Results of a comprehensive study of golf's impact on the Indiana economy were revealed to state policymakers and the wider public Tuesday at the Statehouse. In a sport in which the emphasis normally is on making small numbers, $909.6 million in direct economic activity qualified as a big one.
"When most people think of golf, they think of a great game played in a beautiful green setting," said Linda Rogers, owner of Juday Creek Golf Course in Granger and vice president of the national Golf Course Owners Association. "Golf is more than a great game. It's a great business."
The study covered 2008 and was conducted by SRI International. It was commissioned by the Indiana Golf Association, the Indiana PGA and the Indiana Golf Course Superintendents, Indiana Golf Course Owners and Indiana Club Managers associations.
It found that golf provided 21,173 jobs and paid $530.7 million in wages for the period studied, much of it generated at Indiana's 430 golf facilities, 337 of which are public, 17 stand-alone driving ranges and 42 miniature golf courses.
Gov. Mitch Daniels and a range of legislators and officials heard the news and had access to hitting nets and a putting green under the supervision of Indiana PGA members.
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