GBR Friday | Ryder Cup Economics 2025: Local Boosts, Global Sponsors, and Hidden Winners
Every Tuesday and Friday, we connect the dots across golf’s business, media, and professional landscape.
Good morning, GBR,
Question.
Are you willing to pay over $1000 for a Ryder Cup “Ultimate” party pack that includes amongst other things, branded napkins, coasters, and cups. Let’s not forget two “Quiet Please” padels.
This is the latest initiative sanctioned by the PGA of America to get fans excited and engaged for the Ryder Cup in three weeks time. The idea of hosting your own Ryder Cup party has merit, but, like a lot of aspects of this year’s meeting at Bethpage Black, does the cost justify what you get?
I came across the party kits story while researching today’s main story, which looks at the economics behind the Ryder Cup.
Marco Simone Golf Club hosted the last edition of the bi-annual bash and a question that arose was has it continued to benefit financially after its 2023 hosting?
The 2023 Ryder Cup also generated €262 million ($308 million) in economic activity, continuing an upward trend as the tournament gets bigger with each staging, what will the figures look like after Bethpage?
Elsewhere, in industry news, there’s good news for Golf Ranch, which has secured $20 million in funding from Old Tom Capital and Creator Sports Capital.
We have our usual mix of stories covering:
Industry
Circuits/Professional Game
Equipment
Main Story: The Ryder Cup’s Economic Engine: Short-Term Windfall or Long-Term Legacy?
Feel free to leave comments on any of the stories we cover today.
Enjoy your weekend.
INDUSTRY
GOLF RANCH SECURES SERIES B FUNDING TO EXPAND “GOLF LITE” EMPIRE
Blue Jeans Golf, the force behind the tech-driven Golf Ranch brand, has secured lead investment from Old Tom Capital and Creator Sports Capital as part of a $20 million Series B round, setting the stage for national expansion.
Founded in 2021 by Devin Charhon and Michael Canfield, Blue Jeans Golf is scaling its Golf Lite model, a hybrid between traditional golf and off-course formats, through acquisition, innovation, and hands-on operations.
The funding will accelerate Golf Ranch’s footprint to 10–12 locations by the end of 2026, building on recent debt-financed developments in Arizona and Texas. “Golf is experiencing a generational shift,” said Charhon, noting how the brand blends tech, community, and accessibility to attract and retain modern golfers.
Golf Ranch has already grown its membership base to over 8,000 Ranch Pass holders, boasting revenue growth of 300–500% at transformed sites. “We believe the intersection of content and community at physical locations is the future,” added Brian Kabot of Creator Sports Capital, while Old Tom Capital’s Evan Roosevelt called Golf Ranch “the most compelling investment profile in the sport.”
With a long-term goal of 50 locations and 100,000 members, Golf Ranch is betting big on the appeal of golf ranges are important sites for golfers to learn and improve their games while introducing new players to the game. To read more about the $20 million investment secured from Old Tom Capital and Creator Sports Capital for the expansion of Golf Ranch, click here.
GOLF COURSES SEE SURGE IN TIME SPENT ON-SITE AS INDUSTRY REINVENTS ITSELF AS DESTINATION EXPERIENCE
With rounds played on U.S. courses tracking toward another record-breaking year in 2025, new data from Placer.ai and NGF reveals that golfers are not only teeing it up more often, they’re also spending significantly more time at golf facilities overall.
Average visit duration has jumped 28% since 2019, driven by a post-Covid reinvention of courses as lifestyle destinations offering everything from upgraded practice areas and clubhouses to enhanced F&B, fitness, pickleball, and social amenities.
The shift is especially visible in visitation patterns, with 58% of guests now arriving directly from home, up from 51% in 2019, and more than half returning home afterward. While private clubs contribute heavily to the trend, the rise spans both public and private facilities, underscoring how the entire industry is capitalizing on golf’s enduring popularity to create all-day experiences.
