The Charles Schwab Cup Championship hits the Sonoma Golf Club this month, promising excitement, beauty and philanthropy.
It’s 10:30 on a mellow Wednesday morning, and empty spaces in the parking lot of the prestigious Sonoma Golf Club have yet to be filled with the luxury cars of the Wine Country golfing elite. One solo golfer strides through the parking lot, sun-visor in place, a pair of pristine, white golf shoes at the ready for the picture-perfect, early bird tee-off against a tranquil, vine-studded backdrop.
Established in 1928, the scenic Sonoma Golf Club is serenely positioned amid lush, parkland greens surrounded by gently rolling vineyards. It would be hard to capture a more bucolic ambience at any other private golf course in Northern California. Rebuilt entirely in 2005, a tasteful, two-story, Spanish-style club house is in keeping with Wine Country culture. It comes as no surprise when walking through the tiled entryway that those who work within are well aware of their privileged surrounds.
“In what other job could I create an event for the best 30 professional golfers, where thousands of people can enjoy sun, wine and food and, ultimately, all of the proceeds go to charity?” asks Leon Gilmore, executive director of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, in anticipation of the upcoming annual influx of the world’s top Champions Tour players.
Welcome to Wine Country
Pairing 30 premier wines and 30 premier restaurants with the best 30 Champions Tour players of 2008, the super exclusive Road to the Charles Schwab Cup culminates for a record sixth year in its current Wine Country location October 28 to November 2.
A recent announcement by parent organization PGA Tour has extended the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at the Sonoma Golf Club for one more year before it relocates to Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco in 2010 and 2011.
“This will be the longest running host course for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship,” says Gilmore. “That speaks volumes for Sonoma County and the Sonoma Valley and is something to be celebrated. The players have loved Sonoma, their wives have thoroughly enjoyed a week in Wine Country and fans have been incredibly supportive.”
Estimated to attract 40,000 spectators this year, the Schwab Cup combines PGA Tour professionals aged 50 and older, a coveted $2.5 million in prize money, a fan-friendly platform that promotes “inside the ropes” and game improvement for its fans. At close to 7,100 yards, the course is a mix of long and short holes that are known to test players’ accuracy and distance.
After finishing in second place in the 2007 Cup finals, Champions Tour player (and 2006 Charles Schwab Cup winner) Jay Haas said: “Sonoma Golf Club is probably one of my favorite golf courses I’ve ever played. I’ve had some good luck there. This year [2008], I’ve been back and forth with Bernhard Langer for the Schwab Cup lead. Hopefully, I’ll be one of the guys battling for the top spot when it comes down to it at the end. My goal is to be number one in the Schwab Cup. They do a great job in Sonoma and it really has the feel of a special event. All of us want to be in the top 30 and have a chance to get in that shootout at the end for the $1 million prize.” (The $2.5 million referred to earlier is divided into three separate awards. A $1 million annuity is given to the year’s overall points winner; a $440,000 prize is claimed by the tournament champ; and an additional $1 million purse is divided by four other top-five points earners.)
Meanwhile, “Hosting the 18th hole has been an enormous honor for us at Landmark Wines,” says vineyard owner Mike Colhoun, who successfully pairs his Landmark Steel Plow Syrah with specialty appetizers from Sonoma’s Café Le Haye. Last year, Landmark Vineyards extended hospitality to players’ wives, who participated in a ‘Hands-On Gourmet’ luncheon event at the Landmark tasting room in Kenwood, preparing, cooking and enjoying a lavish Wine Country meal with a professional chef to guide them through the experience.
“The players’ wives told me this was hands-down the best activity they’d participated in on the entire tour,” says Colhoun, who hopes the Cup will eventually return to Sonoma Valley after its stint in the city.
The numbers add up
Aired to a national television audience of 44.6 million, the ultra-elite Charles Schwab Cup Championship is unrivaled in its ability to showcase Sonoma County in full fall glory. For those who’ve had the good fortune to attend, the best of Wine Country varietals and culinary treats are every bit as enjoyable as the opportunity to watch favorite pros up close and in action on the par 72 championship golf course.
“It’s certainly one of our largest fall attractions here in Wine Country. The tournament has been a huge boost at the end of the harvest crush season,” says Keri Hansen, public relations and marketing manager for the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau. “The weather is still wonderful, and we typically see a large increase in visitor traffic throughout the county. There were 4,400 room nights accounted for during the 2007 event.”
Hansen places the Cup’s total financial impact on county tourism in 2007 at $1.85 million. “Clearly we’ll be sorry to see the tournament move to San Francisco,” says Hansen, “though we’ll make every effort to bring it back to Sonoma County in due course.”
Last year alone, Charles Schwab & Co, PricewaterhouseCoopers, corporate sponsors and thousands of fans collectively succeeded in raising a record $400,000 for Sonoma County nonprofits. “The year-long Champions Tour ‘Road to the Charles Schwab Cup’ culminates in an enormous positive impact on the area’s nonprofit organizations,” says Gilmore.
Rick George, PGA Tour executive vice president/COO, says, “Players are helping people who have disadvantages in their lives by giving back in each of the communities we serve. And thanks to their efforts, we’re well on our way to reaching our goal of a second $1 billion in nationwide charitable donations within the next five to seven years.”
The two largest gifts distributed this past year in Sonoma Valley were for the Emergency Room at Sonoma Valley Hospital and for scholarship programs at Sonoma’s Presentation School. Additional financial support was given to the NCGA Foundation, Twin Valley Aquatics, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the North Bay, Seeds of Learning, CommonBond Foundation, Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation, the Hanna Boys Center and Vineyard Worker Services (VWS).
