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Being a tournament volunteer


Johnnyrogs

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Next year the BMW is being held close to where I live and I'm really considering signing up to be a volunteer. I'm sure they give the really good jobs to members of the club and surrounding club members, but what would be the best job for just an average Joe that gets you the best experience?

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I'm biased but I volunteer at the FedEx St Jude tournament and I'm on the Shotlink crew. Honestly it's fun and you get to see every pro during the day.

 

BigTazz

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It is really a personal thing. I have volunteered at symetra, LPGA, and senior PGA events. I love being the walking scorer but I have also done standard bearer and driving range. Some people like staying at one place and seeing all the players like a hole Marshall or driving range I personally like to follow a single group for the day.

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I''ve done a few events, US Senior Open, PGA Tour, Senior Players and the old Future Tour.

 

Like Cnosil said, a lot depends on you personally.   Walking scorer is a great one if your in shape to do it, it gets you inside the ropes and up close.

 

Wahoo on here has done the Driving Range duties at several events for all levels, and he likes it as he gets to watch them practice up close.

 

I've done the Evacuation Committee and like it.  You are stationed by a hole with a SUV to drive the players off the course if there is a stoppage of play.  Plus you get out of the bad weather yourself...so that's an added bonus..ha

 

The media Tent is pretty cool.  You will most likely get to see and maybe even meet the leaders of the tourney each day as they are brought in to conduct their interviews in the media tent.  it's climate controlled big screen TVS with plenty of beverages and food all day and media personalities coming in and out.

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I have volunteered for the practice area for all of the tours, I was the practice area chair for a web.com tournament.  However, many of the PGA tournaments differ from the other tours, because the course staff typically handles all of the on range duties, not the volunteers.  I suspect that the BMW may be one of them.  Typically, at such tournaments, the practice area volunteers are used for crowd control, in a manner of speaking.   The make sure people stop to allow the pros to enter and exit the practice area.  

 

At a Champions event, I was assigned to what was called "on course transportation".  I would give the pros a ride to any locale on the course premises, for example from the scoring tent to the media center or to the parking lot, basically anywhere on premises that a pro requested.   It was beat into my head, that I was only there for the pros.

 

At the local PGA tournament (the Quicken Loans) next year, instead of the practice area, I am going to request to be assigned to the media center.   I think that would be very interesting.

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At the local PGA tournament (the Quicken Loans) next year, instead of the practice area, I am going to request to be assigned to the media center. I think that would be very interesting.

I just heard Quicken Loans pulled their title sponsorship from Tiger's tournament. They've already lost Congressional and might lose the event altogether.

 

Hopefully not, but it seems likely.

 

 

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Thanks for the info, I had not heard.   Last year, the tournament was played at Avenel.   It would be a shame.   Last year, the only big draw was Rickie Fowler.   People would often ask me if I knew where Rickie was.  I said, just look for the crowd and follow it.  It was not on a good spot on the tour schedule.

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Sauce: https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/report-tiger-woods-foundations-pga-tour-event-leaves-congressional-needs-sponsor/amp/

 

 

I guess it was still supposed to be at Congressional in '18 and '20

 

 

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I just heard Quicken Loans pulled their title sponsorship from Tiger's tournament. They've already lost Congressional and might lose the event altogether.

 

Hopefully not, but it seems likely.

 

 

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Thanks for the info, I had not heard.   Last year, the tournament was played at Avenel.   It would be a shame.   Last year, the only big draw was Rickie Fowler.   People would often ask me if I knew where Rickie was.  I said, just look for the crowd and follow it.  It was not on a good spot on the tour schedule.

 

Yep, Quicken Loans has not renewed the sponsorship.  Dan Gilbert (CEO) wants to sponsor an event in the corporate hometown, Detroit.  The Tour wants a stop to remain in DC.  Congressional demands the highest rental amount for the week of an stop on the PGA Tour.   the Tour said it can't afford Congressional without a sponsor paying the same price as they QL paid.   No company has stepped forward.  But they are still holding discussions.

 

The Tour owns Avenel Farms at TPC and doesn't need as much rental as Congressional.  So if they can find someone to pay a "normal" amount they will hold it at Avenel.  The date has been officially held on the PGA Calendar from June 26 to July 1.  

