The United States Golf Association (USGA) will receive a hefty financial incentive package for opening its second headquarters in North Carolina.
The Moore County Commission unanimously voted Tuesday in favor of initiating an agreement with USGA to open a golf house with a museum, visitor center, offices and a research and testing center in Pinehurst.
USGA would receive an $18 million grant from the state and a 90 percent property tax break from the county. The county also would provide public safety and other public services for the USGA facilities.
The local incentives could cost the county an estimated $25 million.
“These investments will pay for themselves in time, in the form of sales tax, property tax and other activities,” said Pat Corso, the county’s economic director.
Moore County must get approval from Pinehurst before the agreement can be finalized.
Positive reactions from the community at the public hearing Tuesday showed an appetite for the venture, which would secure at least 50 jobs over the next 10 years and an estimated $2 billion in revenue over 25 years.
USGA agreed to host championship events in Moore County and North Carolina and encourage similar organizations to do the same.
Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course already had been selected as the site of the USGA’s U.S. Open in 2024. The last U.S. Open at Pinehurst in 2014 earned the state about $500 million in revenue, Corso said.
Moore County Commissioner Catherine Graham said the county plans to use the new revenue for schools.
“We want you to come. We want you to spend your money because we need the sales tax to build more schools,” Graham said. “We’re looking definitely in the future for that.”
Gov. Roy Cooper signed House Bill 807 on Friday, which changes the state’s Site Infrastructure Development grant eligibility requirements to allow USGA to qualify for the incentive.
The previous law limited the state fund to manufacturing businesses that plan to invest at least $100 million of private funds and employ 100 new people.
HB 807 allows “sports championship employers” to qualify for the grants as long as they invest at least $5 million, hire 35 people and maintain at least 50 jobs for 10 years.
The Senate approved the bill, 49-0, on Wednesday, and the House voted 102-12 in favor of it Thursday.
According to the new law, USGA also must reserve a 40-person hospitality pavilion for the Department of Commerce or a nonprofit organization that contracts with the state agency at each championship event.
State Rep. Larry Pittman, R-Cabarrus, voted against the measure. Pittman said he could not support giving taxpayer money to a private entity “when the money ought to be going to things that are responsibilities of the state government.”
USGA is based in Liberty Corner, N.J.
