3 years of NCAA Golf Championships coming to Lake County beginning in 2016

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS — The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) recently announced that Lake County has been chosen to host the 2016 Division II Men’s Golf Regional Championship, the 2017 Division III Men’s Golf Championship and the 2018 Division III Women’s Golf Championship.  All three events will be held at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills.

“We’re excited that Lake County was chosen by the NCAA to host these prestigious events over three years,” said Robert Chandler, Director of Lake County’s Economic Development & Tourism Department. “Events like the NCAA Golf Championships have a positive impact on our local economy, and draw attention to the great venues that we have in Lake County.”

The three NCAA Golf Championships are expected to bring in 1,184 out-of-town visitors to Lake County, creating an estimated 2,691 room nights and over $1.3 million in economic impact.

“The County’s economic action plan set a goal to promote Lake County as a destination for sporting events,” said Welton Cadwell, County Commissioner and Chairman of the Tourist Development Council. “By being chosen to host the NCAA golf tournaments, it demonstrates that Lake County is working hard, and achieving that goal.”

The NCAA oversees 89 championships in 23 sports. There are more than 400,000 student-athletes competing in three divisions at over 1,000 colleges and universities within the NCAA. The organization recently opened a bid to host 82 of their championships for 2015-2018, with a total of 1,948 bids being received.

Lake County’s Economic Development & Tourism Department contracts with the Central Florida Sports Commission to help solicit and attract sporting events to Lake County. The Sports Commission represents the counties of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia, as well as the City of Orlando. For more information about the Central Florida Sports Commission, visit www.centralfloridasports.org.

For more information about Lake County’s sports venues, or to plan a sporting event in Lake County, call the Lake County Economic Development & Tourism Department at 352-742-3919 or email [email protected].