ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Tiger Woods swung during the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in 2001 at Poipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai. An upcoming month of national television coverage will spotlight Hawaii golf.

---

Going after golfers

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau is going after the highly-competitive golf tourism market by improving its angle of approach with these affluent visitors.

The golf visitor Median age: 50 Median income: $100,000+ Average stay: 11.6 days Gender: Predominantly male Golf expenses: Rounds of golf, $553.05 Golf merchandise, $157.07 Food and beverage, $114.25 Source: Market Trends Pacific 2003

The HVCB announced plans yesterday to brand Hawaii as the ultimate golf destination by partnering with the Golf Channel to provide "Aloha Swing," a month of national television coverage that will air daily in January.

The partnership, which cost the state $200,000, will provide more than 100 hours of programming that spotlights golf in the islands, highlighted by 50 hours of live, primetime on-site broadcasts, including the popular Sprint pregame and post-game shows.

Coverage will center around four upcoming pro golf events, including the PGA Tour's Mercedes Championship on Maui, the Sony Open on Oahu, the Champions Tour's MasterCard Championship on the Big Island and the Turtle Bay Championship on Oahu, said David Manougian, president of the Golf Channel.

"Our partnership with Hawaii will showcase great tournament action in one of the most picturesque golfing destinations in the world," Manougian said.

Aloha Swing is the culmination of a recent push by Hawaii tourism officials to gain ground with golfers.

California tops the list of popular golf destinations, followed by Europe, Florida, then Hawaii, which edged out Nevada, according to surveys by Market Trends Pacific. The surveys show that the islands are popular, although the state hasn't branded itself as a golf destination, according to Mark Rolfing, NBC Sports golf analyst and host of the show "Golf Hawaii," who was instrumental in working with HVCB to secure the partnership. Rolfing also is a former board member of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

With nearby destinations like San Diego courting and winning major NFL and PGA tour events, Hawaii needs protect its interests, Rolfing said, adding the promotional partnership should give the state an edge against the county's most proactive sports marketing destinations.

"Research shows that golfers are a perfect fit for the visitors we want to reach -- the higher spending, longer-staying guests who participate in other activities and utilize our impressive destination amenities," said Frank Haas, vice president of marketing for the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Golfers also are seen as natural target for the state since Hawaii already offers world-class golfing facilities and events, said Jay Talwar, marketing director of the HVCB.

Eight of Golf Magazine's top 25 golf resorts in America are in Hawaii and about half of the 80-plus championship courses scattered throughout the islands opened within the last 15 years. Six professional tournaments are held annually in Hawaii, and the LPGA Tour, which once had an event in the islands from the mid-1980s through 2002, hopes to return next year.

The magnitude of exposure that Hawaii will receive from the Golf Channel is unprecedented, Rolfing said.

"Golfers nationally will be keenly aware of all that Hawaii has to offer," he said. "It will be a huge boost to elevating our brand as one of the world's premier golf settings."

Co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1991, the Golf Channel has a programming schedule that includes more live golf coverage than all other networks combined. By the end of this year, the Golf Channel will be broadcast in nearly 70 million U.S. homes. It also airs in Canada, Asia, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia.

"Golf Channel represents the bull's-eye in targeting the affluent golf traveler," said John Monahan, HVCB president and chief executive officer.

Each week of Aloha Swing will showcase a different island. All this will follow a six-week pre-Aloha Swing promotion on the Golf Channel that begins later this month.

During the four weeks of the Aloha Swing broadcast, on-air commentators will dress in Aloha attire, programs will incorporate Hawaiian-themed music and tournaments and locations statewide will receive on-air mentions.

Weekly programs "Your Game Night" and "Academy Live" will use Hawaii-based golf pros and PGA Tour players to provide instructional tips and other information about golf courses in the islands.

Coverage of PGA Tour pros engaging in other activities here also will demonstrate to golfers that there is more to a Hawaii golf vacation than exceptional courses and year-round sunshine, Monahan said.

"Hawaii golf is an adventure in paradise, because when you are through playing for the day, there's so much more for golfers, spouses and friends to explore and enjoy," Monahan said.