1992: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Alabama
In the late 1980s, an Alabama public servant named David Bonner was looking for ways to attract tourism and economic development to his state. During a golf trip to Palm Springs, California, he came up with the idea of bringing golf tourism to Alabama.
“He wanted Alabama to become a destination for golfers from around the world,” said John Cannon, president of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. “He sent some letters to all the leading golf course architects in the country at that time, and only one of them called him back: Robert Trent Jones. Within a year, we had 18 golf courses underway.”
Today the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail comprises 11 resort properties and 26 golf courses spread out across the state. The full trail has been open since 1992 and last year celebrated its 10 millionth round of golf.
Bonner’s vision has now come to fruition: Players from around the world visit Alabama to play the golf courses on the trail. Each course is open to the public, giving visitors great access to high-quality golf experiences.
“They’re all world-class golf courses,” Cannon said. “We handle the highest level of competitions, including two LPGA and one PGA tour event next year. The courses can handle any level of play, but we’ve also ensured that we maintain the playability for all levels and skills of golfer.”
Cannon said the trail has brought travelers to areas of Alabama they otherwise wouldn’t have visited and has generated billions of dollars of economic impact.
2010: NASCAR Hall of Fame
Charlotte, North Carolina
When NASCAR was looking for a place to build a hall-of-fame museum, Charlotte, North Carolina, was a natural fit. The region is home to 90 percent of active Sprint Cup racing teams, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway plays host to numerous NASCAR races each year.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened in Charlotte in 2010 and almost immediately made an impact on the city.
“It’s creating valuable revenue for the city,” said Laura White, director of communications for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “It’s a key landmark for Charlotte. When groups visit, it’s one of our premier attractions for them. We’ve always been known for our NASCAR assets, but this is really the crown jewel of them all.”
The hall of fame and museum has more than 50 activities and experiences available for visitors. Groups can participate in pit crew challenges, during which they try their hand at some of the jobs performed by a racing pit crew.
The museum features extensive memorabilia exhibitions, including “Glory Road,” a display of 18 NASCAR vehicles from the 1920s to the 2010s.
Groups visiting Charlotte often combine a hall-of-fame visit with a tour of a racing team headquarters and even an event at the speedway.
“NASCAR continues to have mass appeal,” White said. “They’re doing some really engaging things to cultivate younger followers to be fans of the sport. As they broaden the mass appeal of the sport, we only benefit from that.”
