Cheyenne and More US Cities Turning Internationally Acclaimed Golf Tournaments Into Tourism Goldmines

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

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September 1, 2026 4:23 AM

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Cheyenne and more US cities are turning internationally acclaimed golf tournaments into tourism goldmines, attracting travellers, boosting travel spending and giving local destinations a powerful new tourism spotlight. From Asheville and Chicago to Austin, Naples and Orlando, a powerful run of golf tournaments is set to put US cities in the travel spotlight between September and December 2026, creating fresh opportunities for tourism, hotels, restaurants and destination businesses.

Golf is becoming a powerful engine for travel and tourism across the United States. Now, Cheyenne and more US cities are turning internationally acclaimed golf tournaments into tourism goldmines by attracting players, spectators, businesses and leisure travellers. Meanwhile, cities such as Asheville, Chicago, Austin, Naples and other destinations are using major tournaments to showcase their wider visitor experiences. Cheyenne’s Tee Off for Tourism tournament on October 2, 2026, directly links golf with destination development and community investment. As a result, golf is no longer simply a sporting attraction; it is becoming a strategic travel and tourism opportunity for cities seeking fresh visitor spending.

Golf is becoming much more than a sporting attraction for US destinations, and the final four months of 2026 are set to demonstrate just how strongly tournaments can influence travel and tourism across different cities. From September through December, professional competitions will bring players, supporters, media, corporate guests and leisure travellers into destinations ranging from North Carolina and Illinois to Texas, Utah and Florida.

The tournament calendar is particularly interesting because each host city offers a different tourism proposition, meaning golf visitors can combine competition days with restaurants, attractions, shopping, outdoor activities, resorts and cultural experiences. For destinations, this creates an opportunity to transform a sporting weekend into a broader travel experience that can increase visitor spending and encourage travellers to stay longer.

1. Chicago, Illinois — Presidents Cup
2. Asheville, North Carolina — Biltmore Championship
3. Ivins, Utah — Bank of Utah Championship
4. Austin, Texas — Good Good Championship
5. St. Simons Island, Georgia — RSM Classic
6. Naples, Florida — Grant Thornton Invitational
7. Orlando, Florida — PNC Championship
8. Phoenix, Arizona — City Team & Senior Team Championship
9. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida — PGA TOUR Q-School
10. Franklin, Tennessee — Simmons Bank Open

Cheyenne Golf Tournament Returns to Boost Tourism and Community Projects

A popular golf fundraiser is returning to Cheyenne, Wyoming, with tourism, community development and local partnerships at the centre of the event.

Visit Cheyenne will host its Tee Off for Tourism Golf Tournament on October 2, bringing businesses and community supporters together for an 18-hole event designed to raise money for tourism-related projects.

The fundraiser supports Discover Cheyenne, the nonprofit foundation associated with Visit Cheyenne, as well as Visit Cheyenne events. Organisers say the money raised will help strengthen Laramie County’s visitor economy while funding projects that also improve everyday life for local residents.

Golf With a Tourism Purpose

The tournament offers more than a day on the golf course. Its wider goal is to generate financial support for projects that make Cheyenne more attractive and enjoyable for visitors while creating lasting benefits for the community.

Discover Cheyenne has already contributed to several projects across the city. Among them are the Depot Plaza splash pad, Capitol Avenue Bronze Project and Storey Boulevard water tank mural project.

These initiatives demonstrate how tourism investment can extend beyond traditional visitor attractions. Public art, gathering spaces and community improvements can enhance the experience for tourists while also giving residents more reasons to enjoy their own city.

Amber Trevizo, Visit Cheyenne’s director of visitor experience, said tourism-focused investments can ultimately strengthen the wider community.

From Public Art to Community Spaces

According to Visit Cheyenne, the impact of Discover Cheyenne’s work is shared by visitors and residents.

The organisation points to projects that contribute to Cheyenne’s identity and public spaces, while supporting ideas that might otherwise struggle to secure funding.

Trevizo described the tournament as an opportunity for the business community to build relationships and support initiatives capable of producing long-term local benefits.

