Michael Jordan Golf Co. officials "expect to open their
second practice facility in the nation in Charlotte next
April," according to Vance Cariaga of the BUSINESS JOURNAL
OF CHARLOTTE. The group has a lease with the city for a $2M
golf practice facility on a 27.5 acre parcel. IL-based
Michael Jordan Golf, of which Jordan is a "major investor"
and board member, will lease the land for 16 years for
$3,000 a month, plus 1% of gross receipts. An annual
memberships at the golf center for "unlimited use" will cost
$550-650. Jordan's first facility opened in '95 in Aurora,
IL, and the group "has been approached by investors" in
Denver, Phoenix and N.Y. to add facilities in those cities.
Plans are also "under way" for Raleigh and Atlanta
locations, "with more expected to open under franchising
agreements" (BUSINESS JOURNAL OF CHARLOTTE, 6/16 issue).
MORE MICHAEL: The marketing of Jordan was profiled by
W.D. Murray of BLOOMBERG NEWS, as some advertisers featuring
Jordan are changing the focus of their "from Jordan-the-
superstar-athlete to Jordan-the-average-guy," according to
W.D. Murray of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Recent ads for Jordan's
cologne focus on him off the court and Nike's most recent TV
spots have him "pondering the number of times he missed the
game-winning shot" (BLOOMBERG/NEWS & OBSERVER, 6/17).