by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
All went well with The Players Championship, says its director, and some people here are going to get a lot better when the books are closed.
“I can see us getting over the magic $2 million for charity this year,” said Brian Goin, as he started wrapping up the March event. “We don’t close until June and then we’ll see what our contributions will be. I know this. It will be more than last year ($1.85 million.)”
If there’s a problem, says Goin, it’s a continuing problem: the main parking lot. Rains again hit this year’s tournament and parts of the lot were, as he says, “a mucky mess.”
“We’ll talk to the engineers to see what can be done,” said Goin, “but it might be as good as it can get. That land is low and doesn’t take much water. We’ve made improvements, such as a lot of drainage, but it gets pretty wet out there.
“Still, I didn’t have a complaint. Maybe people are used to it. It’s free, so maybe they appreciate what they have. I was thinking about that — I went down and got a parking pass for the Jaguars season and it was over $200. A season badge to our tournament with parking included is $140!”
Other than that, Goin said, things went well. The attendance seemed to be higher than usual and the corporate hospitality areas had a big jump.
“We went from 44 skyboxes last year to 54 this time,” he said “We also went from 19 hospitality tents to 23. Those are solid gains in a tight economic time.
“I’m really proud of our Redcoats [past volunteer chairmen and presidents.] They took it on themselves to help with big sales, and they opened the door for $230,000 in new money this year. They are truly movers and shakers in the community and they can get things done.”
He says the course will be evaluated closer than in the past due to the PGA Tour’s “Shot Link” computer system which charts each shot.
“We now will have a better idea of how each hole is played,” said Goin. “We will have more information as we consider adjustments.”
Television will get more help next year.
“In the past, we’ve just worried about a network taking pictures,” Goin explained. “This year, we had [ESPN] SportsCenter here and The Golf Channel here doing their regular newscasts. We had to work them in as best we could. We need to get good places established for them. It’s enhanced exposure for all of us and we need to be more prepared.
“We also need to do some behind-the-scenes work on the compound where the network [NBC] sets up with the trailers and other equipment. It’s gotten too crowded. They need better working conditions.”
The course may get more spectator mounds, or perhaps adjustments to present mounds.
“We moved the mounds on the No. 1 tee a little closer to the tee,” said Goin, “and it really gave a better view. The spectators were almost as close as the old days, when we had the wooden bleachers.
“Believe me, we’ll look at everything.”