ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — The economic benefits from the Ryder Cup are stretching beyond the course into the Green Bay area as thousands of people attend the international golf competition at Whistling Straits near Kohler.
Steve Ninham, the general manager of Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay, said the hotel is about 75% full with Ryder Cup guests. He said media members and fans traveled from all across the country for the big event.
"It definitely is a nice boost for us. You know, the Packers season - football season - is a nice boost, but then to have Ryder Cup on top of it is additional revenue for the hotel and the whole market," Ninham said. "It's amazing to get the business from Kohler all the way to Green Bay here."
Mike Sheil lives in Kerrville, Texas. Sheil and his wife traveled from Minnesota to stay at the Radisson during the Ryder Cup.
"Availability" is what brought the couple to the Green Bay area for lodging during the tournament.
"It's pretty tough to get a hotel room anywhere close," Sheil said. "We use to live in this area, so we were kind of familiar with the hotel."
This will be Sheil's third Ryder Cup. His daughter gifted him tickets to the competition as a birthday present.
"I'm a big golf fan, and certainly have my hopes hung with Steve Stricker and hope he can pull it through for us," Sheil said.
Discover Green Bayhelped the Radisson with bookings and reservations.
"These are the types of events that can really put not just Green Bay, but the entire Northeast Wisconsin region on the map, showing that we can host events like this and really creating an experience for our visitors," said Nick Meisner, vice president of marketing and communications with Discover Green Bay. "I mean, you look at the Ryder Cup: last time it was held in 2018, it was in Paris; next time it'll be held in 2023, it'll be Rome; and sandwiched right in between there is Kohler, Wisconsin. So when we talk about the importance of an event like the Ryder Cup, it puts our region on the map with those very large, very attractive international destinations, which is what Green Bay is and what we hope to make it become."
Meisner said it's hard to tell how many people and much tourism dollars the Ryder Cup will bring to the Northeast Wisconsin area. He said Discover Green Bay will work with area businesses to find that information after the event.
Ninham added a worker shortage in the hospitality industry is impacting the Radisson as well. He said the hotel currently has a little more than 200 employees and needs dozens more, especially after opening a new restaurant in the building. People can view open positions online.
