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It’s one thing for a corporate sponsor to get its name on a golf tournament, but the course itself? That’s rare. And, in my opinion, tacky and just plain wrong.
Well, in its increasing desire to join the corporate party being enjoyed by other major sports organizations, the PGA Tour announced yesterday that it sold the naming rights to its two new San Antonio golf courses to AT&T.
According to a PGA Tour press release, “The long-term sponsorship agreement will incorporate AT&T into the names of the courses at TPC San Antonio. The courses will be known as the AT&T Oaks Course (designed by Greg Norman, with player consultant Sergio Garcia) and the AT&T Canyons Course (designed by Pete Dye, with player consultant Bruce Lietzke).”
The courses will likely become the host sites of San Antionio’s PGA Tour and Champions Tour events, but God help us if they ever decide to hold The Skins Game there. Would AT&T insist that the carryovers be referred to as rollovers to promote their ubiquitous “rollover minutes” plan? As for a no-cell-phone policy, don’t even go there. Man, I hope this doesn’t catch on. Could you imagine the Masters being played at Verizon’s Augusta National?
Some might say the PGA Tour really whored itself out on this one, but in his blog, Geoff Shackelford says that, “would really be a disservice to prostitutes worldwide.”
The courses, which will be part of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, aren’t scheduled to open until 2010. Perhaps the resort will share AT&T’s tagline, “more bars in more places,” to boost liquor sales.
If a San Antonio golf vacation is on your radar screen before then, you’ll want to check out the detailed story we just published in our sister publication, Golf Odyssey. It explains the best time to take a San Antonio golf vacation, compares and contrasts the best San Antonio golf courses, reveals how to get on a famous private course designed by A.W. Tillinghast, and includes top hotel and restaurant recommendations.
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