line impact, making ROI measurement a critical component of the sponsorship activation process.

Hosting qualified guests The greatest benefit of any PGA TOUR tournament’s hospitality platform is the opportunity it offers clients to build relationships with invited guests. However, this benefit will not be fully realized by clients if they are not engaging the right people. Planning efforts should include coordination among sales people, account managers, executives, and anyone else involved in the client acquisition and servicing process to identify key targets among existing and prospective clients.

Committing to advanced invitation timelines After determining individuals to target for participation and the best day(s) to have each of these individuals on site, it i s imperative that invitations are sent out well in advance of the tournament. In addition to improving the odds of avoiding a schedule conflict among invited guests, this also allows the client to reach out to secondary targets should not enough initi al targets commit to attending.

For more information about sponsorship activation, please view the PGA TOUR Tournament Sales Manual, which is available on the best practices web site in the “Sales” section under “Sales Support Program.”

SALES UPDATE

3

Trends in Concessions From Los Angeles to New York, professional and college sports stadiums across the country are giving their concession stand menus a much-needed makeover. Fans are no longer craving a soggy hotdog or a bucket of popcorn, but instead are demanding more higher-end dishes with a variety of healthy options. Due perhaps to the influx of popular food-related shows on television, sports concession deals with celebrity chefs and local eateries are becoming more and more common in stadiums. In 2000, Levy Restaurants became one of the first to introduce a gourmet selection by serving Wolfgang Puck’s pizzas in their suites. Today, the Minnesota Twins are following in their footsteps by engaging in a revenue share deal with Andrew Zimmern, host of The Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” show, through an extension of his food truck, AZ Canteen, which offers signature menu items such as the widely-popular “cabrito” burger. The Twins are expecting their partnership with Zimmern to continue to improve fan experience across the board and boost sales. Another trend currently on the rise is stadiums choosing to partner with local brands instead of national brands such as McDonald’s. Local brands provide stadiums with identity by serving food that represents dishes that are both appetizing and familiar to fans. At Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the team offers a popular promotion called “My Town Nights” that honors a different community among the fan base with menus of authentic cuisines that exemplify their culture. In addition to incremental sales revenue, local restaurants are willing to trade off a slimmer margin for unbeatable branding exposure opportunities that a partnership with a major sports organization offers. Along with providing their fans with a variety of choice, the inclusion of local brands can also be utilized to cater to specific needs of certain fans. A prime example would be the enhanced concession offerings of the Wells Fargo Championship in 2013. After receiving feedback from their patrons through a post tournament survey, the tournament’s menu expanded to accommodate vegetarians and gluten -intolerant fans. The tournament also promoted their new menu through their virtual “Patron Planner”, which is sent out to fans prior to the event.

LESSONS FROM OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES

4

Trends in Concessions In 2012, most fans left their seats during halftime of the University of Michigan vs. Northwestern football game with the Wolverines ahead by a touchdown to visit the concessions stands. Upon meeting long lines, the majority of fans missed two touchdowns and much to their dismay, found that Northwestern was instead ahead by a touchdown. While addressing the public perception of unhealthy blandness that has historically characterized their menus, stadiums are also attempting to maximize their concession sales by significantly decreasing concession lines and ensuring fans will never think twice when contemplating whether or not to revisit for a secondary purchase. Traditional food vendors face the daunting challenge of serving tens of thousands of people within roughly a three-hour window unlike most restaurants that enjoy a more leisurely pace. With the implementation of fan-accessible Wi-Fi in stadiums becoming more common, organizations are experimenting with mobile apps that allow their fans to order food ahead of time and effectively reduce waiting times. Reinforcing these endeavors are the results from a survey conducted by Turnkey that polled over 1,100 senior -level sports industry executives. When asked how venues could increase concessions revenue, thirty -one percent answered “faster service.” Behind ticket sales, concessions represent the second most important revenue stream for professional sports organizations. Whether it’s adding additional points of service or concentrating on lowering the average service time for an individual customer, stadiums are constantly thinking of innovative ways to reach more clientele. At THE PLAYERS Championship, the tournament integrated a new fan experience enhancement called “Hawkers.” Similar to those at major league baseball games, these roaming concessionaires sold water and beer to patrons, which consequently allowed patrons at the 16th and 17th holes to keep their seats while simultaneously purchasing beverages to quench their thirst. The tournament also believes that the success of the Hawkers presents a branding opportunity that they can sell to a sponsor in 2014. Above all, the experience of the fan is paramount to increasing concession sales. By continuing to develop menus that whet the ever-evolving appetites of their patrons and serve them more efficiently, the ceiling for maximized concession revenue from professional sports events will only continue to heighten.

