Roseneath, Prince Edward Island, was the focus of the world for the past couple of days, hosting the first-ever Lorie Kane Island Challenge. LPGA stars Nancy Lopez, Se Ri Pak and Annika Sorenstam finally got a chance to "play on Lorie's Island," and everyone from players to spectators seemed thrilled to be there.
Over 4,000 spectators wandered around the Brudenell River Golf Resort and it is estimated that over half of those were from off Island. The event boosted the tourism industry and created direct economic benefits. Many people made the trip to Prince Edward Island to take in the tournament and add on a couple of days of vacation.
The first-ever women's skins format tournament attracted a crowd of mostly female spectators which demonstrated the female golf market's growth of recent years. The demographic is the fastest growing element of golf today, and the crowd had an excellent chance to see just how good women's golf can be.
Media attention was strong over the two-day event, as well, with The Sports Network (TSN) and Oxygen Network (owned by Oprah Winfrey) taping and then broadcasting the event in two parts in the fall of 2000. Print and radio coverage was strong and will be evaluated for dollar value in the very near future, but the exposure for the event and the Island as a whole was significant.
This can only strengthen our stature in the golf market. The success of this event and the attention created for Prince Edward Island as a great golf destination will be felt for years to come. With any luck, we'll see a similar event here in the future.