The approach reflects a broader tourism strategy: attracting visitors is only one part of developing a successful destination. Improving public spaces, creating memorable experiences and supporting local events can also help strengthen the community that welcomes those visitors.

Calcutta Night Opens the Event

The Tee Off for Tourism programme begins one evening before the golf tournament.

Calcutta Night will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on October 1 at Cheyenne Country Club. The evening is reserved for tournament participants and sponsors and will feature team bidding, a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

The event provides participants with an opportunity to connect before heading onto the course the following day.

Four-Person Scramble on October 2

The main tournament will be held at Cheyenne Country Club on October 2 and will follow a four-person scramble format.

Team registration costs $750. The package includes breakfast, 18 holes of golf, lunch and admission to the awards ceremony.

For companies and organisations that want to support Cheyenne tourism without fielding a golf team, sponsorship opportunities will also be available.

Sponsorship registration is scheduled to open September 15 and close September 25.

Tourism Investment That Benefits Cheyenne

The Tee Off for Tourism Golf Tournament highlights how destination organisations can use fundraising events to support tourism while investing in the community itself.

For Cheyenne, the event combines golf, business networking and fundraising around a broader objective: creating projects and experiences that can benefit both travellers and the people who live in Laramie County.

With proceeds supporting Discover Cheyenne’s programmes and projects, the tournament gives local businesses and tourism supporters a direct opportunity to contribute to the city’s visitor economy.

More information about registration, sponsorship and the event is available through Visit Cheyenne’s official tournament page.

2026 US golf tournaments: September–December

Asheville, North Carolina: Golf Meets Blue Ridge Tourism

Asheville will become one of the biggest new golf destinations in September 2026 when the Biltmore Championship Asheville takes place from September 17 to 20 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The tournament marks Asheville’s first PGA TOUR event since 1942 and forms part of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Fall schedule, giving the city a major opportunity to connect international-level golf with its established mountain tourism identity.

For travel and tourism businesses, the timing is particularly attractive because September begins Asheville’s celebrated autumn season, allowing visitors to combine golf with Blue Ridge Mountain scenery, food, arts, outdoor recreation and visits to Biltmore Estate. The destination itself is positioning the tournament as more than a sporting occasion, encouraging travellers to stay in the area and experience the wider attractions that make Asheville a recognised leisure destination.

Chicago, Illinois: Presidents Cup Creates Global Golf Attention

Chicago is set to become one of the most internationally visible golf destinations in the United States when the Presidents Cup arrives at Medinah Country Club from September 24 to 27. The event will bring the United States team and an International team together for five days of competition, with practice sessions beginning earlier in the week and tournament rounds taking place from Thursday through Sunday.

The tourism impact could extend well beyond the golf course because Chicago already has a major international visitor infrastructure, including hotels, restaurants, museums, entertainment districts, shopping areas and extensive air connections. The Presidents Cup therefore gives travellers another reason to visit the city during late September while creating opportunities for accommodation providers, hospitality businesses, transportation companies and local attractions to benefit from additional visitor activity.

Ivins, Utah: Resort Tourism Gains a Golf Showcase

Ivins will host the Bank of Utah Championship from October 1 to 4 at Black Desert Resort, bringing PGA TOUR golf to a destination surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of southern Utah. The tournament is included in the 2026 FedExCup Fall schedule and carries 500 FedExCup points, making it an important professional competition while also providing the destination with an opportunity to promote its resort and outdoor tourism credentials.

The attraction for travellers is the combination of professional sport and destination scenery, particularly for visitors who want to build a longer holiday around the tournament rather than simply attend a round of golf. Golf tourism can work especially well in resort destinations because visitors can combine the competition with accommodation, dining, wellness, outdoor experiences and sightseeing, creating a wider economic footprint than ticket sales alone.

Austin, Texas: A New Golf Tourism Opportunity

Austin will take centre stage in November when the Good Good Championship is scheduled for November 9 to 15 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Golf Course. The event is an official FedEx Fall PGA TOUR tournament featuring a 120-player field and 500 FedExCup points, while the venue itself adds a major resort component to the travel proposition.