LESSONS FROM OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES continued

5

TITLE SPONSOR INTEGRATION Title sponsors Bridgestone, Wyndham, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and BMW each had unique objectives and activations at their respective events. Some of their platforms are summarized on the following pages.

Inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, whose songs evoke a cross-generational yearning for an island adventure, the Wyndham Championship and Wyndham Worldwide added a new venue to this year’s tournament called “Margaritaville at the Wyndham.” The tropical themed fan experience was modeled after Wyndham’s newest destination property and offered a wide variety of amenities for all tournament spectators. Announced in March of 2013, Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Margaritaville Hospitality Group are jointly developing the first ever Margaritaville Vacation Club Resort in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The property is set to open in late 2014. The partnership between the two companies led to the idea of “Margaritaville at the Wyndham.” Margaritaville was located between the first hole and the clubhouse on the large covered deck that was previously known as the Wyndham Boardwalk. Open the entire week, fans were serenaded by Margaritaville’s island-inspired music on Radio

Margaritaville as they enjoyed an ice cold Landshark Lager, a cool concoction or a Cheeseburger in Paradise. Additionally, Margaritaville at the Wyndham featured live music Tuesday through Sunday afternoons after the last group cleared the first hole. Keeping with the tournaments “Escape to the Wyndham” ad campaign, which was named the PGA TOUR’s best in 2012, Margaritaville at the Wyndham truly embodied the tournaments mission to provide spectators with a tropical vacation-themed campaign like nothing else they’ve done in the past. The new venue was an overwhelming success and became a destination must at this year’s tournament.

Margaritaville at the Wyndham

6

TITLE SPONSOR INTEGRATION continued

Deutsche Bank Supports the One Fund The Boston Marathon bombings have had a profound impact on the sporting world for both athletes and fans. Following the tragedy, the Boston Strong initiative was put in place to raise awareness and show support for those affected. The Deutsche Bank Championship quickly got behind the campaign, raising awareness for the victims and their families through a number of initiatives conducted during championship week. Most notably, the final round of the championship was designated Boston Strong Day. Spectators were encouraged to wear blue and gold (the colors of the Boston Marathon) to show their support. Victims and their families were given two complimentary grounds tickets to attend Boston Strong Day and watch the final round of the 2013 Deutsche Bank Championship. Throughout the week, Boston Strong bracelets were sold for $3 in the merchandise tent and at other high-traffic areas around the course. Title sponsor, Deutsche Bank actively supported the program by selling the bracelets in their company offices. All proceeds benefited One Fund Boston, an organization formed to assist victims and families affected by the events at the 2013 Boston Marathon. Additionally, fans, players and sponsors attending the Championship were encouraged to stop by Kids Village during the week and show their support by participating in America 4 Boston’s Prayer Canvas, a large canvas, sectioned into squares that allowed individuals to write a prayer, a name, a word, a symbol or paint a picture in honor of the victims and survivors. Designed to show America’s unity and humanity, the Prayer Canvas is travelling the U.S. from May 2013 to February 2014. It made a stop at TPC Boston during Championship week, collecting well-wishes from the public. It will be presented to the city of Boston on the one year anniversary of the bombings. At the end of the week, as a result of the awareness campaign, 2013 tournament champion Henrik Stenson made a $25,000 donation to One Fund Boston. Congratulations to the Deutsche Bank Championship for actively supporting and contributing to a very worthy cause.

