
Why is Rich Harvest Farms Hosting a LIV Golf Invitational Series Event?
By Brian Weis
Rich Harvest Farms has chosen to be a host site for the LIV Golf Invitational Series to benefit the following:
1. The Kids Golf Foundation of Illinois - Established in 1998, the Foundation is a statewide junior golf association that offers and supports several golf programs and events designed to introduce children between the ages of 5 and 17 to the sport of golf, as well as its fundamentals, rules, etiquette, and life lessons. The Foundation provides all program sites with training, materials, resources, and funding opportunities at no cost to the participants. Over the years, it has enriched the lives of over 250,000 children.
2. Caddies at Rich Harvest Farms - Rich Harvest Farms has a Golf Digest Index Top 10 Caddie Program that gives young men and women the opportunity to experience the lessons golf has to offer while providing a valuable service to our Membership. Rich Harvest Farms will be starting a caddie scholarship program to recognize the thorough training and hard work caddies at Rich Harvest Farms put forth in the classroom, in the community, and on the golf course.
3. Ukrainian Refugees - Rich Harvest Farms is greatly concerned by the growing refugee crisis in Ukraine. A sizable donation will be sent to help support all those who have been recently displaced by war.
4. Educational Institutions - Rich Harvest Farms is proud to be the home golf course of the Northern Illinois University's men's and women's golf teams and is honored to play a role in many educational programs put on by the university. In a similar but smaller capacity, Rich Harvest Farms also supports Aurora University and their men and women's golf teams due to its proximity and is happy to support the local public school system as well.
5. Local Business - When Rich Harvest Farms hosted the Solheim Cup back in 2009, it had over a $70 million economic impact on the region for the week. From Chicago all the way to Sugar Grove, airports, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, gas stations, and more all benefited. We expect a much higher windfall with this tournament.
6. Illinois Golf Community - Hosting a major men's professional golf tournament would assist in growing the Illinois golf community, serving as a rallying point in a state that doesn't often host major golf tournaments, and no longer hosts any consistently.
Rich Harvest Farms is seeking to help the community, both locally and globally, and is excited to partner with LIV Golf Investments to do so!
ABOUT LIV
LIV Golf Invitational Series (www.livgolf.com) launched today with the mission to modernize and supercharge the game of golf via expanded golf opportunities for fans and players alike. The eight-event series will showcase an innovative new golf format starting in June 2022 featuring teams playing for more than $250MM in prize purses.
LIV Golf Investments is providing more than $400MM in seed money to launch the series which will be the building blocks of a next generation golf experience. Each event will consist of three rounds with 54 holes and no cut, as well as shotgun starts to ensure a faster and more exciting pace. As a result, players will consistently play head-to-head against their rivals throughout the year, providing fans with an unmatched experience.
Fan research indicates a significant number of new fans would be enticed by a faster paced and shorter variation and non-traditional format of play. With smaller fields, fewer rounds, fewer events, shorter playing windows and modified shotgun starts, these events have been designed with fans as the top priority.
"I want golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities, and fans to have more fun. My mission is to help the game reach its full potential and we know the role of golf as an entertainment product is critical to overall participation in the sport," said Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf Investments. "In many ways, we are a start-up. We have a long-term vision and aim to grow. I believe we have a very bright and exciting future."
In this first year, the series will develop this new golf experience over seven regular season events culminating in a Team Championship match play grand finale. Four events are slated to take place in the United States and three events are to be staged internationally with the Team Championship venue to be announced at a later date. The schedule will not compete with the Majors, international team events or heritage events so players, who are independent contractors, will always be able to make their own choices about where to play.
Team golf has proven it has the ability to produce many of the game's most exciting moments, and it is at the heart of the new structure. In year one, there will be a max of 48 players on 12 four-man teams and a truly global field with golfers invited from all tours around the world to beta test the new format. Each event will have teams comprised of different players determined by a draft the week of the event.
"Our events are truly additive to the world of golf. We have done our best to create a schedule that allows players to play elsewhere, while still participating in our events. I believe players will increasingly make progress in achieving their right to play where they want. We will help in any way possible and will provide golfers with opportunities to achieve their full potential," said Norman.
Total prize purse for the eight events will reach an unprecedented $255MM. The first seven regular season events will carry a total purse of $25MM comprised of $20MM in individual prizes (all players in the field earn a share) and $5MM for the top three teams. Following the first seven events, an Individual Champion will be crowned offering a total purse of $30MM for the top three individuals of the season. The season-ending eighth event will be a Team Championship that will provide $50MM in total prize funds.
The LIV Golf Invitational 2022 schedule will visit the following dates and locations:
June 9 - 11: Centurion Golf Club - London
July 1 - 3: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club - Portland
July 29 - 31: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster - New Jersey
Sept 2 - 4: The International - Boston
Sept 16 - 18: Rich Harvest Farms - Chicago
Oct 7 - 9: Stonehill Golf Club - Bangkok
Oct 14 - 16: Royal Greens Golf Club - Jeddah
Oct 28 - 30: Team Championship
As part of LIV's commitment to the game, plans include a major charitable contribution as part of the organization's corporate social responsibility program.
LIV Golf Invitational Series is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission is centered around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport's untapped worldwide potential.
Revised: 04/07/2022 - Article Viewed 6,258 Times
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About: Brian Weis
Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.
As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.
Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.
In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.
On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.
Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.
Contact Brian Weis:
GolfTrips.com - Publisher and Golf Traveler
262-255-7600