The tournament gives Austin another opportunity to combine sport with its established reputation for food, music, entertainment, business travel and Texas Hill Country experiences. For tourism operators, the appeal is clear because golf visitors can potentially extend their trip beyond the competition, while corporate hospitality and networking opportunities can bring additional business travellers and higher-value visitors into the destination.

St. Simons Island, Georgia: Coastal Tourism and Professional Golf

St. Simons Island will host The RSM Classic from November 19 to 22 at Sea Island Golf Club, continuing the autumn golf calendar into coastal Georgia. The PGA TOUR event is scheduled as part of the 2026 FedExCup Fall and gives the island a high-profile sporting platform at a time when golf, resort travel and coastal leisure can work together naturally.

Golf tourism can be particularly valuable for destinations such as St. Simons Island because the visitor experience is not limited to the tournament itself, with coastal scenery, resort accommodation, dining and leisure activities providing reasons to remain in the destination. A major tournament can therefore support a wider travel ecosystem by encouraging visitors to spend on accommodation, food, transport, recreation and local experiences.

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida: The Road to Professional Golf

Ponte Vedra Beach will host PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry from December 10 to 13 at Dye’s Valley Course, bringing another major golf event to Florida during the winter travel season. The competition is particularly significant because Q-School represents an important pathway for players attempting to advance their professional careers, giving the event a distinctive narrative beyond a conventional tournament.

From a tourism perspective, December provides a valuable seasonal advantage because Florida remains an attractive destination for travellers seeking warmer weather and leisure experiences. Golf events during this period can support resort stays and visitor spending while strengthening Florida’s image as a year-round golf and tourism destination.

Naples, Florida: Golf, Luxury and Winter Travel

Naples will host the Grant Thornton Invitational from December 7 to 13 at Tiburón Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, bringing 16 LPGA players and 16 PGA TOUR players together for a distinctive mixed-field competition. The event includes professional practice, pro-am activity and three competition rounds, with the tournament combining golf with entertainment and family-oriented activities.

The Naples event demonstrates how golf can be integrated directly into a premium tourism strategy, particularly when a high-end resort forms part of the tournament setting. Visitors can potentially combine professional golf with luxury accommodation, dining, wellness and Southwest Florida leisure, making the event relevant not only to sports fans but also to affluent leisure travellers and corporate visitors.

Orlando, Florida: Family Golf Tourism Takes the Spotlight

Orlando is another important December golf destination, particularly because the city hosts the PNC Championship, a family-focused tournament that brings major champions and relatives together for a distinctive professional golf experience. The event adds another sporting attraction to one of the United States’ strongest tourism markets, where golf can complement theme parks, resorts, entertainment and family holidays.

The wider tourism value of an event like the PNC Championship comes from its ability to reach multiple traveller segments rather than only traditional golf spectators. Families, golf enthusiasts, corporate guests and sports travellers can all find reasons to visit, while Orlando’s extensive accommodation and visitor infrastructure provides the capacity to support increased demand around major event periods.

Why Golf Is Becoming a Tourism Driver

The 2026 calendar demonstrates that golf tournaments can function as destination-marketing platforms as much as sporting competitions, particularly when host cities promote their attractions alongside the event. A traveller arriving for four days of golf may also book a hotel, eat at local restaurants, visit attractions, hire a car, shop locally and add additional leisure days, creating a broader economic impact across the destination.

This relationship between golf, travel and tourism is becoming increasingly important as destinations compete for high-value visitors and seek to reduce dependence on a single tourism season. Sporting events provide a reason to travel on specific dates, while destinations can use the event as a gateway to promote experiences that encourage visitors to explore more of the city or region.

Golf Tourism Creates Opportunities Beyond the Course

For hotels and tourism businesses, the biggest opportunity is not necessarily the spectator ticket but the wider visitor journey surrounding the tournament. Accommodation providers can create golf packages, restaurants can develop event-related promotions, attractions can market extended stays and tourism organisations can build itineraries that connect the tournament with local experiences.

The strongest destinations are likely to be those that treat tournaments as part of a larger travel proposition rather than isolated sporting occasions. Asheville can connect golf with mountain tourism, Chicago can connect the Presidents Cup with urban travel, Austin can combine golf with Hill Country experiences, while Naples and Orlando can use winter golf to strengthen their already powerful leisure tourism markets.

Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World says,

“Golf is increasingly becoming a powerful travel and tourism catalyst because a major tournament can influence much more than what happens on the course, creating demand for hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions and local experiences across an entire destination. The 2026 US calendar is particularly compelling because it shows how different cities can use golf according to their own tourism strengths, from Asheville’s mountains and Chicago’s international appeal to Austin’s lifestyle economy and Florida’s winter leisure market. These tournaments create a strong opportunity for destinations to showcase their identity while welcoming high-value visitors, extending stays and encouraging broader exploration. For the travel industry, golf tourism should increasingly be viewed as an important destination-development strategy rather than simply a sports niche.”

What the 2026 Calendar Means for US Travel

The September-to-December tournament calendar creates a broad geographic trail of golf destinations across the United States, giving travellers multiple reasons to plan trips around major sporting events. From the autumn opening in Asheville and Chicago to October golf in Utah and November tournaments in Texas and Georgia, the schedule moves into Florida during the important winter travel period.

For tourism authorities, the opportunity is to convert short sporting visits into longer destination stays by promoting attractions, accommodation, dining and local experiences before and after tournament days. For travellers, meanwhile, these tournaments offer a practical way to combine a passion for golf with a wider holiday, creating a travel experience that reaches far beyond the fairways.

The rise of golf-led travel shows why tourism authorities are increasingly treating tournaments as economic and promotional assets rather than standalone sporting events. Cheyenne demonstrates this community-focused approach through Tee Off for Tourism, while Asheville is using its return of the PGA TOUR to promote mountains, hospitality, attractions and autumn travel.

Elsewhere, Chicago, Austin, St. Simons Island, Ponte Vedra Beach and Naples are positioned to attract different categories of golf travellers during the 2026 calendar. This creates a valuable tourism cycle: tournaments attract visitors, visitors spend locally, destinations gain exposure and businesses benefit from increased demand. Therefore, internationally acclaimed golf tournaments are increasingly becoming tourism goldmines, especially for US cities capable of connecting sport with accommodation, food, culture, nature and memorable local experiences. For travel brands, this trend creates another major opportunity to tell destination stories through the powerful combination of golf, travel and tourism.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which US cities have major golf tournaments in September 2026?

Asheville, North Carolina, hosts the Biltmore Championship Asheville from September 17 to 20, while the Chicago area hosts the Presidents Cup from September 24 to 27 at Medinah Country Club. Both events provide significant opportunities for travel and tourism businesses.

Which US city hosts a major golf tournament in October 2026?

Ivins, Utah, hosts the Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort from October 1 to 4, giving southern Utah an important professional golf and tourism platform.

Which US city should golf travellers consider in November?

Austin, Texas, is a particularly strong choice because the Good Good Championship takes place from November 9 to 15 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, combining PGA TOUR competition with a major resort and Texas Hill Country setting.

Which Florida destinations have golf tournaments in December 2026?

Ponte Vedra Beach hosts PGA TOUR Q-School from December 10 to 13, while Naples hosts the Grant Thornton Invitational from December 7 to 13, giving Florida two significant golf tourism opportunities during the winter travel season.

Why are golf tournaments important for tourism?

Golf tournaments can generate demand across hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, retail and entertainment because visitors frequently spend beyond the golf course. They also provide destinations with a strong promotional platform that can encourage travellers to discover a city or region while attending the event.

Which city has the biggest international golf tourism opportunity?

Chicago stands out because the Presidents Cup is a globally recognised team competition and takes place in a major international city with extensive visitor infrastructure. The tournament runs from September 24 to 27 at Medinah Country Club, making late September an important period for Chicago’s sports and tourism economy.

What is the broader travel trend behind these tournaments?

The wider trend is the integration of sports with destination tourism, where travellers increasingly combine events with leisure, dining, cultural experiences and extended stays. The 2026 golf calendar shows how destinations can use sport as a reason to travel while promoting the broader tourism experiences available in the surrounding city or region.