(Oneida Reservation) – The Oneida Golf Enterprise (OGE) is in the hunt for a new sponsor for the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. After three years, the Oneida Nation will not be the naming sponsor of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
“Although this has been a great event to showcase all Oneida has to offer and was a great opportunity for generating tourism dollars in our area, the return on the investment did not allow for us to achieve the business goals of the Oneida Nation. The improvements to the course and clubhouse will still have far-reaching positive impacts to highlight our championship golf course,” Oneida Nation Chairman Tehassi Hill said. ”As a proud partner of the Green Bay Packers and home of the past LPGA events, our course has reached a high profile in the region and is known for the excellence of play and customer service.”
“We would like to see this event remain at Thornberry Creek at Oneida (TCO), and welcome another major sponsor take over the title sponsorship. TCO gained great recognition and tremendous marketing value world-wide as a result of the partnership with the LPGA,” added Chairman Hill.
The value of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic was multifaceted. The Oneida Nation has received impressive data on the public relations and media value and increased revenues from local Oneida businesses. Oneida Nation realizes the value of fostering a world-wide event and the economic and social partnerships that have grown since the first year. Some of the intrinsic value identified includes getting Oneida Nation and Thornberry Creek at Oneida on the map nationally and regionally for travelers and golfers, stronger local partnerships with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau, law enforcement, and municipalities. Additionally, the benefits to our local youth’s recreational and athletic programs were more than $22,000.
Message from OGE
With the conclusion and wrap up of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, the Oneida Golf Enterprise would like to thank all our business partners and sponsors, the community, and certainly all the fans for their support and encouragement of this wonderful event. It could not have been possible without the thousands of volunteers, the staff of Thornberry Creek at Oneida, IMG, the LPGA and most importantly, the members of the Oneida Nation who made the decision to bring worldwide attention to Oneida originally by hosting this event.
The Oneida Golf Enterprise is grateful and proud of the great improvements that were able to be made to the golf course and clubhouse at Thornberry Creek at Oneida. The investments made, have truly created a championship course that meets LPGA standards and will be able to be showcased long into the future. The upgrades have opened doors for the property to increase the value of the business and continue to be the leader in golf, events and food and beverage in the area. We are very proud of the impact the event had on the community, raising over $100,000 for area youth charity organizations and contributing to over a $7 million economic impact each year.
The Oneida Golf Enterprise, along with the Oneida Nation, is committed to helping find a new title sponsor and working to continue the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic for many years to come.
