For four decades, the U.S. Bank Championship has survived and prospered through schedule changes, inclement weather, uncertain economic times and the British Open -- which is played at the same time as Milwaukee's tour event.
Tournament Director Dan Croak's challenge is to find ways to expand the event and keep the PGA Tour in Milwaukee for years to come.
The key to doing that, he says, is building a strong relationship with the local business community.
"We have to strive to get the entire community involved," Croak said during the third-round action Saturday at Brown Deer Park. "Businesses that want to utilize the tournament to enhance their marketing. It's our marketing plan, but we want them to think of us as a vehicle to enhance their business."
Croak points to the club seats and luxury boxes at Miller Park and the Bradley Center as examples. Area businesses use Brewers and Bucks games to entertain clients and conduct business outside of the office. He wants to build a similar relationship between that community and the U.S. Bank Championship.
Anchoring the link between the corporate world and the tournament is the event's relationship with title sponsor, U.S. Bank. Now in its fourth year, the arrangement provides a way for the tournament to increase its purse -- four million dollars will be distributed this year -- as well as its exposure, thanks to U.S. Bank's large presence not just in Milwaukee, but in the Upper Midwest.
The quest for corporate dollars isn't an effort to boost the tournament's bottom line. The money generated through corporate sponsorships and tents doesn't go into the pockets of the tournament directors. Instead, it's given back to charitable interests in the area. Bringing in more businesses, many of which also support the same charities, can only help that effort.
"We need to get a larger portion of the business community to utilize the tournament," Croak says. "The payback, then, is that we can generate more dollars to give back to the money for charity."
Since 1994, the U.S. Bank Championship has donated more than $6.2 million to area charities. Last year alone more than $525,000 was given to area hospitals, food pantries and youth organizations. Croak, along with the tournament's board of directors, would like to see that total grow to $750,000 and eventually as much $1 million in the future.
Despite the emphasis on encouraging more business participation, the event is still geared towards the golf fan. Tournament attendance has been solid throughout the years, thanks in large part to the game's popularity in Wisconsin.
But like the Brewers and Bucks, the tournament is trying hard to appeal to the casual golf fan. This year, members of the BoDeans played an acoustic show following third-round action. The show was part of an event called "The Evening Round," which included other non-golf attractions like spa services, massages, acupuncture demonstrations as well as wine and beer tastings.
"We're looking at all different avenues to appeal to golf fans," Croak says. "If we're just a golf tournament, the fans are going to come. This is our way of starting to expand into that entertainment environment."
Helping Milwaukee attract a larger field is the event's inclusion in the FedEx Cup, the PGA Tour's season-long points completion. In the past, many golfers would skip summertime events like the U.S. Bank Championship to spend time with families and to just relax.
Croak thinks that golfers are still taking the same amount of time off, but are choosing to do so in a less concentrated manner. The Tour's Milwaukee stop provides an opportunity for those that didn't qualify for the British to build their points and improve their games.
"As long as we can get a representative field of players, we can continue to grow the pie, so to speak," Croak says.
"We know the elements that are important for success; a good golf course, a good venue surrounding the golf course and a good staff are all vital. We just need to build off of that and that's what we're trying to do."
