Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
FRENCH LICK – All eyes will be on the Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort this week as the Korn Ferry Championship comes to southern Indiana.
Seventy-five up and coming golfers will play the famed Pete Dye Course; at the end, the top 20 finishers will walk away with their PGA Tour cards.
The four-day tournament, presented by United Leasing & Finance, begins Thursday and culminates Sunday. For those 20 golfers, Sunday will be life changing. The total purse is $1.5 million; the winner will collect $270,000. The Golf Channel will televise the rounds beginning Thursday at 3 p.m.
For the residents of French Lick and West Baden the Korn Ferry is life altering, so to speak, as hordes of golfers, their families, followers and the media descend on Orange County.
This is the second year the Korn Ferry Championship has been played at the Pete Dye Course.
Dave Wolford, member of the French Lick Town Council, said the town is well prepared for the influx of visitors.
“We will see an increase in the volume of tourism and the restaurants will be especially busy,” he said. “The golfers mostly just golf and eat, but you do see the wives and families out and about in town.”
33 Brick Street in French Lick is anticipating a bump in sales of about 20% this week, depending on the weather, from the Korn Ferry.
The restaurant is owned by Tracy Tucker and Daniel Weikert and is in its 17th year of business.
Tucker said events like the Korn Ferry are significant because the marketing and TV coverage introduce the Resort’s golf offerings to a greater audience.
“The immediate impact may not be as great as when events like the Polar Express are going on but the marketing during the tournament brings so much exposure to the area and that’s the biggest thing,” Tucker said. “It puts French Lick and West Baden on the minds of people who now want to visit here in the future.”
Wolford said most hotels, including the smaller lodging businesses, will be full or close to capacity. Reserve officers and off duty officers from neighboring departments are willing to help with traffic if necessary.
“We’ve always got a lot going on and we’re used to this,” Wolford said. “We’ve got good police officers in both French Lick and West Baden who make sure everyone is going in the right direction.”
Local businesses benefit in other ways from the Korn Ferry. Old National Bank, with a branch in Paoli, signed on as a sponsor.
“Old National Bank is honored to support the Korn Ferry Championship. This event not only brings national attention to French Lick-West Baden but also delivers significant economic benefits to the local community,” said Raegan Wampler, ONB Paoli banking center manager. “We are proud to be part of an event that showcases the unique charm and hospitality of Southern Indiana, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on our region.”
Resort growing its golf game
Tucker said the Resort’s recent investments in expanding its golf offerings is paying off for local businesses. The new Sand Creek short course and the announcement of the new RidgeView course are exciting developments, he said.
“The investment in golf has been a good thing. It’s creating more excitement,” he said.
33 Brick Street has been a mainstay in French Lick, popular with locals and visitors who come for a meal and to check out the memorabilia of Boston Celtics legend and French Lick native Larry Bird, who wore No. 33.
Weikert and Tucker saw an opportunity when Cook Group took on the restoration and ownership of the two hotels and casino. Like any new business, there was an element of risk, but Tucker said it has paid off. Business volume has tripled at 33 Brick Street in its nearly 20-year existence.
“We had confidence in what the Cook family was doing,” he said.
Annual economic impact from tourism in Orange County is estimated at $59.5 million. The growth of the Resort and tourism are what keep the doors open for businesses like 33 Brick Street.
“We wouldn’t be here without the Resort,” Tucker said.
Ticket info
Admission to the Korn Ferry Championship is $20 for one day. A four-day tournament pass is $40, available at the gate or online.