The United States Golf Association plans to create a multi-building research and testing campus in the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina.

The association plans to invest up to $36 million in the campus, which will employ a 50-person workforce.

Part of the USGA commitment to North Carolina includes regularly bringing the men’s and women’s U.S. Open tournaments to Pinehurst and a host of other high-profile tournaments to courses across the state, Governor Roy Cooper said.

“This new USGA hub along with the assured rotation of the U.S. Open in Pinehurst will bring jobs and millions of tourism dollars to our state. North Carolina’s golf history is legendary and this adds to the luster,” said the Governor.

Today, golf generates $2.3 billion in direct spending in North Carolina, according to a 2017 economic impact analysis by the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association. The sport deploys a workforce of 53,000 in the state, generating a $1.3 billion annual payroll impact.

There is no better place for the USGA to plant new roots than the beautiful and iconic Home of American Golf,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “Thanks to the vision of North Carolina, Moore County and Pinehurst leaders, we are taking a bold step forward and forging a long-term commitment that will elevate our championships, foster greater innovation in golf, and ultimately help grow the game. We look forward to building on our nearly 100-year history in this region, and growing our relationships with the leadership, golf community and residents of this great state.”

“The USGA’s plans for this significant new presence in Pinehurst elevates the Village’s reputation in the golfing world and enhances North Carolina’s prestige as a destination for both businesses and tourists,” said Commerce Secretary Anthony Copeland. “Today’s news will add new energy to the leisure and hospitality services and significantly contribute to the long-term recovery of that important segment of our economy.”

Prior to the onset of COVID-19 and the social distancing measures that followed, North Carolina’s leisure and hospitality services industry, which includes lodging, events, food service and recreational activities, employed 535,800 workers, state economic development officials said. The number fell by more than half in March and April of this year before rebounding sharply in May and June. As of July, the sector employed 366,300 in the state, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, remaining down 28 percent from pre-pandemic levels.