“It’s not just about playing 18 holes anymore,” NGF noted. “It’s about spending meaningful time in a setting that blends sport, leisure, and community.” An additional interesting finding is that despite concerns about slower rounds, pace-of-play satisfaction has actually improved 2% among public golfers. More details can be found at the NGF.
TPC NETWORK TEAMS WITH TEE COMMERCE TO MODERNIZE ONLINE RETAIL ACROSS ICONIC COURSES
The TPC Network has partnered with Tee Commerce to launch streamlined online stores for all 14 of its licensed properties, including flagship venues TPC Sawgrass and TPC Scottsdale.
The collaboration enables members and guests to access a wider selection of club-branded merchandise and top golf apparel 24/7, powered by Tee Commerce’s risk-free, on-demand fulfillment model.
“With Tee Commerce, our TPC Network clubs can deliver the streamlined online retail experience that today’s golfers expect, without adding extra burden to club staff,” said Mason Spalding, Buyer for the PGA TOUR.
Among the platform’s key benefits are zero inventory risk, expanded product variety, and full control over branding and merchandising—without the operational headaches.
The partnership with Tee Commerce helps cement the TPC Network’s commitment to delivering a premium, digitally enabled golf experience that is designed to drive customer satisfaction and revenue. More details of the partnership between the TPC Network and Tee Commerce can be found here.
ROUNDS PLAYED IN CANADA SURGE 8.7% YTD, WITH ONTARIO AND ALBERTA LEADING GAINS
Canada’s golf industry continues its upward trajectory with national rounds played up 8.7% year-to-date compared to 2024, according to the latest report from the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.
July alone saw a 9.1% year-on-year increase in average rounds, with national YTD figures now 14% ahead of 2022 and a striking 38% above 2019 levels.
Alberta led the way in July, averaging 6,324 rounds per facility—11% higher than the national average. Ontario recorded the largest monthly YoY gain at +12.4%, while Quebec, after a sluggish start, continued its mid-season rebound and now stands +0.6% up season-to-date.
Overall, July’s national average of 5,722 rounds beat the five-year July average by 7.9%, reflecting both strong demand and favorable playing conditions. The full set of data for golf played in July can be viewed here.
VIETNAM SET TO HOST INAUGURAL GOLF COURSE OWNERS SUMMIT
The inaugural Vietnam Golf Course Owners Summit 2025 (VNGOS 2025) will be held October 30–31 at Laguna Lăng Cô Resort in Hue City.
Positioned as a foundational event for the 2025–2030 period, and part of Wellness Tourism Week during the National Tourism Year, VNGOS 2025 will gather golf course owners, government officials, global partners, and international experts to unify strategy, standardise service, and shape the future of golf tourism in Vietnam.
“This summit will be a milestone event as Vietnam embraces the potential of golf as an economic driver and tourism anchor,” said Greg Norman, the country’s Tourism Ambassador. Backed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and executed by 54 The Global Sports and Entertainment Agency, the forum will cover topics including inbound golf promotion, sustainable development standards, PPP investment models, and the introduction of a National Golf Star-Rating System.
VNGOS 2025 will also serve to spotlight Hue as a strategic golf-sport-heritage destination, culminating in the Vietnam Golf Industry Awards and an AGIF-hosted golf tournament at the Sir Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lăng Cô. Asian Golf Industry Federation
CIRCUITS/PROFESSIONAL GAME
MCCILROY AND SCHEFFLER TO HEADLINE PRIMETIME “GOLF CHANNEL GAMES” IN DECEMBER
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will face off as captains in the inaugural Golf Channel Games, a new, fast-paced televised competition airing live in primetime on December 17 from Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.
Departing from traditional tournament play, the event, developed in partnership with PGA Tour Studios, will feature timed and strategic skills challenges, including a timed drive-chip-putt gauntlet, a 14-club closest-to-the-pin faceoff, a three-hole team shootout, and a finale Captain’s Challenge pitting McIlroy and Scheffler head-to-head across six shot types.
