Pierce County officials have released the numbers showing the U.S. Open’s economic impact on the county. The financial summary shows Pierce County incurred about $3.9 million in overall expenses and saw just over $5 million in revenue, resulting in a net gain of approximately $1.1 million.
“The second quarter numbers are right on track with what the County expected,” said Tony Tipton, Director of the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees Chambers Creek Regional Park where the golf course is located. “We’re pleased that the success of the Open proved to be an economic stimulus for Pierce County.”
The County is proposing to direct most of the net funds toward paying down the roughly $3.7 million in debt Chambers Bay incurred during the Great Recession. Greens fees as well as merchandise, food and beverage purchases projected over the next three years are expected to further reduce that amount.
“The bottom line is that the 2015 U.S. Open was a great event and we want to see it return,” said Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. “These are just Pierce County’s numbers. We expect the results of an independent study on the Open’s economic impact to the Puget Sound region and the state to be released soon.”