7

TITLE SPONSOR INTEGRATION continued

BMW Provides Owners with High End Perks At the BMW Championship, every service BMW provided, event they hosted, and promotional item they gave away, was a reflection of their brand. BMW takes great pride in their all -inclusive, ultimate service and maintenance program which means if you buy a BMW, everything is taken care of for the life of the vehicle. The way they treated their owners at the BMW Championship was a mirror image of that service. The experience began when owners arrived at the Championship. BMW owners had access to park in a private lot where they could check-in and pick up tickets at a BMW Concierge. From there, they were transported to the golf course in luxury shuttle busses. Once on the course, BMW owners had exclusive access to the BMW Owners' Pavilion, located between the 16th green and 17th tee. Owners simply had to show their BMW key fob at the entrance to gain entry for themselves and a guest. The venue featured upscale food and beverages in a stylish and spacious atmosphere. There was open-air seating, and air-conditioned interior seating with a vehicle display, flat -screen TV’s and other interactive elements. As part of the BMW Owners’ Pavilion, owners had the opportunity to be a part of live Golf Channel television broadcasts and interact with talent in the Golf Channel Live studio. There were also daily Q&A sessions with players hosted by Golf Channel’s Win McMurray. In addition to the above, Thursday was designated BMW Owner Day. All BMW owners received free admission for themselves and one guest by showing their BMW key at the tournament entrance. BMW supported the tournaments charitable efforts by encouraging owners to make a minimum donation of ten dollars at the gate to the Evans Scholars Foundation in exchange for a commemorative BMW Championship pin. With such an engaged title sponsor, the BMW brand was evident throughout the grounds at the championship.

8

SOCIALLY SPEAKING Facebook Promotion Guidelines Social Media platforms are often a useful tool for tournaments to share compelling content with their fans both inside and outside of tournament week. The tool Facebook, can also be used to build awareness around an event or product. It is common for tournaments to use promotions on social media in order to build awareness and excitement around their event. According to Facebook, anything including entry/registration, an element of chance, a giveaway or prize, is considered a promotion. Up until now, all Pages on Facebook were forced to install an app button when running a promotion where entrants are directed in order to register. The use of the app button poses many barriers to entry. For one, users navigating a tournaments page on their mobile Facebook app are redirected to a mobile site once they click the “app button.” This sometimes causes users to have to re -log in, which deters engagement. Recently, Facebook updated their Pages Terms to include changes that will now make it easier for Tournaments to more effectively create and administer promotions on Facebook. It is no longer required to administer promotions through the apps function. Instead, promotions may now be administered in the Timeline. This addition is beneficial for many reasons. One, in keeping the promotion on your Page and within the Timeline, users will not be redirected to a different site or app if they are browsing on their mobile phone. Next, it lowers the barriers to entry significantly. By administering sweepstakes and promotions in the Page Timeline you can: • Collect entries by having users post on the Page or comment/like a Page post, • Collect entries by having a user message the Page, • And utilize Likes as a voting mechanism. This cuts out the process of asking users to take time to input fields of information. If you have your own unique idea for a campaign or promotion and wish to enlist the PGA TOUR’s help during tournament week, contact Jenny Cannon (JennyCannon@pgatourhq.com). For questions on activating and or promoting a social media account, contact DJ Piehowski (DJPiehowski@pgatourhq.com).

9

BEST PRACTICES World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational Looking for a great way to prospect new clients while building relationships with your existing sponsors? The Bridgestone Invitational Championship Council, a group of “C” level executives, support the tournament by hosting the Bridgestone Invitational Cup. Held two weeks before the Bridgestone Invitational, each council member invites a fellow CEO for a two day golf outing with an overnight stay at Firestone Country Club. Outreach for the event began six months prior to the event and resulted in the attendance of thirty “C” level executives. The events agenda fostered strong relationship building and was casually structured to get to know the prospects and share the impact that the Bridgestone Invitational has had on the regional community. Day one consisted of an afternoon skins game followed by cocktails and dinner. The second day began with another round of golf on Firestone’s South Course followed by lunch and a short awards presentation. Following the event, each prospect was invited back to attend the Bridgestone Invitational as a guest of the council and the tournament. This exclusive club has not only strengthened existing relationships with current sponsors but has also provided the tournament sales staff with access to the decisions makers of other potential new clients.

