Manatee County tees up for Senior PGA Championship

Manatee County is less than 100 days away from hosting its first Senior PGA Championship, which will be held at The Concession Golf Club from April 16-19.

The county committed $4.5 million from its tourism tax revenue to bring the event to East County over the next three years — $1.5 million per year. Sarasota County matched that investment.

“I can take my whole budget (his marketing budget is about $6.2 million) for a year and not be able to afford what the PGA of America is bringing us,” said Elliott Falcione, director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The tournament will be broadcast by NBC and the Golf Channel, reaching about 800,000 households globally. 

Falcione said he normally couldn't get access to many of those markets, but what makes hosting the Senior PGA Championship even more valuable to Manatee County is that its demographics align with the county's target market.

Falcione said he's not going to cut a deal on an event that attracts a Gen Z market because the demographics don’t align with the characteristics of the county, but an event like the Senior PGA Championship is a perfect fit. 

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With the caveat of “we don’t know what we don’t know,” Falcione estimates that the championship will bring considerable “direct dollar infusion” into Manatee County by way of restaurant visits and hotel stays. He said he didn't want to talk numbers because a Senior PGA Championship hasn't been held in Florida since 200.

The indirect stimulus will come from the event attendees and television viewers who want to visit Manatee County again or for the first time after watching the championship. 

Falcione said research shows that 74% of the time, attendees and viewers of sporting events will visit that same area within the next 12 months. 

Tickets for the championship are on sale on SeatGeek.com or at SrPGAChampionship.com/2026.

This year’s event will mark the 86th Senior PGA Championship.

Manatee County commissioners cleared the way for the event in May 2025 by releasing a 3-acre conservation easement so The Concession could meet the PGA’s criteria for hosting an event of this caliber. 

The club was lacking the space to provide a proper entrance, which partly acts as a bus terminal because guests will be shuttled to the site. 

But beyond functionality, Championship Director Eric Nuxol said there needed to be a “championship feel” that makes people say "Wow" when stepping off the shuttle.

Organizers also needed the space for merchandise tents, the box office, entry gates, a volunteer headquarters and a media center. 

The golf course had to be tweaked, as well. 

Nuxol noted that the natural beauty of The Concession is what makes it such a standout course, but as palmettos and other vegetation have grown in over the years, there were some pinch points along the pathways that needed to be widened to get the spectators and carts through more easily. 

“To the naked eye, most people won’t be able to tell,” Nuxol said. “It’s just given us a little more of a buffer.” 

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Saturday, which is typically the biggest day of the event, could attract up to 5,000 people. 

The main parking will be set up at the Premier Sports Campus, but negotiations are ongoing with some other landowners in the area in case there’s a need for overflow parking.

Much of the $4.5 million investment from Manatee County will go straight back into Manatee County and its businesses over the next three years. 

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is just one example. Sheriff deputies will be paid to ensure public safety. Most of the deputies will be stationed outside the event, controlling vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

But public safety at high-profile events also requires bomb sweeps with the K-9 unit and assigning deputies to walk the course with the bigger name golfers.

EMTs will also be on site. 

Regular operational meetings are taking place between county and PGA staff to keep everything running smoothly. 

Falcione noted that part of growth is the need for experience, and the county’s ultimate goal is to host the PGA Championship or the Ryder Cup. 

Having a three-year commitment makes that goal achievable because now the “Eric (Nuxol’s) of the world” know that Manatee County understands what it takes from a public safety standpoint to host a major championship. 

“To have that experience is powerful,” Falcione said.