The Ryder Cup is just three months away and the international golf event is expected to bring major money to southeastern Wisconsin.
Golf fans from across the country are expected to descend upon Sheboygan County in late September to cheer on the world’s best players.
“It could be anywhere in the world and it’s here in Wisconsin,” said Jerrell Braxton.
“Number one, it’s going to be revenue,” said Percy Heidelberg.
Hundreds of people who live near Whistling Straits are preparing for a massive payday.
Airbnb listings and competitor sites show many families who live within ten miles of the course are still looking to rent their homes. Some have their houses listed for more than $10,000 for the week of the Ryder Cup.
Delaney Scudella said her family’s cabin was fully booked shortly after last year’s event was postponed due to the pandemic.
“I believe it was actually quicker because that week is booked online,” she said. “In 2020, we had one person that booked the whole week and then unfortunately they had to cancel, but for this week, you could tell for every round of tickets must have dropped because we have like another booking for a few days, so now we have three different people staying there throughout the week.”
Scudella said her cabin sold for $200 a night, which is $75 more than it normally goes for on a summer weekend.
“I’m excited that it’s going to bring a lot of tourism back with Plymouth and Elkhart Lake and Kohler, it’s all communities that really depend on tourism,” she said.
Ryder Cup officials announced this spring that they expect a ‘full fan experience’ as they await final approval for the event’s COVID-19 protocols.
Prior to the pandemic, the PGA expected 50,000 fans in attendance each day. Visit Sheboygan believes that could bring $30 million to Sheboygan County alone. Kohler Company, which owns the course, predicts a $135 million economic impact for the region.
While dozens of Airbnb’s are still available, event attendees who are still looking for hotels will have to search further than Sheboygan County. The Blue Harbor Resort said they’ve been fully booked for the week of the Ryder Cup since the beginning of the year. Other hotels told TMJ4 News they sold out their rooms a year ago.
“This is certainly huge for hotels and the lodging community in Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association President Bill Elliott. “Obviously, last year with the pandemic, we took some huge losses.”
With about 2,000 hotel rooms already spoken for in Sheboygan County, Elliot thinks the Ryder Cup will put heads in beds from Green Bay down to Racine and Milwaukee and west to Waukesha.
“The Milwaukee hotels, if you look at them right now, they’re certainly filling up. So I suspect you’re going to see that trend keep going west, and the more people that are coming out there for the Ryder Cup, the more hotel rooms are going to fill up,” he said.
Altogether, officials anticipate more than 30,000 hotel rooms will be booked for the duration of the Ryder Cup, making a year-long delay well worth the wait.
