(Grand Rapids, Mich.) Golf is a game of numbers on a scorecard. It has par-3s, par-4s, and par-5s. It has 130-yard holes and 600-yard holes. It has 7200 yard championship tees and 5200 yardage forward tees. It has 9 and 18 holes and of course the famed 19th hole where memories of triple bogies are often ‘washed away.’ You get the picture: numbers are essential to the game of golf. And numbers are also essential and revealing about the 23rd West Michigan Golf Show on Feb. 11-13 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Let’s count the ways:
105,000: There’s 105,000 sq. ft of exhibit space devoted to the Golf Show at DeVos Place
23,000: The Golf Show uses 23,000 sq. feet of netting for the Indoor Par-3, the free golf lesson and demo club area.
12,000: 12,000 sq. feet of carpeting is laid down for the Golf Show.
9,000: In the past 10 years, 9000 golfers are estimated to have tried a shot at the popular Par-3 Challenge, sponsored again by Treetops Resort and fully landscaped by Everett’s.
3,200: 3200 new Srixon golf balls will be given away at the Show for those purchasing tickets online or for the first 100 patrons at the Show each day. (3000 of them will be lost or drowned by July 4th)
2010: The 2010 PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year is Golf Show headliner Todd Anderson, the first Michigan native to be so honored. Previous honorees include past Show headliners as Jim Flick, Hank Haney, Mike Bender, Mike Hebron, Charlie Sorrell, Gary Wiren, and Bill Strausbaugh.
100: The 100th Michigan Amateur Championship, conducted by Show sponsor the Golf Association of Michigan, will be held this June over famed The Heather course at Boyne Highlands Resort. (Incidentally, the first Michigan Amateur was held in Grand Rapids in 1906 and won by James Wylie at Kent Country Club.)
500: 500 golf hats will be given away, evenly divided between Friday’s Ladies Night and Sunday’s Junior Day. (Hats off to the Show!)
92: 92% of show patrons said they enjoyed the show last year and plan to attend this year.* (The other 8% may have been non-golfers who admitted they took a wrong turn into DeVos Place.)
25: Two of Michigan’s finest resort courses-Treetops’ Masterpiece course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Shanty Creek Resort’s The Legend designed by Arnold Palmer-will celebrate 25 years of great golf this summer. At the Show, Shanty Creek is sponsoring Ladies Night on Friday.
77: 77% of show patrons purchased products at the show-from socks, sweaters and gloves to booked rounds, swing aids, putters, and drivers-and spent an average of $152.* (No worry, we won’t tell spouses.)
76: 76% of show patrons are planning at least one golf vacation this year with 82% being in-state and 52% out of state destinations.*
63: Over 63 door prizes will be given away this year– from rounds of golf to merchandise and equipment.
43: 43% of patrons say their average score for 18 holes is between 80-89.* (Not much of a slogan but how about: These golfers are decent!)
4 & 1: One (1) lucky golfer will earn a grand prize drawing for a foursome (4) winter getaway to Don Shula’s Hotel & Golf Club in Miami Lakes, FL-air, golf and rooms! Courtesy of AirTran Airways, Florida Golf, and WZZM-TV.
* 2010 Golf Show attendee survey and results
Produced by ShowSpan Inc., the West Michigan Golf Show’s hours are 4:00 pm-9:00 pm, Friday; 10:00 am-7:00 pm, Saturday; and 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Sunday. Tickets are $9 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-14, and children 5 and under are free. Sponsors are Treetops Resort, Golf Association of Michigan, Shanty Creek Resort, Srixon, AirTran Airways, Michigan P.G.A., and Boyne Resorts. Srixon will provide 2-ball packs to the first 100 attendees each day and to those buying tickets online. Tickets will be available at the door as well as online at www.westmichigangolfshow.com. For more information, call 1-800-328-6550 or visit the website.
Contact:
Carolyn Alt, ShowSpan, at 616-447-2860
Terry Moore, Sportserv Ltd, at 616-490-0433, terry50moore@gmail.com
