Posted: Feb 19, 2012 9:59 PM
Updated: Feb 20, 2012 3:18 AM
MARANA - One of the biggest golf events in the world starts Monday.
The Accenture Match Play Championship will be played at the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain.
Organizers have made changes to help the fans.
Cell phones will be allowed on the course. They must be silenced. People must use designated talking areas if they want to talk. No video is allowed. Pictures will be allowed on Monday and Tuesday.
The general admission parking lot is closer. It is near Tangerine Road and Dove Mountain Boulevard instead of Interstate 10 and Tangerine Road.
Fans can by tickets at Tucson Fry's grocery stores or print them online. They cost $10 extra at the gate.
The event will bring 64 of the world's best golfers. It is one of only four world golf events during the year.
Tucson's landscapes will be on television for 56 hours. Organizers say it is good publicity in other parts of the country.
"They want to get on an airplane and come to Tucson," Match Play Executive Director Gerald Goodman said.
It brings more than $50 million to the local economy.
It is the biggest week of the year for Vero Amore restaurant.
"A lot of us count on it for part of our yearly income," restaurant manager Ashley Maina said. "We definitely depend on that extra boost
About $1 million goes to charity. Most of the ticket revenue goes to the Tucson Conquistadors. They give the money to organizations throughout the Southern Arizona.
"If you really care about your community," golf enthusiast Steve McEllis said, "then you need to support what comes here to bring money into those organizations."
Match Play will stay in Southern Arizona through 2014.
Ticket sales are doing about as well as last year.
Tickets start at $25. Kids under 18 are free with an adult ticket.
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