VWS assists the farm worker community in Sonoma Valley with finding safe, clean housing and focuses on developing and operating permanent and seasonal housing for agricultural workers, both settled and migrant. With the $10,000 donation it received from the 2007 tournament funds, VWS provided crucial temporary housing for 10 vineyard workers, along with meals, health check-ups and workplace English language courses. “VWS thanks Charles Schwab Cup Championship for giving us the ability to take care of our vineyard workers, who help bring wine to our tables,” says VWS office manager and volunteer coordinator Maricarmen Reyes.
“Support for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley [BGCSV] over the course of the Schwab Cup’s stay in Sonoma has been very helpful toward the club fulfilling its mission of providing positive opportunities for youth to learn and succeed,” says Executive Director David Pier. “BGCSV provides services to more than 2,000 children in Sonoma Valley and the financial support from the tournament has helped ensure that after-school enrichment programs are available to all children who need them, and that they’re part of the quality service provided by the club. BGCSV strives to instill in each child a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence, and competence through fun activities, structured programming and academic support. Monies received from the Charles Schwab Cup have helped make this goal a reality for many children.”
Tourist attraction
With the oak tree-lined parkland course proving such a magnet for spectators, fans flood into Sonoma County from all over California, Oregon and Washington, with considerable representation of corporate sponsors from the East Coast. Not surprisingly, the volume of tournament spectators has swelled with each season’s televised shots of vineyards and interviews with winemakers and celebrity chefs.
“Residual stories from the international golf media spotlight the beauty of Sonoma Valley to readers and viewers around the world,” says Mimi Gatens of Benziger Family Wineries and Imagery Estate Winery. “These are marketing dollars that could never be paid for. It’s been a huge part of our lives here in the valley, and the opportunity to meet so many avid wine lovers, one-on-one, at the tournament and invite them to our tasting rooms has been tremendous.”
Host hotel for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship is the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, and many players take advantage of its luxurious accomodations. In recent years, such top players as Arizona resident Hale Irwin; Florida residents Jim Thorpe, Mark O’Meara and Fred Funk; Loren Roberts of Tennessee; and Germany’s Bernhard Langer have qualified for the Wine County tournament, while Japan, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Zimbabwe and New Zealand send media representatives to cover their countries’ players in action, filling scores of additional hotel rooms throughout the county.
“As host hotel to the tournament for the past several years, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn has experienced an incredible boom,” says Michelle Heston, director of public relations. “We continue to be delighted to partner with Charles Schwab on such a prestigious event that brings enormous panache to all of the hotels, resorts and businesses involved.”
“Players typically extended their visit for some quality personal time with their families, enjoying the hotel’s spa and restaurants and the rich, cultural activities available within the valley,” says Heston. “We’ve been in good company with the many philanthropic groups that provide essential resources and volunteers to make this a community-wide hospitality opportunity.”
Premier transportation to the event is an essential element of a smooth running tournament, and Petaluma’s Pure Luxury Transportation partners with the event for the first time this year. With general parking at the neighboring Hanna Boys Center and on Agua Caliente Road, tens of thousands of spectators are shuttled in and out of the club during the event. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with such a prestigious event” says a delighted Jennifer Buffo, co-owner of Pure Luxury Transportation. “In addition to transporting spectators, we’ll also be handling the airport transfers for players and hospitality events around the valley throughout the week.” More than 40 companies stage hospitality venues throughout the parkland setting and ranks of volunteers bolster corporate hospitality staff to provide a seamless experience for visitors and players alike.
Fore!
“What a great way to end the year,” says California-born Loren Roberts (2007 Charles Schwab Cup winner). “Sonoma Golf Club is a beautiful golf course with a great clubhouse. It’s a real quality course. You really have to drive your ball well and play good second shots. There are some birdies to be made, but you can also find some trouble. You have to play your ball well if you want to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship—and everything that goes with it.”
The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, now in its 19th year, has been staged in Sonoma for the past six of those. The PGA Tour is a separate organization from the Professional Golfer’s Association of America. A tax-exempt membership group of professional golfers, the PGA Tour plays more than 100 official money tournaments on three tours, including the Champions Tour.
“I’m extremely pleased to welcome the Charles Schwab Cup Championship back to Sonoma for 2008 and 2009,” says David Grieve, 2008 tournament chairman and founder and president of A&C Ventures, a private real estate investment company in Sonoma. “The real winners of this event are Sonoma’s charities and our local economy. It’s a pleasure and an honor to chair an event that impacts our community in such a positive way.”
The Charles Schwab Cup is a season-long, points-based competition on the Champions Tour, which is televised on CBS, NBC, Golf Channel, ABC, ESPN and TNT, spanning 15 states and three countries at 29 events from Hawaii to California.
“When you tee it up at the start of the year,” says tour player Andy Bean, “you’re already thinking about the Charles Schwab Cup and getting into the Championship. Sonoma Golf Club is always in good shape and has the best poa annua greens I’ve ever seen anywhere.”
The big question on everyone’s lips this fall will be whether or not reigning champion Jim Thorpe will again be successful in defending his title. His 2007 season-end victory was Thorpe’s third in five years at the Charles Schwab Tournament Cup Championships, after birdieing the final four holes to edge Tom Jenkins for the 30th and last spot in the field. Thorpe shot a six-under par of 66 to finish at 20 under 68, three strokes ahead of Denis Watson and Fred Funk.
“It’s been great for me in Sonoma,” says Thorpe. “It’s important to get off to a good start in the Charles Schwab Cup race and, if you don’t do that, it’s tough to make up ground. I certainly hope to get there again this year, but it’s harder on me with this young crowd we’ve had come out this year. If you can get to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, it’s a feather in your cap!”
