Presidents Cup 2003


Photo: Kelvin Saunders

Since the inanguration of the President’s Cup in 1994, a generation of golfing stars including Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Greg Norman and Nick Price have taken golf around the world in a tournament which showcases the game on a global scale.
The Presidents Cup is an event where competitive drive is matched only by the spirit of goodwill. No prize money is awarded to the teams. Net revenues are divided equally among players and Captains to be distributed to charities of their choice. The first four Presidents Cups have generated nearly US$ 8 million for charities worldwide.
South Africa was the obvious choice to host The Presidents Cup 2002. Along with an unrivalled range of world-class golf courses, South Africa boasts a playing tradition, which from Bobby Locke through Ernie Else has produced some of the biggest legends of the sport.

With the US and International teams having split the previous two competitions, the stage is set for a titanic contest in 2002. The honour and pride of the best golfers in the world is on the line. As one past Honorary Chairman, President George H. W. Bush, once said, “If you love golf, this is heaven”.

Tournament Details
The organisers have set a limit of 21 500 people per day on the course to ensure quality of viewership and spectator involvement on course.
This break down to an expected minimum of 2500 international visitors made up from players and family, PGA Tour VIP's and staff, international media, tour operator package purchases and corporate hospitality guests. Included in this group are current and former Heads of State, Ambassadors, leading American corporate executives and international media.
The Presidents Cup is televised to some 120 countries world wide through 25 networks reaching a combined household coverage of 355 million to an estimated viewing audience of over 1 billion.
Importantly, NBC and TNT will cover all four days play reaching the all-important American tourism and business market. This will be the first time a South African sporting event will be covered “as live” featuring some of America's premier athletes.
The television coverage will include operating and closing tourism footage of the Garden Route featuring the regions key attractions.
This international exposure and focus on golf is great news for the regions ambitions to establish itself as South Africa and African's golf tourism capital attracting golf estate development and ongoing golf tourism, both of which attract significant investment capital and require ongoing hospitality and staffing services. In addition the event will be supported by 55 corporates inviting over 200 VIP guests daily to a world-class hospitality village and their operators creating travel packages for 4000 individuals to an up market Championship Club.
That leaves an estimated 2000 spectators coming from the Garden Route and 11500 spectators coming from outside the region.
To stage the event and service the corporates, media and spectators a local support team of over 1000 specialists are required, including travel services, caterers, infrastructure specialists, security parking assistants, medical, electrical, audio, visual and the all important volunteers to help with marshalling.
To date nine specialist event companies have been contracted involving working with some 30 service companies.
All the above equates to an average stay of five days or 100,000 bed nights in the region at an average of R850 which equates to R85 million.
This equates to a direct economic impact of R120 million before accounting for event staging costs and additional tourism spend on tourism activities or purchases.
To assist with investing in the local hospitality industry, The President Cup Travel Services has been set up to service the tournament and corporate destination management needs and MT Beds has been contracted to list and transact accommodation for the general public.