“Tiger coming to town is going to be the injection golf needs,” Pitt told Inside Golf. “We do believe there will be increased focus on him, increased profi le on golf and that presents a real opportunity to capture people who might otherwise have not had a real interest in the game.” Pitt said the focus for Golf Australia was to use Woods to increase junior golf numbers.

He said the final details of a dedicated junior program would be rolled out in the coming months.

“We’ve always had in our mind that we want to do something later this year and certainly a few months before the Masters.

“The key one will be the junior program. But also a vehicle for generating more interest in golf and hopefully directing new participants into the game and clubs that are looking for members.”

Pitt expects the increased media coverage will stimulate demand for corporate golf bookings.

And he believes golf clubs in Melbourne and interstate will position their course to enjoy the benefi ts of the spike in demand. Inside Golf spoke with a number of tour operators to gauge what impact Woods visit was having on their business. All had experienced high demand for tickets and accommodation packages. But only a handful of Melbourne clubs had moved to use Woods’ visit to generate additional revenue so far.