Golf champs big for city

A second swing at hosting the New Zealand PGA Championship could bring Palmerston North a $500,000 economic boost.

A Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) evaluation estimates that the tournament, held at the Manawatu Golf Club in March, brought more than $500,000 into the city’s economy, especially if the value of the national and international coverage was included.

The club and Palmerston North City Council are hoping to repeat that success by launching a bid to host the championship again next year.

The six-day event was Manawatu’s biggest golf tournament since the 1973 New Zealand Open, and the region’s first PGA Championship in 60 years.

About 8000 spectators attended, with another 50,000 watching on television.

CEDA’S estimate was drawn from multiple factors, including competitor spending figures supplied by the PGA and the established average spending of attendees at similar sized events in the region.

CEDA events manager Phil Hildred said the figure was only a rough estimate because spectators not needing to buy tickets to the championship made it more difficult to be accurate.

Manawatu Golf Club general manager Warren Collett said the NZ PGA was pleased with how the 2017 tournament turned out, so Manawatu was still in the running for next year.

Club management will meet with the NZ PGA team for a debrief on the 2017 championship at the end of April.

The final financial results will also be available at that point.

Collett expected the results to strengthen the club’s case for a repeat performance of the championship.

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith said the council was enthusiastically supporting the bid, which he hoped would build Manawatu’s profile in the sport.

‘‘Golf is big business, and it’s big tourism business,’’ he said.

‘‘The national and international audience is huge and if we can get it again, the flow-on effects will be enormous.’’