A Day at the Office

A Day at the Office

by Gail Paparian

With or without financial compensation, most people work. From the homemaker trying to balance the schedules of activity over-booked children to the executive with a penthouse view, to the engineer repairing a pothole, to the volunteer at a local hospital, we labor.

Those relegated to indoor-office work yearn Those relegated to indoor-office work yearn for fresh air and open space. Many who spend their working hours in the outdoor elements seek refuge under sunscreen, wide brimmed hats or umbrellas. In short, the proverbial other side of the pasture still looks greener.

Business is pleasure and pleasure is business, particularly in the Coachella Valley during "the season" which runs from when the weather usually cools down (November) to sometime in April when the temperature begins to heat up. A year’s worth of social and business activities is crammed into a four-month period.

This year, the month of March is filled with religious holidays, parties, corporate outings and the first major golf tournament on the LPGA Tour. 2002 is the first year of the newly named Kraft Nabisco Championship. Rich in tradition and increasing purses, this tournament began as the Colgate Dinah Shore (1972-1981), became the Nabisco Dinah Shore (1982-1999), evolved into the Nabisco Championship 2000-2001 and has its premier year in 2002 as the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

While still far below the huge purses paid on the PGA tour, the women’s tour has come a long way. The winner of the premier Colgate Dinah Shore event in 1972 was Jane Blalock. Originally a 54-hole event, the entire purse was $110,000. The 2002 Kraft Nabisco Championship offers a total purse of $1.5 million with the winner taking home $225,000.

Without corporate sponsorship and participation, the LPGA tour and other sporting events might not exist or prize money would certainly not be where it is today. Corporate sponsorship and co-branding of titles and tournaments has become the norm out of necessity. Companies want the naming rights if they are paying for them. Becoming known as ‘the food tour’- LPGA events are sponsored by corporations like: Kraft, Chick-fil-A, Kellogg-Keebler, McDonalds, Wegmans, Wendy’s Weetabix, Safeway and many more.

Ty Votaw is the commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association and he readily recognizes the role business plays on the LPGA Tour. He explained that sponsorships are usually between the 3-5 year range. "Kraft is on a rolling 5 year contract." That means that there’s always five years left on the contract unless Kraft notices the tour otherwise, then there would be four years remaining.

Votaw is quick to recognize the significance of this major golf event. "This tournament has been played on the same golf course and viewed on network television for over 25 years. There is no other event in the LPGA 52-year history that can say that. This tournament is special for the players and the organization," Votaw said.

Nanci Bowen, winner of the 1995 Nabisco Dinah Shore agrees. "It’s one of the best stops on the tour. It’s a shot makers course," she said.

Along with LPGA pros that love this tournament, amateurs and celebrities flock to play in this tournament. With breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains, golfers can usually wear shorts rather than snow suits! On very rare occasions, like this past January, the weather was warmer in New York City than it was in Palm Springs.

The professional tournament is played on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. The course is a par 72 (36-36) and plays out over 6,460 yards. The 18^th hole has been the scene of much drama, trauma and swimming.

Hall of Famer, Amy Alcott started, what is now a tradition in 1988. In celebration of her second victory in this tournament, she plunged into the lake. 1991 saw more history made when Alcott and Dinah Shore hit the water.

Nanci Bowen got immersed after her victory in 1995 and loved it! Not even a jump in the lake after here Nabisco victory in 2001 could dull the enthusiasm of Annika Sorenstam’s record setting year. In a remarkable year that saw Sorenstam shoot a first-ever 59 in woman’s competition, she proceeded to break or tie an astonishing 30 LPGA records. She’ll be back to defend her title in 2002.

A ‘tent city’ is erected for the tournament, which allows diverse numbers of businesses to present their wares to a growing audience of golf enthusiasts. Of today’s new golfers, 49% are women. Marketing to an audience of 75,000+ attendees and 750+ volunteers attracts business sponsors from all over. As far as visitors to the tournament, it is reported that 63% are female and 37% are male.

Dinah Shore, star of stage, screen and television was also a major booster of women’s sports…. particularly golf. Her presence and influence have not been diminished since her passing in 1994 and the elimination of her name several years ago on a golf tournament that had borne her name since 1972. Still, players, volunteers, fans and locals refer to this tournament as the "Dinah." Removing her name from the title of the tournament has done nothing to diminish her importance.

Commissioner Votaw agrees. "Her name may not be in the event, her persona, image and memory are a part of the overall tournament. The tournament is played on the Dinah Shore course, there is the Dinah Shore trophy and the LPGA has established The Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund. Dinah is the only non-player in the LPGA Hall of Fame." Clearly Dinah Shore would be pleased and proud to see the progress her influence has brought to women’s sports, particularly golf.

Since this tournament’s inauguration in 1972, approximately $7 million has been donated to charitable organizations. Some of the local groups include: Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs, Desert Healthcare Foundation, Desert Junior Golf, Family YMCA of the Desert and many more.

There is a year round staff of five who minister to the business of running the tournament. The tournament simply couldn’t take place without the legion of over 750 volunteers who work tirelessly before, during and after the tournament.

Many of the volunteers have been involved as long as the tournament has existed.

Sentiment of residents of Mission Hills Country Club varies from loving the tournament, to running away for that particular week, to guarded distaste, to hating it!

In all, the tournament and accompanying visitors have major consequences for the Coachella Valley from substantial economic return to minimal and short lived inconvenience to locals, be it more traffic or difficulty in securing dinner reservations.

At the end of the day, it’s all about doing business, or… just another day at the office. Local coffers are filled and a new queen of golf will be crowned on Sunday, March 31, 2002. Will she take the plunge at the 18^th? You will just have to come to the tournament to find out.

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