LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — For organizers of the 79th US Women’s Open Championship, the marquee golf event is about more than just showcasing the best of women’s golf but also giving fans a memorable experience.
So this year, they gave options to fans for an enhanced viewing experience from their Penn and 1761 Clubs.
"It really is a place to follow all the best players," said Allison Burns, director of the U.S. Women's Open. "You can sit and just constantly see where they're at in the field. We have TVs here, it just makes it a nice place to sit down, relax and enjoy the entire day."
It's an all-in top-tier hospitality golfing experience that makes it hard for fans to go anywhere else on the event grounds.
"You got all the holes around here that you can watch everybody. [It's] just a beautiful place to be," said Mark Weiberger, a golf fan who drove from New Jersey. “When we walked into this area [at] the pen club, they told me that you're not leaving once you get in here and they were right, we haven't left yet."
The enhanced fan areas that can be purchased online offer a wide range of amenities.
The 1761 Club is sold out for the weekend, but has a capacity of 1500 spectators daily and goes for around $55 per day. The Penn Club holds 200 people daily and still has spots with daily tickets around $275.
It's an opportunity that has given fans a chance to solely focus on what they came here to see, the best of the best in women’s golf.
"The food has been phenomenal. We had brisket sandwich earlier today all sorts of good great drinks and we've really had a blast," said Matt Wills who traveled from Oxford, Chester County with his stepson Bryce Carter.
Organizers hope the enhanced opportunity for fans achieves one thing, the most memorable hospitality experience.
"I want them to get in their car and leave and say that was the best hospitality experience I've ever had at a sporting event, and that they want to come back the next day," said Burns. "So if we can tick both of those boxes, then we've definitely exceeded our expectations."
Efforts to achieve that goal have taken years of preparation and long hours; all of which become worth it for organizers when they see the golf fans smiling and enjoying everything that they've worked so hard to put together.
"We've spent three years putting [this] together and mapping [it] out so we can make the fans, the players, the volunteers happy," said Burns. "We're having a great week and it's special to see everyone's smiles."
Smiles stemming from top-tier hospitality that foster memories of a lifetime.
"I’ll remember this for a long time," said Carter.