FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — There are fewer corporate hospitality tents at this year’s U.S. Open golf tournament, but you wouldn’t know there’s an economic downturn by watching the massive souvenir tent at Beth page State Park.
Business has been brisk as fans turned out to see practice rounds.
“It amazes me that people are willing to spend $500 on this stuff,” said New Jersey car dealer John Bustard, taking a moment outside the tent Tuesday to grouse about his own financial situation. “And yet they don’t have any money to buy a new (Honda) Civic.”
Debi Nagy of Buena Vista, Ga., whose son Matt is among the amateurs competing this weekend, was spotted carrying a bag of souvenirs away from the tent.
“Oh, yes,” she said with pride. “I have been there twice already.”
Like the other major sports, golf has felt the impact of the recession.
A few tournaments have lost title sponsors, and the PGA Tour — with events that are structured as nonprofit organizations and donate proceeds to local charities — has estimated its giving may decline as much as 14 percent this year.
“We’re satisfied to be doing as well as we are,” said Pete Bevacqua, chief business officer for the U.S. Golf Association. “We’ve been affected by the economy, but we’re hanging in there.”
Bevacqua said that because there were fewer hospitality tents, where the Wall Street crowd traditionally wines and dines clients inside air- conditioned tents, additional tickets became available for fans last week.
He said those tickets were quickly scarfed up and that the four-day weekend tournament, which begins today, is sold out — 42,500 fans are expected daily.
Bank of America has reduced its spending tied to the U.S. Open, though the company did not disclose its costs surrounding the event.
American Express remains one of the main sponsors but has scaled back some of its spending on the U.S. Open — including its tent — said Joanna Lambert, a spokeswoman for the New York-based financial-services firm.
“Corporations would not be spending money at sporting events like this if they did not think it was cost- effective,” Bevacqua said.