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Being a tour volunteer is an amazing feeling. I was a volunteer for the Outback Pro-Am for 5 years, until Outback pulled their sponsorship. You get up close and personal access to the Pros and their families. A lot of it is hard work and long hours but you come away knowing you helped. After all, the tourneys raise funds for the local charities.

 

 

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As others have said, really depends on what you are looking to get out of it, and what you're capable of (walking, standing, etc) and what kind of hours you want to spend.

 

I've done the range and marshalled and enjoyed both.   I've had friends do shotlink, player transportation, and TV (think the guy that stands near the player in the fairway holding the mic to pick up their conversation).   Everyone had their 'couldnt get that doing anything else' and ones not so great, but overall enjoyed.

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I'm biased but I volunteer at the FedEx St Jude tournament and I'm on the Shotlink crew. Honestly it's fun and you get to see every pro during the day.

 

BigTazz

Grip in Rip it

Chicks dig the LONG ball!

Shotlink crew is pretty good but I always liked being on the tee box or greenside. Seeing them up close and their reactions to tee shots and putts.

No matter what it's great time.

 

 

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Amen, marshaling a Hole gets you up close with the players, especially on a Par 3

 

 

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Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

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I've done the main scorebord before, which is right next to the 18th green. You get pretty close to the players and, being so high up, it's the best seat in the house!

 

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I work one of the leaderboards at the Dean & Deluca each year and I enjoy it a lot. Any of the jobs where you're out on the course are great.

 

 

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Right Handed

4.5 handicap

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  • 2 weeks later...

We used to volunteer for th U.S. Open for many years. I enjoy it all really. Sure being inside the ropes is where most avid golfers want to be. However, I really do enjoy the patrons, and helping with their experience at the Tournament. Watching the youngsters get excited, hunt for the autograph, never get old. I guess for me it's my chance to give back to the game.

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I have volunteered at the 2010 open at Pebble and the 2012 open at Olympic. At pebble I was in player transportation, drive players and caddies from range to first tee, or vice a versa. Awesome experience.

Got to meet a lot of the pro's. Was not able to interact unless they started a conversation. Pro's more willing to chat on practice rounds. Most were just ordinary guys. Had a blast.

At Olympic I was a grandstand Marshall on various holes. Was fun but no interaction with players.

Looking forward to 2019 at pebble.

 

 

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I volunteered for 4 days at the 2015 Australian PGA at Royal Pines. For the first few days, I was helping out on the driving range and at the kids' long drive simulator. On the other days I was marshalling the 7th hole, and setting up the cold drinks on some of the tee boxes.

 

During the Kids' Long Drive simulator, I was helped out by a guy called Dave, who's the current Para-long drive World champion. The other highlight was watching in amazement at just how competitive 12 year old boys and girls are on the LD simulator, even more so than the adults. 

 

When I was setting up the drinks on the practice round, ending up chatting with a young guy (probably about 23 at the time) named Tom Lewis. 

 

The whole experience was fantastic, and it's something that I'd happily do again.

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Done a couple.

 

Shotlink:  Fun....BUT gets kind of hectic.  if you choose this committee, pick the fairway.  Working shot link on the greens can get challenging trying to find the ball with the surveying equipment.

 

Practice Facility:   If I had to choose one committee, this would be it.  Up close with the players and the caddies, in early, off when the players finish practicing heading to the first tee.

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As many spies have already mentioned- It really depends on what you want to do and what-if any- limitations are on your time and physical abilities.  I have Marshaled at several events including ATT Pro-Am in Monterey when I was stationed out there-   the marshaling team usually asks for a commitment of at least 3 days, possibly even 4 days to make sure the hole is fully manned.  Makes for long days, but usually not a bad thing if you like golf!

 

I have also worked the sales tent- interesting and quite exciting when some of the pros come in to buy their friends or family items- and you get a 10% discount (or you used to).

 

It really ends up being more about what you want to do, and enjoying where you end up- I know folks who can find themselves having a great time monitoring the parking lots, and others who complain because they had to walk the entire golf course as a standard bearer- well, duhhhh... so it is what you make of it.  Good luck and enjoy!

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Not necessarily with the PGA and LPGA tours, but with the Champions and Web.com tours, the hosting venue has allowed the volunteers to play the course, while it does come somewhat restricted regarding availability.   So if there is a professional tournament at a course one would like to play, check to see if it offers a volunteer day or period for volunteer play.

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