Hop into a golf cart and go behind-the-scenes of the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open with CEO Marty Gorsich and learn about modern marketing tactics and running a massive operation with tons of moving parts.
On this episode of the Digital Hospitality podcast, Shawn gets a tour of the majestic Torrey Pines Golf Course as preparations were underway for the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open PGA Tour tournament.
As Shawn and Marty rode around the beautiful course on a golf cart, they discussed the history of the Farmers Insurance Open, the San Diego-owned golf facility, it’s big positive impacts on the region, and what it takes to host and market such a huge event.
The tournament isn’t just about golf, it’s also a showcase for all things San Diego and a signature event for the city. The Farmers Insurance Open is a major economic driver for the region, bringing in an estimated $50 million annually to the city of San Diego.
The 36-hole Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course is owned by the city of San Diego and has majestic views of coastal cliffs and the Pacific Ocean.
Over the years the Farmers Insurance Open tournament has transformed and grown to become a can’t-miss event in San Diego with lots of entertainment to offer for anyone, golf aficionado or not. More than 150,000 spectators come out every year.
It takes a lot of work to not only maintain such a massive venue and operation, but to continually improve it as well. It’s all about long-term planning for the future.
“With the city, we’ve enhanced the look and feel of this course and elevated the experience and the quality of the course and the build out,” Marty Gorsich said. “This is the only event we (San Diego) have that’s on national television, international television actually, on an annual basis.”
Golf is a traditional sport with lots of history. However, modern marketing requires newer non-traditional approaches in order to get the word out online, such as influencer marketing and experiential social media opportunities.
On opening day of the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, local celebrities, online influencers, and members of the media attended an Influencer Scavenger Hunt as a fun way to introduce the event and its many facets to them and their social media audiences.
The Farmers Insurance Open event has their own official “Social Media Host” in Alissa Kacar who creates and posts digital media of all sorts about the tournament and her “Beginner’s Journey to Master Golf.” Follow Alissa Kacar on Instagram at @newladygolfer.
San Diego’s PGA Tour stop is planned and hosted by the Century Club of San Diego, a 501c3 nonprofit that has operated since 1961. The tournament’s goal is to raise money for local charities, schools and military families.
2020 is the 68th year that the PGA Tour has held an event in San Diego and the 53rd time the event was at the Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course.
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