Charleston is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the 2012 PGA Championship, which begins on Monday, August 6th at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island.

This time of year is always a great time to be a Charlestonian, especially if you're a golf lover—or a business owner. The tournament brings a large number of tourists (as well as players, their caddies, and their entourages) to the area, meaning that hotels and other local businesses are sure to see an increase in revenue. In fact, as local news station Live 5 News states in their statistics and figures, the championship's overall economic impact on the state are estimated to be approximately $193 million, with the average PGA Championship visitor expected to shell out an average of $345 each day they're present.

So you can see why business owners are anticipating this event.

While Friday, Saturday, and Sunday grounds tickets have sold out, there are still some available for Monday through Thursday (Monday and Tuesday, $45 each; Wednesday, $60 each, Thursday, $110 each). That means that all you golf lovers had better get online and buy your tickets before they sell out—and go ahead and call in sick for whatever day you plan on being a spectator, because you won't want to miss a second of this exciting tournament, which features golf superstars such as Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.

And if you've got $500 to spare per ticket, you can still pick up a Championship Round Ticket Package, which includes a daily grounds ticket for the Championship Rounds on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

If you do snag a couple of tickets, there are some things you should know. There are expected to be around 210,000 spectators at the event; therefore, traffic and parking has the potential to get a little crazy. Officials have created a parking and traffic plan to prevent any hold-ups and to try to make travel as hassle-free as possible.

It's recommended that you plan on parking in the Public Parking Lot, situated behind the Freshfields Village Shopping Center. This parking will cost you $20 per day (no overnight parking). A shuttle system will then be able to transport you to one of twenty-three stops across the island. The shuttles will begin each day of the tournament at 5 a.m., completing its duties at 9 p.m. Own a Mercedes-Benz? You, lucky dog, get to park in the Mercedes-Benz Loyalty Lot for free, as the automobile company is one of PGA's Official Patrons.

Let us know: Are you planning on checking out the PGA Championship on Kiawah? Which player(s) are you most excited to see?

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