City: Charlotte, NC

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (800) 945-0777

Description: When Charlotte decided to get back into hosting a regular PGA Tour event in 2003, everything was thought out in advance to make this a special event on the Tour’s schedule. The key components were an excellent golf course (Quail Hollow), a big-time sponsor (Wachovia/Wells Fargo), great spot on the calendar (late April to early May), and a highly-respected television partner (CBS). Tournament chairman Johnny Harris also did a lot of little things right, like providing every player a Mercedes courtesy car and making sure caddies and wives are treated as well as the players.The result is the Wachovia Championship turned Quail Hollow Championship, which has featured an elite field every year. Many golfers have said that, outside of golf’s four majors, the Charlotte event is the best on tour, or among the best. Just look at the list of champions and you see names like Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, David Toms, Jim Furyk, and rising superstar Anthony Kim.Tickets are hard to come buy as golf-crazy Charlotteans gobble them up weeks before the tournament, and even show up in droves at practice rounds to get a glimpse of major players.Tickets for the championship are $40–$50 for individual days, or a weekly pass for $140.