Barclays Tournament Expected To Provide Boost

The 2012 PGA Barclays Golf Tournament is set to take place this August on the lush greens of , and not only golf enthusiasts are excited; local merchants are anticipating the boost to business the increased local foot traffic is sure to bring.

While this is the first time the Barclays Tour has come to area, Bethpage State Park is no stranger to golf tournaments, having hosted the prestigious U.S. Open in both 2002 and 2009. These two events each had their own effects on local Farmingdale businesses, although each in completely different ways.

The 2002 U.S. Open actually had detrimental effects on the local economy, according to Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand.

“2002 was the first U.S. Open after 9/11,” he said. “Everything was shut down, and it was virtually a ghost town because no one knew how to handle security...they wouldn’t let people from the train walk through the village. It was the first big golf event since 9/11, and the merchants got killed because there was virtually no business.”

However, things changed when the 2009 U.S. Open rolled in. By that time security measures had been loosened, and as a result, the huge influx of foot traffic on Main Street was a great boon to local merchants, said Ekstrand.

“Attendees could take a break, ride from the U.S. Open to the village, walk around, grab a bite to eat, and then return to the park,” he said. “The Chamber of Commerce did a great job helping out...they provided maps of the downtown Farmingdale and coupons to people associated with the golf tour.”

With the arrival of the PGA Barclays Golf Tournament this summer, Ekstrand sees the potential for another financial windfall for the businesses of Farmingdale, although one not quite as pronounced as experienced in 2009.

“The U.S. Open is one of the four major golf tournaments held every year, so people come from all over the world to see it,” he said. “However, the Barclays is just a normal tournament...the PGA is telling me that attendance will be about 40 percent less then we got for the 2009 U.S. Open, and as a result, we’re expecting 40 percent less foot traffic in the village.”

The Chamber of Commerce is once again doing what they can to drum up sales opportunities from the attendees of the tournament. According to Ekstrand, the village will have a tent at the event where Chamber members will be handing out shopping guides.

“It will be like an information booth, where people can find out what to do in Farmingdale,” he said. “Where to go, where to eat, and so on. So, hopefully we can get some of the people into the village. It won’t be the shot in the arm that the U.S. Open was, but it should still give local businesses a nice bump each day.”

The 2012 PGA Barclays Golf Tournament starts on Thursday, Aug. 23, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 26. Two pre-tournament practice rounds are set to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 21, and Wednesday, Aug. 22.