Preparations being made for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

 

BENTON HARBOR, Mi. -- Crews from twenty-five different vendors out at Harbor Shores were assembling tents, stages and grandstands-- making sure everything is ready for the huge number of golf fanatics coming out to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. 

“We’ve got a few more days of work left but we are excited to welcome everyone back to Harbor Shores!” said Brandon Haney, Director of the golf tournament. "We have roughly about thirty-thousand people coming for the week next week. A really strong showing. The excitement is at an all-time high after a four-year hiatus.”

And local businesses are eager to see those crowds too.

“We’re optimistic in the Arts District here, in particular, because we are I guess about a hundred yards or—depends on if you’re a pro or not—but maybe a six-iron away from the event itself," said Forte Coffee owner Brian Maynard.

Maynard, who previously worked at KitchenAid, said that the Senior PGA Championship brings more to Southwest Michigan than just golf legends and their fans. 

“While the event is held in Benton Harbor, it has about a $600 million impact to the local economy, and I think the number is five-or-six-hundred temporary jobs have been created over the last three times the event has been here," he added.

Maynard himself is looking forward to the tournament. Not only is this the first year his coffee shops will be open for the Senior PGA, but his coffee beans have been selected for sampling at the tournament, to show off KitchenAid's new espresso makers. 

“We’re really the area’s only roaster in the twin-cities and so of course, we were very proud to be chosen by KitchenAid to provide the beans," he said. 

And it's not just the businesses and job seekers that are excited-- members of the community flocked to be a part of the tournament. 

“We’ll have about twelve-hundred volunteers helping us out next week, getting all the shifts covered for the week," Haney said. "I think that just speaks to how excited this community is that our championship is back. We’re very very excited to be back and playing some golf again next week.”

The first tee-off will happen on May 26.

There are still some temporary positions to fill at the tournament. More information can be found here: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship | The Official Website of the Senior PGA Championship brought to you by PGA.com (srpgachampionship.com)