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Golf tournament wraps up
CHRISTOPHER DIAKOPOULOS,
The Saratogian06/13/2005
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- All the numbers haven't been tallied yet, but the Saratoga National Celebrity Classic event, hosted at Saratoga National Golf course over the past four days, seems to have been successful enough to ensure a similar event in the future.
'We've got to add up the numbers and then decide what to do next,' said Tom Newkirk, one of the owners of the course. 'I think it's highly likely we'll continue to do something in this vein.
'Overall, I am very pleased,' he said. 'Our staff got eight out of 10 things right.'
Newkirk downplayed the idea of using the event as a springboard to draw a PGA event to the course and didn't want to talk about the financial risk involved in running a PGA tour event. However, Joe Daley, Chairman of the Center for the Disabled Golf Classic, was willing to talk about the risk while leading his son, Jeffrey, around to collect celebrity autographs.
'This guy really put his neck out and brought a first class event to Saratoga,' Daley said.
Daley said he works with several golf tours to the benefit of the nonprofit organizations he is also an insurance broker for.
Daley said he was asked to meet with Newkirk later this week about the success of the event, but said that the Celebrity Classic is had the makings of a great event.
'The first year, it's hard to tell,' he said. 'But it was a great event to start off with. From everything I have seen this week, this looks like a highly successful event.'
Newkirk said he had been ready for crowds of as many as 12,000 people, but thought that turnout was lower.
The tournament reportedly cost $600,000 to put on.A 10 percent cut from the proceeds are marked for three charities. Those organizations are Saratoga Care, Literacy NENY, and the Peter G. Young Foundation to help the homeless.
'We can attribute the low attendance to Belmont, heat, humidity and the threat of rain,' Newkirk said.
Newkirk extended his thanks not only to his staff and volunteers, but to the celebrities for being so personable, in particular Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, who is also a member of the golf course.
'I thought it was great,' Parcells said.
'The weather cooperated, except for the heat, and the course was in magnificent condition.'
Parcells said the event was well received, and hoped to see it 'move onward and upward,' from here.
Vendors also played a big part in the event's success, Newkirk said.
Habana Cigar Shoppe of Colonie, normally just the supplier for cigars at the clubhouse bar, set up a table during the tournament to sell stogies.
'This is the first time we have ever done anything like this,' said Larry Shipp, Habana employee. 'Business has been OK and we have gotten a lot of leads. This has been a very good experience, and everybody deserves credit for how well this has been run.'
Asked what place cigars have on the golf course, Shipp had a ready reply.
'The golf course is one of the last places where you can go and smoke.'
©The Saratogian 2005
CHRISTOPHER DIAKOPOULOS,
The Saratogian06/13/2005
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- All the numbers haven't been tallied yet, but the Saratoga National Celebrity Classic event, hosted at Saratoga National Golf course over the past four days, seems to have been successful enough to ensure a similar event in the future.
'We've got to add up the numbers and then decide what to do next,' said Tom Newkirk, one of the owners of the course. 'I think it's highly likely we'll continue to do something in this vein.
'Overall, I am very pleased,' he said. 'Our staff got eight out of 10 things right.'
Newkirk downplayed the idea of using the event as a springboard to draw a PGA event to the course and didn't want to talk about the financial risk involved in running a PGA tour event. However, Joe Daley, Chairman of the Center for the Disabled Golf Classic, was willing to talk about the risk while leading his son, Jeffrey, around to collect celebrity autographs.
'This guy really put his neck out and brought a first class event to Saratoga,' Daley said.
Daley said he works with several golf tours to the benefit of the nonprofit organizations he is also an insurance broker for.
Daley said he was asked to meet with Newkirk later this week about the success of the event, but said that the Celebrity Classic is had the makings of a great event.
'The first year, it's hard to tell,' he said. 'But it was a great event to start off with. From everything I have seen this week, this looks like a highly successful event.'
Newkirk said he had been ready for crowds of as many as 12,000 people, but thought that turnout was lower.
The tournament reportedly cost $600,000 to put on.A 10 percent cut from the proceeds are marked for three charities. Those organizations are Saratoga Care, Literacy NENY, and the Peter G. Young Foundation to help the homeless.
'We can attribute the low attendance to Belmont, heat, humidity and the threat of rain,' Newkirk said.
Newkirk extended his thanks not only to his staff and volunteers, but to the celebrities for being so personable, in particular Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, who is also a member of the golf course.
'I thought it was great,' Parcells said.
'The weather cooperated, except for the heat, and the course was in magnificent condition.'
Parcells said the event was well received, and hoped to see it 'move onward and upward,' from here.
Vendors also played a big part in the event's success, Newkirk said.
Habana Cigar Shoppe of Colonie, normally just the supplier for cigars at the clubhouse bar, set up a table during the tournament to sell stogies.
'This is the first time we have ever done anything like this,' said Larry Shipp, Habana employee. 'Business has been OK and we have gotten a lot of leads. This has been a very good experience, and everybody deserves credit for how well this has been run.'
Asked what place cigars have on the golf course, Shipp had a ready reply.
'The golf course is one of the last places where you can go and smoke.'
©The Saratogian 2005
