Air Capital Classic not concerned about Crestview’s pending ownership change

The Air Capital Classic is one of Bill Calfee’s favorite stops on the Web.com Tour.

He likes Wichita, he enjoys Crestview Country Club, he loves the tournament’s growing attendance and he compares the scene behind No. 17 to a mini Hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale.

As commissioner of the Web.com Tour, Calfee is obligated to praise dozens of events. But this tournament, which claims Tom Lehman, David Duval, David Toms and Jason Dufner as past champions, has become a staple on the minor-league golf calendar.

“We have been there for quite a while and the relationship is good,” Calfee said. “We have helped them with their golf course, and, the last few years, I think their course has been in its best shape in history. The club likes it. The members like it and host a lot of the players. I hope, regardless of what our contract with the club says, we are going to be there for a long time.”

Crestview’s contract with the Air Capital Classic runs through 2018, according to tournament director Roy Turner. And he is confident they have a long, bright future together beyond the next two years.

Still, there is some level of uncertainty with new ownership poised to take control of Crestview.

Though no sale has been publicly announced, the Crestview board of directors sent an e-mail to members in late April informing them the club has a letter of intent to sell to Concert Golf Partners, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based company that owns and operates a dozen country clubs. Representatives from the company are expected to be in attendance this week for the Air Capital Classic.

Like most country clubs, Crestview is battling declining membership and increased costs. Hosting a Web.com tournament has been a priority for the club since 2001. Could that change under new ownership?

“I won’t know until I sit down with these people,” Turner said. “But everybody says they are very excited about hosting the event and think it is great for the club. They are coming in Thursday through Sunday to watch the tournament and to be a part of the tournament. Something always changes when you have an ownership change, but I am very excited about the prospect of working with these new people.”

Neither Calfee nor Turner seem concerned about the future. After witnessing the Air Capital Classic up close many times, they think the relationship between club and tournament is strong enough to last through an ownership change.

Calfee says it is rare for a Web.com tournament to switch courses. Occasionally, in the first two years of an event, he notices club members may not like losing access to their course for a week or have other concerns, but he thinks partnerships are built to last when they make it beyond that transition.

In the rare event of a course change, Calfee said the moves tend to be sponsor-driven. He can’t think of an instance in which club members requested a switch.

Crestview members long ago adjusted to the Air Capital Classic. With 36 holes available, limiting members’ access for professional golfers isn’t much of an inconvenience. Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson also allows Crestview members to play its course for no charge during the tournament.

Those are perks most 18-hole clubs can’t offer.

“It works out well for the members that they have those opportunities,” Turner said. “But most of them are here in attendance anyway watching the tournament. It’s a prestigious event and we can sell it to the members. It helps the course. I think it’s a great plus for the club, and that shows in the incredible support we get from the members.”

Area sponsors and fans are supporting the tournament in record numbers. Turner hopes for increased attendance this year, but he admits the heat could keep some golf fans at home. He says the tournament is offering more refreshments than ever to help combat the weather. The tournament will also experiment with new prizes and give-aways.

Turner is looking for ways to make the event grow. So is Calfee. They like where the Air Capital Classic is headed.

“The relationship there is really good,” Calfee said. “I think we have been good for the club and they have been good for us. It has been a good partnership. I hope it continues. We certainly want it to.”

This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Air Capital Classic not concerned about Crestview’s pending ownership change."