City Primed for Global Spotlight as PGA Championship Returns

Published on May 08, 2025

Charlotte returns to the global stage this month as the city hosts hundreds of thousands of golf fans, spectators and media for the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. 

For City of Charlotte staff, planning for the global event, May 12-18, has been in the works for over two years. Planning efforts involving a wide range of departments, from police to fire services, to economic development and transportation coordination, aim to ensure a seamless experience for attendees. 

“This has truly been a collaborative effort across the city as we work closely with tournament organizers and Quail Hollow,” said Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles. “We’re ready to provide golf fans with an exceptional experience from the moment they arrive in the Queen City until they depart. We want people to see how awesome Charlotte is.” 

Preparation Efforts

Lyles said experience hosting major events, including the 2011 Democratic National Convention and the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, has been invaluable as the city prepares for this month’s championship. The city’s team is using a proven major event model to ensure a successful and smooth execution. 

City staff also benefited from seeing operations at last year’s championship in Louisville. A team that included Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, fire, economic development and transit took notes and shared information as they saw how that city ran the event. 

The city has worked closely with teams from PGA of America and Quail Hollow on the overall plan.   

A focus for this year’s tournament is on sustainability. 

Through a partnership with the Charlotte Area Transit Authority (CATS), ticketed attendees will receive free rides and can take the LYNX Blue Line light rail, with a stop at the Sharon Road West Station and a complimentary shuttle providing access to Quail Hollow gates, running every 30 minutes before gates open and 30 minutes after they close. Guests should not park at the Sharon Road West Station. 

Economic Impact

The PGA Championship is expected to bring large crowds to Charlotte. When Charlotte first hosted the championship in 2017, the event had a $100 million impact and drew 200,000 people to the region. The 2022 Presidents Cup, which also brough sell-out crowds to Quail Hollow, brought in a record setting $131.5 million. 

Charlotte also will be showcased to a global TV audience, with first through third rounds broadcast on ESPN and final rounds on CBS.  Last year, the tournament had a U.S. audience of 5 million.

“There’s a spirit of collaboration across Charlotte that’s truly unique,” said Jason Soucy, championship director for the 2025 PGA Championship. “There’s so much work that goes into executing a world-class event. In my experience over the past two years, Charlotte has proven that there is none better when it comes to collaborating and preparing for Major Championship golf."

World-class Sports City

This is an unprecedented year for major sports events in Charlotte. Bank of America Stadium will host four FIFA Club World Cup 2025 matches June 22-June 30, with top clubs, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.  

Additionally, FIFA has committed $1 million to community projects in each host city, including Charlotte, to build soccer pitches and support youth soccer programs.