Next year, Louisville’s Valhalla will be hosting the 2024 PGA Championship for the fourth time. Hosting the PGA Championship is not only exciting for golf followers, but also a tremendous economic opportunity for our region. Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA, penned his thoughts about the upcoming Championship, the PGA organization, and its economic impact.

The PGA of America is a membership organization of over 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to drive interest and participation in the game. PGA Professionals are the leaders in the business of golf and can be found working at numerous facilities and companies across the world in a variety of career paths, including Golf Operations, Executive Management and Teaching & Coaching. The PGA also helps our Members by providing additional educational opportunities through lifelong learning programs.

We’re the national governing body that drives support to 41 local PGA Section Offices who help golf professionals and golf consumers in your local market. Among the programs that the PGA of America oversees are PGA Jr. League, PGA Family Golf, PGA Team Golf and more.

In addition, PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to positively impact the lives of youth, military, and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf.

We’re also proud to host major championships that showcase the best golfers from around the world. These include the PGA Championship, one of four major championships in men’s professional golf; the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, one of five major championships in women’s professional golf; and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the oldest major championship in senior men’s professional golf. Additionally, the PGA works closely with Ryder Cup Europe to stage the Ryder Cup, golf’s greatest team event.

And we’re thrilled to return to Louisville and Valhalla Golf Club for the 106th PGA Championship in May 2024. This marks the fourth PGA Championship to be contested at Valhalla and first since 2014.

The PGA is dedicated to creating a lasting influence on the communities where we conduct major championships. Hosting a PGA Championship historically results in an economic impact exceeding $100 million.

Approximately 200,000 spectators will attend the 2024 PGA Championship, with an estimated 50% of those attendees coming from outside of Kentucky. We expect 2024 to have a significant impact on local accommodations, resulting in at least 90% hotel occupancy for the city during Championship week. Plus, the event will generate over 1,000 temporary local employment opportunities to assist with championship operations before, during and after the event. A true halo effect!

The 2024 PGA Championship will once again feature CBS Sports, ESPN and ESPN+ combining to deliver more than 250 hours of live coverage across their broadcast, cable and digital platforms. Globally, the championship will be seen in 171 countries and territories reaching nearly a half-billion households.

The PGA of America has great excitement and anticipation for the upcoming PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2024! We look forward to once again showcasing world-class golf in the vibrant city of Louisville, while creating a memorable championship experience for players, spectators and the entire community.