BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — The 2023 South Carolina Women's Open Golf Tournament is underway. It brings people from across the country and around the globe to Blythewood to compete.
"We have 98 players with four divisions. We have a senior pro division it has 32 LPGA players in it. We have a senior amateur division it has 15 amateurs. We have an open professional division which there's 19 of those and we have an open amateur division," Executive Director Clarissa Childs of the Women's South Carolina Golf Association said.
The tournament's six-year history has brought hundreds of people worldwide to Blythewood to play a game they love.
"The majority of the professionals and open amateurs are out of the state. We even players from India, Mexico, Canada they're coming from all over to come play here," Childs said.
While players were trying to make par on the green, another kind of green brought a win for Blythewood.
"We do this thing called Blythewood bucks where we created - we contacted the restaurants - and we give each player $20, kind of like a coupon with a restaurant, to encourage them to stay in town and eat," Childs said.
Susan DeMarco, who owns Sweet Pea's Ice Cream, said she benefits from customers learning about her business through "Blythewood Bucks" and the tournament.
"We get people that come in from all over the place. So, it's great for our business because you know you can't have too many customers. But at the same time, it's great that people know what we have to offer in Blythewood," DeMarco said.
She said this means more customers and business in Blythewood.
"The fact that people get to know about Blythewood only enhances all of our businesses," Demarco said. "So everybody is positively impacted when people are staying at our hotels; they're getting gas in our community," DeMarco said.
Event organizers said it also brings global attention to South Carolina.
"I think it gives the town of Blythewood recognition. Obliviously, people in India probably don't know about Blythewood, but they do now," Childs said.
The golf tournament ends Sunday afternoon.