Puerto Rico Hits Sweet Spot with Golf Event

The results are in from the first PGA Tour event hosted in Puerto Rico at the Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande near San Juan in mid-March. The event, which drew 132 golfers from 16 countries, generated $18 million in revenue and attracted more than 70,000 visitors.

The final revenue figures and attendance numbers were well above initial forecasts, according to the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC). Prior to the event, the PRTC had forecast a total economic impact of $3.5 million and a daily attendance of between 3,000 and 5,000 for a total of 20,000 at best.

The event also impacted other economic sectors, including tours and excursions, small and medium-sized hotels, car rentals, transportation services and restaurant reservations in the central and eastern regions of the island, according to Terestella Gonzalez Denton, the PRTC’s executive director.

The island has 27 golf courses, which will benefit from the event’s promotion and television coverage and contribute to Puerto Rico’s positioning itself as a golf destination, according to Sidney Wolf, president of the Puerto Rico Golf Association.