Generally speaking, private golf club members have strong business connections. So, when the BMW Championship traveled to Crooked Stick Golf Club in 2012, tournament staff wanted to take full advantage of its host club members by leveraging their knowledge and influence to generate hospitality revenue through an Executive Sales Committee. Based on a pre-determined commission structure, the golf club was incentivized to assist in making connections. The committee’s success at Crooked Stick was substantial, so another committee was formed at Conway Farms Golf Club for the 2013 BMW Championship. Again, results were phenomenal. Currently, momentum is strong as committee members from Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver aim to break a record in 2014. Identifying potential committee members through the club’s General Manager and Director of Golf is the first step. Once identified, BMW Championship staff circulates invitations to join the Executive Sales Committee where members are charged with introducing prospects to hospitality offerings and influencing their decisions.

Fifteen to twenty committee members are assembled and kick-off meetings follow to outline sales goals, discuss the sales plan, share collateral materials, set committee member expectations and show how overall efforts benefit host clubs. Thereafter, sales updates are emailed weekly and committee meetings are scheduled monthly to discuss progress and forward strategy. BMW Championship staff oversees matrices that track sales activity and results. Exclusive to 2013, BMW Championship staff also used the Executive Sales Committee and Conway Farms Golf Club to help showcase sales materials, member-only hospitality offers and volunteer opportunities at other private clubs in the area. Due in part to the 2013 Committee, the BMW Championship improved its 2012 sales by 18%. Committee member sales (e.g. sales indirectly/directly stemming from the host club) accounted for 40% of the BMW Championship’s total sales. Additionally, over 20 other private clubs in the area purchased member-only hospitality and nearly 150 Conway Farms Golf Club members volunteered throughout tournament week.

BMW Championship

10

BEST PRACTICES continued

Reno-Tahoe Open In an effort to bring name recognition and excitement to the food and beverage experience at this year’s tournament, the Reno-Tahoe Open hired well-known restaurants to oversee their concessions. Steering away from the normal standalone concession areas, the tournament strived to create a culinary experience featuring the most talked about food offerings in the Reno-Tahoe community. The main goal was to attract new interest and media coverage from the previously untapped “foodie” market while enhancing the quality of the on -site experience for fans. The eight months leading up to the event, the staff met regularly with esteemed area chefs Mark Estee and Colin Smith to discuss the tournaments food and beverage needs and where exactly their services would make the most impact. Together, they strived to provide a truly top notch local food experience for all the spectators and sponsors. With the tournaments renewed attention on highlighting the local Reno -Tahoe community, 2013 proved to be the perfect time to implement homegrown flavor into the event and feature the popular food truck movement gaining popularity in Reno and throughout the country. In all, six food and beverage trucks and two additional food outlets were employed to provide the experience the tournament was seeking. The Reno-Tahoe Open allowed each concessioner to sell their food on course for no fee or commission. In return the tournament asked that each vendor promote their presence at the Reno -Tahoe Open through their own various media outlets. Additionally, each vendor was also required to provide a predetermined number of meals to the tournament volunteers. Through this barter program, the tournament was able to save a significant amount of money as well as provide each of their volunteers the opportunity to enjoy all the new food offerings. As a result, the tournament saw a savings of eight percent in food and beverage costs. More importantly, implementing this new program provided a local look and feel to an already locally -inspired event and promoted businesses within the tournaments surrounding community.

11

BEST PRACTICES continued

Wyndham Championship Whether through local sponsors, charitable giving, or packed hotels and restaurants, each PGA TOUR event has a significant impact on the economy of its host community. Held one month prior to the tournament, the Wyndham Championship hosted the inaugural “State of the Wyndham Championship.” The goal of this event was to generate new exposure for the tournament and bring together key sponsors and ticket holders to discuss the economic impact the Wyndham Championship has had on the Piedmont Triad region. The event, which was hosted at a local convention center, served arriving guests breakfast and provided the opportunity to network before the forum began. Panelists included Tournament Director Mark Brazil, PGA TOUR Radio personality John Maginnes, McConnell Golf President and Owner and Sedgefield Country Club Owner John McConnell, and Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation Chairman Bobby Long. The sold out event was promoted by the Triad Business Journal where participants could register to attend through a link on their website. The tournament also sent out communication to key ticket holders and sponsors. As a result, approximately 150 people and multiple news outlets were in attendance and subsequently, the tournament sales staff noticed a significant spike in sponsorship inquires due to all the increased positive exposure. An overwhelming success, the tournament will plan to host a similar forum for the 2014 tournament focusing on the fact that next year marks the 75th Wyndham Championship.

