Steve Nicklas
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The women's professional tennis tournament, held here each spring for 29 years, may be moving down the road. The former Bausch & Lomb Championships tournament has brought global recognition and exposure to Amelia Island.
It is unfortunate that the tournament may be moved next year to the Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach. Over the years, the tournament has attracted famous players like Martina Navratilova, Chris Everett, and recently, Sharapova herself.
The move has very much to do with sponsorships. Bausch & Lomb had announced that it would no longer sponsor the event for undisclosed reasons. That put local organizers on notice to find a new main sponsor -- and keep the tournament here, at Amelia Island Plantation.
Tournament officials are reportedly close to signing the contract to relocate the event to Ponte Vedra Beach. The tournament will fit nicely for that town as another major sporting event to complement The Players Championship golf tournament, held there each spring.
The tennis tournament has completed a dynamic springtime lineup for Amelia Island. It fit comfortably between two other favorite events -- the Concours d’ Elegance in March and the Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in May.
The tournament has been televised by ESPN for some time now. Television cameras have a way of delivering an intimate portrayal of an area. You can still hear the announcer’s voice resonate the words, “here on beautiful Amelia Island," as local scenes flickered across the screen.
There was a debate over how much the tournament contributed to the island’s economy. Some retailers have said they saw little increase in shopping activity that weekend, although there was no denying the popularity and appeal of the event.
Many of the spectators drove in and drove out after each day’s matches. Others stayed within the cozy confines of Amelia Island Plantation. But local tourism officials are correct in labeling the Bausch & Lomb Championships a “signature event.” An area is fortunate to have such events to draw attention and tourism.
As with the rest of the state, a major driver of the economy here is tourism. Putting the area under the microscope of TV cameras for a weekend of tennis (the tournament actually lasted most of a week) is irreplaceable. The benefits, and the exposure, will not be easily replaced by something else.
And, to complicate matters, there are preliminary reports that the widely renowned Concours car show is being solicited by other towns. Like with the tennis tournament, any temptation for an event to leave our area should be mitigated before it becomes a reality.
Our little slice of paradise has so much to offer. Getting opportunities to show it off are few. Let’s not put our community in this type of predicament again.
Focus our efforts and attention on “signature” events and activities such as these. Quibbling over minor affairs -- as we often do -- does nothing to benefit our community.
Many of our local businesses and residents rely on tourism for their livelihoods. In addition, it is a clean industry that keeps on giving -- as in giving back, not giving away.
(Steve Nicklas is a financial advisor who lives on Amelia Island. He can be reached at thenicklasteam2@msn.com or at 753-0236.)