The RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing will take place June 18-21 at Harbour Town Golf Links. This year’s tournament will be a made-for-TV event as it will be conducted without spectators and the traditional activities that surround the event. Watch all the action on the Golf Channel and CBS, which will bring the tournament to households worldwide. The PGA Tour staff worked with federal and state public health officials to implement a layered safety approach, including comprehensive testing, enhanced hygiene and social distancing guidelines. Beginning June 1, the Heritage Classic Foundation will begin to rope and stake the entire perimeter of Harbour Town Golf Links.
BY THE NUMBERS
$102 MILLION added to South Carolina’s economy
1,131 NEW JOBS supported
94.6% OF THOSE SURVEYED expressed satisfaction with the tournament
90.8% OF VISITORS plan to visit Hilton Head Island again
75.4% OF RESPONDENTS have a four-year degree
57.7% OF THOSE SURVEYED make more than $100,000 a year
56% OF RESPONDENTS live outside Beaufort County
53 WAS THE AVERAGE AGE of respondents
41.4% OF THOSE SURVEYED said “word of mouth” influenced their decision to attend
28.8% OF RESPONDENTS were first-time spectators
This year’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing will be played without spectators to protect the public from the COVID-19 pandemic.
And while paring down the event is good news for public health, it will also affect the Lowcountry’s economy —the thousands of patrons who annually flock to Harbour Town Golf Links to watch some of the world’s top golfers pump millions of dollars into Hilton Head Island’s shops, restaurants and hotels.
But how big an impact will playing the tournament without spectators have? Last year, the Heritage Classic Foundation hired Clemson University, in partnership with University of South Carolina Beaufort, to conduct a study to determine the economic impacts of the event. The following is an abbreviated look at the study:
In 2019, 135,000 people attended the event, bringing $102 million to the state’s economy. The event supported 1,131 jobs and generated $6.72 million in state and local taxes. - Of the more than 2,220 people surveyed, more than 90% said they’d likely return to Hilton Head during another time of year.
- Visitors stayed on Hilton Head or in other areas of Beaufort County an average of five nights, spending an average of $672.70 per person. An estimated $38 million was spent by visitors on lodging and dining.
- Since 1987, the RBC Heritage has also contributed $44.6 million to those in need in South Carolina and Georgia, including $3.2 million through the Heritage Classic Foundation in 2019.
