New initiatives highlight the FUTURES Tour’s return to Lakeland.
Lakeland, FL., December 6, 2005 — The Lakeland FUTURES Golf Classic will return to Lakeland for its ninth year in 2006. The event will be held March 10-12, at Cleveland Heights Golf Course. Among the highlights of this year’s tournament will be new VIP hospitality adjacent to the ninth green, preferred seating and a Kids’ Corner activity area.
Sponsors and ticket holders will enjoy complimentary food provided by Crispers as they watch the on-course action from some of the best seats in the house in the VIP hospitality. Outdoor patio seating, bar service and a prime location are key attractions of the hospitality area.
"We are thrilled with our new partnership with Crispers and look forward to offering a new hospitality and entertainment option to our sponsors and their guests," said Chris Osche, tournament director of the Lakeland FUTURES Golf Classic. "This will be a preview of the expanded hospitality options that we will offer in 2007, during the tournament’s 10th Anniversary celebration."
Offering a $70,000 purse, this professional event for the "official developmental tour of the LPGA" will bring a full-field, 144-player tournament to the city-owned Cleveland Heights Golf Course. Built in 1925, the public course is home to both the Lakeland FUTURES Golf Classic and the annual FUTURES Tour Qualifying Tournament. Cleveland Heights, originally an 18-hole facility, which added a third nine holes in the early 1980s, is one of Lakeland’s favorite public golf facilities.
"The FUTURES Tour and the City of Lakeland have had a very good and successful partnership," adds Brock Witmeyer, general manager of the course. "The impact on the community and Polk County has been extremely positive. The long-term outlook of our partnership with the Tour is very bright, as we continue to add value to each other’s organization."
For the first time, the Lakeland FUTURES Golf Classic will have a defined ticket plan and all attendees will be required to either purchase a ticket in advance, or when they arrive at the main gate. The two locations where fans may purchase tickets are the FUTURES Tour office or at the YMCA Par 3 at The First Tee of Lakeland. The introductions of ticket options, as well as the VIP Hospitality Tent, are key initiatives that will directly impact the tournament’s ability to generate more revenue for the charity, The First Tee of Lakeland YMCA.
Admission is free to the public during practice rounds on March 6th and 7th, as well as during the two pro-am tournaments on March 8th and 9th. Tickets will be required for all spectators during the professional tournament, which starts on Friday, March 10, and runs through Sunday, March 12. Parking and ticket information is available on the tournament website at www.lakelandfuturesgolfclassic.com.
For more information on the Lakeland FUTURES Golf Classic, please contact Chris Osche, (863) 709-9100 x.7 or via email at chris@futurestour.com.
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