“This will be a brand new way for the players and the fans to experience the game,” said Scheffler, while McIlroy added, “The Golf Channel Games give players the chance to showcase their skills across unique challenges and offer fans a new way to enjoy the game in the postseason.”
Each captain will lead a four-man team, with the remaining six players to be revealed soon. The event will air on both Golf Channel and USA Network. Further details of the December 17th showdown can be found here.
KAPALUA RESORT TO CLOSE COURSES AMID WATER CRISIS AND LEGAL BATTLE
Kapalua Resort in Maui, home to the PGA Tour’s season-opening The Sentry, has shut its famed Plantation and Bay Courses for at least 60 days. The closure, which came into effect on September 2nd, is a result of a critical water shutdown that left turf near death amid Hawaii’s ongoing drought.
The closure follows a nearly month-long halt in irrigation water delivery after state officials imposed Tier 4 restrictions on water flow through a ditch operated by Maui Land & Pineapple Company—restrictions eased only slightly to Tier 2 on August 23.
TY Management Corporation, which owns Kapalua and is led by Japanese billionaire and Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai, has filed suit against Maui Land & Pineapple, alleging the water cutoff has jeopardized the resort's course health and reputation. “We are taking this step to protect the long-term integrity of our golf courses,” said resort officials, as they attempt to rehabilitate the drought-stricken turf.
Despite the disruption, the PGA Tour has yet to announce any changes to the scheduled January 2026 return of The Sentry at the Plantation Course, currently ranked No. 2 among public-access courses in Hawaii by Golfweek. Jason Lusk’s article, which featured in Golfweek, can be found here.
RYDER CUP LIVE BRINGS BETHPAGE BLACK TO THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY
The 2025 Ryder Cup is breaking out of the ropes and into the city, as Ryder Cup Live transforms New York into a week-long celebration of golf and fan-first experiences from September 25–28.
Rockefeller Center will serve as the epicenter of the action, reimagined with immersive attractions like Toptracer’s First Tee Experience, where fans can simulate the nerve-jangling opening shot at Bethpage Black.
Ryder Cup parties aren’t just focused on the Rockefeller Centar; they extend across the city with curated watch parties at venues like Five Iron Golf, The Westbury, and The Grafton, while the BMW Viewing Lounge offers coverage alongside Ryder Cup–inspired custom vehicles.
Fans from beyond New York don’t need to feel left out. They can purchase exclusive Watch Party Kits (for individuals or large gatherings), which include merchandise, décor, and drink recipes to recreate the magic from anywhere. The cost for the kits is $343 for the “At Home Kit” and $1081 for the “Ultimate Kit”.
“This isn’t just about watching golf,” said PGA of America representatives. “It’s about living the Ryder Cup—wherever you are.” More details are available via the Ryder Cup official website.
The inspiration likely comes from established “fan-zones” for major sporting events such as soccer’s World Cup. It is likely to increase revenue further, which is the topic of our main story today, the Ryder Cup’s economic engine.
EQUIPMENT
PXG EXPANDS TOUR SERIES WITH “FAT BRANDON” PUTTER
PXG has added a bold new entrant to its Tour Series line with the Fat Brandon, a wide-body blade putter that blends the clean lines of a traditional blade with the forgiveness and stability of a mallet.
Milled from a solid block of 303 stainless steel and launched yesterday, September 4, at $499.99 (£369.99, €429.99), the Fat Brandon stretches the classic Brandon profile from front to back to increase MOI and provide a longer sight line, while maintaining the refined, tour-inspired shaping of its predecessors.
A 6061 aluminum sole plate shifts roughly 30 grams of mass to the perimeter for improved balance and forgiveness on off-center strikes. Like the Brandon and Brandon II models, the Fat Brandon features first-class face milling for crisp sound and enhanced feedback, along with PXG’s precision-weighting system that allows golfers to adjust head weight between 345 and 380 grams (stock: 360g). More details and customization options for the new Fat Brandon putter can be found here.
