Nine TOUR tournaments receive 'Best Of' honors

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Nine PGA TOUR tournaments were honored this week with 13 "Best Of" Awards by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR's year-end Tournament Advisory Council (TAC) Meetings.

"On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am thrilled to congratulate these tournaments for the special recognition they have received," said Rick George, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations. "The respective tournament committees should be extremely proud of their efforts and for being recognized as the best among their peers on TOUR."

QUAIL HOLLOW CHAMPIONSHIP

Best in Class -- Excellence in all phases of tournament operations and attention to detail in its entire presentation, including an autograph section for children on the driving range, seating only areas around the greens, the number of trash and recycling receptacles around the course and a innovative closed-circuit network around the course displaying sponsor information, trivia and fun facts. The Quail Hollow Championship opened a kiosk in a local mall, which increased exposure and sales. The tournament also increased exposure by adding two amateur pro-am teams and building one of the top media centers on TOUR.

ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

Best Special Event -- The tournament hosted a Louisiana Forward Economic Summit at TPC Louisiana during tournament week. The Summit focused on the economic and charitable impact the tournament has had in the region, with guest speakers including Zurich Financial Services CEO Jim Schiro and PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem.

Best Pro-Am -- The Wednesday pro-am is a long-time favorite, as local restaurants provide authentic New Orleans cuisine on the course to participants during the round.

Most Improved Event -- The excellence shown in staging the "Best Special Event" and "Best Pro-Am" as well as other significant areas contributed to this award.

CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL AT COLONIAL

Most Engaged Community -- The tournament has established a strong relationship with the city of Fort Worth, the mayor's office, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The support of those entities have elevated the championship to a true community event.

Best Use of Players -- The tournament formed a Player Alliance, a group of Dallas-Fort Worth area TOUR players who serve as an "advisory" group and provide support of the tournament's marketing efforts. For example, several players joined the tournament at its recent fall sponsor reception, serving on a player panel and interacting with current and prospective sponsors.

Best Marketing and Sales Plan -- The event was able to deal effectively with the unique challenges presented by this year's tough economic conditions.

BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

Best Media Center Operations -- The event's media center included amenities and outstanding personal service to assist working media in their coverage of the event.

RBC CANADIAN OPEN

Best Main Tournament Entrance -- The RBC Canadian Open main entrance, which provided excellent branding for RBC, the tournament and other key sponsors, was designed to tell the long-standing history of the Canadian Open, as well as provide information about the RCGA and what he organization does for golf in Canada. In addition, entering fans had the opportunity to have their photo taken with the tournament trophy, as well as experience the Expo Village placed along the path of the main entrance.

SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

Best New Promotional Idea -- ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike Show" did its broadcast live from Redstone Golf Club during tournament week. The show's hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, also participated in the Wednesday pro-am and raised $47,500 for the V Foundation for Cancer Research through a tournament-related auction.

TRANSITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

Most Improved On-Site Presentation -- The event achieved an enhanced look and feel with exceptional attention to operational detail. One of the unique branding opportunities featured Erik Estrada, star of the late '70s TV show "CHiPs," who was on-site in uniform handing out Transitions "sightations" to members of the gallery. TOUR players Kenny Perry and Trevor Immelman served as "Healthy Sight Ambassadors" for the week, joining Transitions Optical to raise awareness for the importance of healthy sight and establish a clear link between healthy, quality sight and optimal athletic performance.

TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Best Title Sponsor Integration -- In 2009, Travelers Insurance Company brought in more than 650 agents to the event coupled with nearly 1,000 other employees involved as either volunteers or corporate support for their guests. The Travelers Championship staff works hand-in-hand with Travelers Insurance Company to create a marketing plan that included such items as the Travelers Championship Challenge, a four-hole web game and an interactive tournament visual display in Bradley International Airport. In addition, on site this year, the tournament and title sponsor created a Secret Spotter Program awarding fans with gifts, handed out free t-shirts and added a giant Travelers umbrella with a hole to the lake by Nos. 15, 16 and 17 with the guarantee of a $10,000 charity donation to any player who aced the hole during Tuesday's practice round. In combining their efforts, the tournament generated more than $1 million for local charities.

TURNING STONE RESORT CHAMPIONSHIP

Best PGA TOUR Branding and Signage -- The PGA TOUR branding for on-site signage and collateral materials was a classic, consistent look that added to the overall presentation, both on-site for spectators as well as the televised broadcast of the event.