12

Sending out email communication to share tournament information is a standard practice amongst all PGA TOUR events. But how effectively are you reaching the consumer? In an effort to improve their open and click through rates on email, The Barclays deployed the “sneak peek” email to share important tournament information. The email, which was sent out the day before the tournament, was developed and designed by PGATOUR.com and included several different elements of communication and information. Deployed by Mail Chimp, the tournaments e-marketing management system, the email was sent to 18,000 past purchasers and garnered a 30% open rate compared to the industry standard of 18% and a click through rate of 14% compared to the industry standard of 2.9%. Parking information was the tournament’s number one priority, and it received 29% of the clicks, followed by “What’s New” (18%), MasterCard perks (12%), security information (11%), and finally, tickets (10%). Although tickets sales were not a priority for this email, the last minute communication resulted in more than $2,000 in sales.

BEST PRACTICES continued

The Barclays

Both the tournament and its partners found this new format of email marketing communication to be wildly successful. In the history of tournament e-marketing across all Championship Management events, there has not been a more successful campaign than this one. As a result, the new format was immediately implemented at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, who saw very similar results.

13

The Deutsche Bank Championship endeavored to engage spectators whilst helping to promote and grow their social media outlets. The utilization of three different creative, interactive online campaigns helped them achieve this goal. 1. Before tournament week, the Deutsche Bank Championship implemented a “Meet the Champion” sweepstakes

via Facebook where one lucky winner and two runners-up received enticing prize packages. In addition, all entrants received a 10% discount on their ticket purchase. Social media messaging for the sweepstakes began about two months before the tournament; an e-marketing campaign ran one month before the event and the sweepstakes was the feature story on the tournament homepage.

2. During tournament week, they administered a hashtag campaign for #FlatRory in conjunction with #BestPhotoWins. This campaign consisted of life-sized cutout images of defending champion Rory McIlroy placed in strategic on site locations, promoting fans to join the Deutsche Bank Championship social media accounts for a chance to win prizes for the best photo. The promotion also offered fans a fun photo spot.

3. Lastly, they conducted a “Tiger Hunt” campaign during tournament week. Three small prize packages were hidden on course each day. Clues were given via Instagram photo montages. The first fan on course to decipher the clues and find the prize was the winner.

The combined spend for promoting awareness and achieving interactive engagement through the above mentioned efforts was $2,250. $1,250 of this was a valued cost for upgraded tickets and a VIP parking pass. The tournament saw considerable social media growth with an increase in likes across all social media platforms. The hashtag campaign saw success; Instagram had a total of 502 posts with considerable likes and Twitter activity, ranging from posts to likes to reposts, was even greater. From just the “Meet the Champion” promotion alone, where they received 353 total submissions, their Facebook following saw an increase of 276 fans.

