Peninsula hotels booked as the AT&T Pro-Am comes to town

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (KION) A yearly kick-off for tourism, the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am brings thousands of visitors to the Monterey Peninsula every year. But people don't just come for the golf.

"Visiting the Pro-Am, they're out there three, four or five hours and then right after they want to come here and they hit the pubs, they hit the restaurants, and then they shop and just walk around town and enjoy all the attractions and all the things that we have to offer," said Moe Ammar, President of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce.

For the past 16 years, the chamber has been sponsoring their own shuttle service to and from the tournament.

"We hire the busses and the drivers and we have a lot of volunteers that can assist people with any information that they need. It's totally paid for by the Chamber of Commerce as a complement to the event," said Ammar. "They stay in town, they eat in town, they shop and get their gas and anything that they need locally."

This year, spectators have been welcomed back after a fan-less tournament in 2021. And it's not business as usual this weekend for the Martine Inn in Pacific Grove.

"I'm going from just about two or three rooms booked during most of the week, and as far as this weekend goes, we are fully booked for this entire weekend, so everyone's ready to go golfing," said Innkeeper Jeremy Pritchard.

"Our hotels are almost fully booked and our restaurants are doing extremely well. Everybody's excited and it's time to generate some positive economic impact for the city of Pacific Grove and the entire Monterey Peninsula," added Ammar.

But the PGA Tour, and the celebrities coming to town, also helps reel in even those who aren't interested in golf.

"It creates additional exposure for the entire destination. Of course, it's centered at Pebble Beach and that is one of our crown jewels. But also, in the broadcast coverage, they cover other parts of the destination. So they really show off to an even broader audience, to millions of people, what a beautiful destination that we have here," said Rob O'Keefe, CEO and President of the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

And the proof is in the numbers.

"In 2020 during the Pro-Am, compared to the two weeks prior to that week that it was here, our room revenue was up by 47%. And we had over 6,000 more room nights sold. So you see sort of an immediate bump in this time period offseason when we need it," added O'Keefe.

The exact boost this year is yet to be seen until the weekend is over, but it's a welcome change for businesses that have taken a hit during the pandemic.

"It's been a very challenging year, especially for the hospitality businesses, the restaurants, the hotels, the attractions, anything to do with tourism. And I can tell you, this event is the premier event. It launches the tourism season. It's what brings people in," said Ammar. "I think most importantly, is when these people come here for the AT&T, they always end up coming back to visit. And I know a lot of them have actually moved to Pacific Grove as a direct result of the event, bought homes, settled here and retired."

This year, the Pro-Am is also set to reach a milestone among PGA Tour tournaments, donating more than $200 million that goes straight charities on the Peninsula and across the Central Coast.