Finding A Sponsor For Michigan’s Buick Open

It’s hard to believe, but golf is the second largest industry in Michigan. The state ranks first in the number of public courses, with more than 800. Heck, there are 24 within a half hour’s drive of GolfBlogger World Headquarters.

That’s why its so sad that the demise of the Buick Open could leave the state without a single top level professional event. In this economically depressed state, the big issue is going to be finding a sponsor to replace General (Government) Motors.

I don’t know how it would work, but I have a suggestion: I think that the State of Michigan’s Tourism Board should pick up the tab, perhaps in conjunction with the state’s Golf Course Owner’s Association. I can’t think of a better way to spend a couple of million dollars advertising the state’s golf tourism industry than to sponsor a golf tournament that for a week would have the Pure Michigan logo all over it.

That’s be the rarest of things: a government expenditure that actually resulted in a net gain.