BEST PRACTICES continued

Deutsche Bank Championship

14

BIRDIES FOR THE BRAVE Global aerospace, defense, security and advanced technology firm Lockheed Martin teamed with fellow Birdies for the Brave supporters PolyOne, Bridgestone and Hunter Defense Technologies to help make this year’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational memorable for local military members and their families. Hosted at Firestone Country Club in Akron, OH, the tournament provided complimentary admission to all active duty and Reserve military members, military retirees, and their dependents, as well as complimentary tickets for veterans through the Veteran Tickets Foundation. Once at the tournament, all military guests enjoyed complimentary access to the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost military hospitality chalet, located adjacent to the 14th green at Firestone Country Club. In addition to providing military guests with complimentary food and beverages, the Outpost provided a relaxing setting for viewing all of the tournament action as well as an ideal venue for sharing camaraderie with members of all five branches of the military. The Outpost was open from 8:00 am to the end of play each day from Thursday through Sunday. The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational designated Saturday of tournament week as Military Appreciation Day, which was kicked off with a morning Military Appreciation Ceremony at the Championship Club on the 16th fairway. Festivities included the presentation of the colors by the Wright -Patterson Air Force Base Honor Guard and the singing of the National Anthem, with CBS and Golf Channel broadcaster David Feherty serving as emcee and addresses provided by Bridgestone Invitational Executive Director Don Padgett and Ohio Air National Guard Brigadier General Mark Stephens. During the ceremony, the tournament helped show appreciation and recognition to military members serving at local bases by conducting a swearing -in of 20 United States Air Force personnel by USAF Lieutenant Colonel Grimm, and by providing certificates of recognition to 15 members of the Ohio National Guard during a presentation by Major Melson of the United States Army. “The World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Championship did an outstanding job of making its Military Appreciation Day celebration relevant to the local community by incorporating the swearing -in and recognition of local military members during the morning Appreciation Ceremony,” said former 12 -year distinguished Navy SEAL Stephen Kupcha, who spearheads Birdies for the Brave as the PGA TOUR’s senior manager of public relations and military/community outreach. “We greatly appreciated the support of Lockheed Martin, PolyOne, and all of the other corporate supporters who helped make our military outreach activities so special during the tournament, and applaud the local tournament team for thinking outside the box to show our courageous military members and their families how much their service and sacrifice are appreciated.” For more information on Birdies for the Brave, or for assistance in identifying unique ways to thank our military during your upcoming tournament, please visit www.birdiesforthebrave.org or call the TOUR’s community outreach department at (904) 280-4796.

15

TOGETHER ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE PGA TOUR Wives visit Ronald McDonald House during BMW Championship While PGA TOUR players prepared for the BMW Championship at Conway Farms, their spouses were cooking up dishes and entertainment for sick children in downtown Chicago. The PGA TOUR Wives Association (PTWA) spent part of Tuesday and Wednesday first preparing and then serving lunch to families at the Ronald McDonald House in downtown Chicago. The House, the nation's largest, currently hosts 86 families from as far away as Taiwan who have children who are undergoing medical treatment at Lurie's Children Hospital. On Tuesday, a group of PTWA members pulled recipes from their recently published anniversary book, Beyond the Fairways and Greens - A Look Inside the Lives of PGA TOUR Families and made, from scratch, soups, salads, casseroles and cookies that, on Wednesday, were finished and served up to the families. In addition to feeding the families, they worked side-by-side with the children on an art project entitled "Hands helping Hands" to commemorate 9/11. The children created American flags by dipping their hands in paint and wrote messages of support on the flags which will be sent to U.S. troops and their families. The day was special for the children and the members alike; it is a reminder that the simple things, like a meal prepared with love and compassion, and the laughter accompanying the silliness of an art project, can make even the most difficult of days a little bit easier.

16

Charity

• PGA TOUR tournaments have generated more than $1.9 billion since the first donation of $10,000 at the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational.

• Expect to surpass $2 billion milestone early in 2014.

• More than $1.5 billion of that total since 1994 alone.

• HP Byron Nelson Championship and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro -Am both have surpassed $100 million in charitable donations.

DID YOU KNOW?

IN CLOSING

Other Best Practices Be sure to check the Best Practice website for details on these other Best Practices that took place at the events covered within this issue. In the “Quick Links” section, click “View the Latest Updates.”

• BMW Championship – BMW Text to Donate Campaign

• Deutsche Bank Championship – Spectator Commons

• Reno-Tahoe Open– Biggest Little City Part

• Reno-Tahoe Open – Next Years Suite

• Wyndham Championship – 18 Hole Trivia Contest

• Wyndham Championship – Birdies for Charity Wii Tournament

• Wyndham Championship – Caddies Carry the Day

• Wyndham Championship – Charity of Choice Contest

• Wyndham Championship – State of the Wyndham Championship