The Ryder Cup’s Economic Engine: Short-Term Windfall or Long-Term Legacy?
The first competitive matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black are three weeks away from today.
Both captains have formalized their teams, and the anticipation is reaching fever pitch.
In golf, next to the majors, the Ryder Cup creates serious momentum to move the economic needle.
Every two years, a chosen region braces for an invasion of spectators, corporate clients, and media. The golf lasts just three days, but the financial ripples extend for years. From the record-breaking €262 million generated in Rome in 2023 (Ryder Cup Europe) to the eye-watering $8,000 corporate hospitality passes on offer for Bethpage 2025, the Ryder Cup has become a case study in how sport can transform local economies and fuel governing bodies.
But beyond the headlines, what does the event actually deliver—to host regions, to golf’s institutions, and to the game itself? And does the “halo effect” of hosting truly last?
A Three-Day GDP Spike
Rome’s 2023 edition set a new benchmark. According to Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre, the event produced €262m in total economic activity, including €34m in accommodation revenue and €72m in additional visitor spending, with more than 318,000 bed-nights booked (SportsPro), leading European Tour Group’s CEO, Guy Kinnings to observe: “The economic benefit… will be felt for years to come,”
The headline figures generated from Marco Simone are the result of witnessing a consistent pattern of growth from past host venues. The data available to us show the following:
Paris 2018 (Le Golf National): Delivered €235.7m in economic impact, underpinned by 220,000 bed-nights.
Gleneagles 2014 (Scotland): Generated £106.1m for Scotland, with £41.1m net impact and an extra 45,000 bed-nights before and after the event.
Whistling Straits 2021 (Wisconsin): Projected to inject $130m+ into the local economy; demand was so intense that visitors booked hotel rooms as far away as Green Bay.
For host regions, the Ryder Cup delivers a guaranteed, concentrated surge in spending; however, does the positive economic impact continue post Ryder Cup when the fans and players have all left?
Another area that is growing and generating large revenue numbers is the corporate element of the Ryder Cup.
The Corporate Game: Hospitality and Sponsors
If tourism is the bedrock, corporate hospitality is the gold mine. For 2025, On Location, the PGA of America’s official partner, is selling premium experiences that combine hotel stays with on-course access (On Location).
Market listings show packages at $6,500 to $8,000 per person, per day, including gourmet dining, open bars, and prime viewing from chalets around the 16th hole (SuiteHop).
Sponsors are equally invested. The roster of Worldwide Partners features Aon, BMW, Capgemini, Citi, DP World, Rolex, and, as of May 2025, SAP (SportsPro).
“This partnership allows us to showcase our fan engagement capabilities on one of sport’s biggest stages,” said Sabrina Witzig, SAP’s Global Sponsorships Director.
On the supplier side, Enterprise Mobility has committed as a Worldwide Supplier through 2027 (Ryder Cup announcement), while Airshare signed as an Official Private Aviation Provider (PR Newswire).
As NBC Sports EVP Tom Knapp noted: “The Ryder Cup delivers 72 straight hours of live content, something almost no other property can offer broadcasters” (Front Office Sports). That media concentration underpins both the sponsor appeal and the lucrative broadcast deals.
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In the remainder of this article, we’ll look at:
Who really wins: A clear breakdown of where Bethpage 2025 dollars go — tickets, hospitality, media — and which institutions (PGA of America, PGA Tour, Sections, charities, players) benefit most.
🧾 $749 “Ryder Cup+” explained: What the all-inclusive ticket model changes about on-site spend vs. upfront revenue, and why organizers defend the price.
Legacy lens: Marco Simone two years on — price signals, travel packaging, events — vs. Bethpage’s public-course constraints.
ROI reality check: How Ryder Cup stacks up against Super Bowl and F1 Las Vegas once you adjust for methodology inflation and displacement.
