WHEREAS, golf is an integral part of North Carolina’s history and culture, being represented in every county in the state, and North Carolina is the home of more than 520 golf courses; and
WHEREAS, golf proved to be a safe, accessible, and critical essential activity for people of all ages during the COVID 19 Pandemic, offering recreation, physical exercise, and an emotionally beneficial activity that reduced stress and contributed greatly to overall well-being; and
WHEREAS, the United States Golf Association (USGA) has officially recognized North Carolina’s Pinehurst region as “the Home of American Golf” and has chosen to locate their Golf House Pinehurst in our state, investing $25 million and bringing 50 full time USGA Staff Members to Pinehurst; and
WHEREAS, golf tournaments like the Wells Fargo Championship and the Wyndham Championship are held in North Carolina and televised internationally to help showcase our state to the world and encourage people to visit our state; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina has solidified itself as a destination for Major golf tournaments, with five U.S. Open Championships to be held at the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course by 2047; the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open to be held at Pine Needles Lodge, the 2022 Presidents Cup, and the 2025 PGA Championship to be held at the Quail Hollow Club; and
WHEREAS, golf is an economic engine for the state, generating an estimated $2.3 billion in direct spending and an approximate total economic impact of $4.2 billion in our state, including jobs for nearly 53,000 people and total wage income of $1.3 billion; and
WHEREAS, the jobs provided by golf include a wide array of opportunity across a broad spectrum of skill sets, from course-level positions to leading golf industry suppliers including Syngenta, Bayer, and John Deere, which base major United States operations in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina universities host more PGA Professional Golf Management Programs than any other state, with locations at Campbell University, Methodist University, and N.C. State University; and N.C. State University is a leader in research on sustainable golf course management practices, an effort the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association helps to fund through its Rounds4Research online auction; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim August 31, 2021, as “GOLF DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.