Does The USGA's Pinehurst "Project Woodpecker" Hope To Spur The Creation Of Carlsbad East?

I couldn’t help but scratch my head reading Laura Douglas’ excellent Pilot story on the forthcoming marriage of the USGA and Pinehurst, complete with more majors, more USGA jobs and more exposure for golf lovers to the organization’s collection.

The downside? Some will not be thrilled at all of the tax breaks given to a for-profit resort and a tax-exempt 501(c)3 which specifically mentions such charitable organizations are forbidden from attempting “to influence legislation”:

County leaders unanimously approved a 10-year incentive grant for the project primarily in the form of tax breaks calculated as 90 percent of the total property taxes paid above and beyond the current property tax value — provided the USGA meets job creation and capital investment goals. Funding would be paid from new tax revenues collected as a result of the organization’s investment.

More disconcerting for those who believe the USGA is to govern the game is the suggestion of trying to create a new golf manufacturing and business community in Pinehurst. These are the folks in charge of regulating such matters, yet seem to be in the business of trying to be part of growing the overall golf business in North Carolina.

From Douglas in the Pilot:

“Their desire to construct a permanent home here also comes with a commitment to honor the traditions and respect for the game found here, and to preserve the historic nature of this community,” said Pat Corso, executive director of Partners in Progress (PIP), the county’s economic development arm.

Corso was president and chief operating officer at Pinehurst Resort when the first U.S. Open was held at No. 2 in 1999.

He noted USGA has committed to work directly with PIP to facilitate the recruitment of additional golf-related companies, including headquarters, research and development, manufacturers and associations.

“To have the USGA in Moore County puts our community in an enviable position as we look towards the future,” Corso said. “There cannot be a better suited project for our area.”

The reaction from Golf Pride’s Jame Ledford would appear to confirm this business push:

“I can’t think of a better opportunity for this community,” said Jamie Ledford, president of Golf Pride. “I could see this being something of a tipping point.”

He said USGA’s move could spur an even greater golf development cluster, potentially creating “an East Coast” version of the community that built up around Callaway Golf in Carlsbad, Calif.

“All you need to do is recruit just a handful of companies and with that come really attractive jobs for the community. There are a lot of jobs tied up in this opportunity, specifically, but you also need to think about downstream development.”

And here is the crux of the Project Woodpecker matter: does this mean the USGA is a pro-business support organization, or one that governs the game with only a regard for what’s best to support the sustainability of golf?

We’ll find out more Wednesday when the plans are explained in more detail.