Richard Dunn
With better luxury accommodations, improved shuttle transportation
for the gallery and lower ticket prices, organizers of the Hyundai Team
Matches are anticipating a huge attendance increase this weekend at
Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast.
Last year, when the made-for-television event was played here for the
first time, following its original years at PGA West in La Quinta and a
one-year hiatus in 1998, the Diners Club Matches played to generally
positive reviews as sunny weather blanketed the coast and Irvine Co.
executives celebrated.
But attendance, according to tournament director Gary Pollard, was at
least 50% lower last year than what was expected.
Pelican Hill looked good on television with the camera shots from a
blimp, but the sparse galleries were a sore spot. Changes were promised
and ultimately made.
In 1999, an estimated 3,500 fans attended on Saturday and 5,500 on
Sunday, Pollard said. But this weekend's Hyundai Team Matches should blow
those crowd figures out of the Pacific Ocean.
In fact, ticket sales are so "brisk," Pollard said, that his office
has stopped selling advanced tickets, referring people to Ticketmaster,
instead.
"I don't know what the numbers are (for advanced ticket sales). You'll
have to call Ticketmaster," Pollard said. "But, here in our (Pelican
Hill) office, the phones are ringing off the hook."
With p.r. spins coming from different angles, it's clear the event
will have a changed appearance, with the 24 pros playing only the Ocean
North course. Last year, it was held over 14 holes on the Ocean North and
the final four holes on the Ocean South, which forced spectators to make
a long walk from the 14th to the 15th hole.
A shuttle service will also be set up to help galleries get around the
hilly layout.
Furthermore, among the complaints from paying customers last year was
the no access sign at the Pelican Hill Clubhouse Grill and Bar, which was
closed to the public.
This weekend, the doors will be open. For a price. The facility is
available to fans at $45 (for the pro-am Friday), $55 (Saturday) and $60
(Sunday), a cost that does not include food and beverages. It's a hefty
cover charge, indeed, but that's what this affluent marketplace demands,
Pollard said.
"It gets you where you want to be, where some people insisted they
wanted to be," said Pollard, hired to operate the event by the company
formerly known as Jack Nicklaus Productions, now Gaylord Entertainment.
Ticket prices have also been reduced, with single-day passes on the
