If the San Diego City Council approves the
USGA's decision to award the '21 U.S. Open to the Torrey Pines South Course, "it stands to get a substantially better financial gain than it did" in '08, according to Tod Leonard of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The city's total revenue "could be at least" $4M for hosting the golf major, which would be in "marked contrast" to '08, when the city received a $500,000 rent payment from the local organizer and a disbursement of $218,000 toward renovating an irrigation system on the course. The city would receive $2.5M in rent payments for the course, 20% of hospitality package sales and 10% of hospitality sales at the Lodge at Torrey Pines and Torrey Pines Hilton. In '08, then event organizer Friends of Torrey Pines "executed the contract with the USGA and then struck a deal with the city," but this time, there "is no middle entity." The city estimates that it "will spend from the Golf Fund up to $500,000 to build a temporary practice facility and up to $350,000 for its agronomic program." In turn, the USGA "will give the city a maximum of $450,000 for police, fire and emergency medical expenses" (
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/12).
