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Have you ever "worked" a PGA Tour Event?

pinger_72 said:
US Open is a PGA tour event
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yes and no. US Open is run by the USGA, not the Tour.
Oddly enough, it looks like you and I worked the same event.
 
I did Shotlink on the 18th green at the Chrysler Classic in Tucson a while back. Fun times. You essentially have binoculars to measure the ball's distance from the hole but I used it to zoom in on the players teeing off on the 18th. This was back when Bubba Watson played the event. They gave you a uniform with a jacket and hat, and food.

My buddy volunteered with me and got to do walking scorer where he basically entered scores on a tablet. He got real close to the players.
 
I was a volunteer at The Players Championship back in 1986 & 1987. First year was grounds cleanup, second year I did clubhouse security. I remember asking former commissioner Deane Beman for his credential and getting a look from him that could have cut through a diamond. lol
 
Yes, senior event here in Jax that Furyk is the host.
 
Lou W said:
Is it common to charge the volunteers for the effort? I’ve heard many charge because they give the vols shirts/caps and such
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yes, many do and most of the ones i worked you get 2 shirts and cap, hat, bucket choose one style hat.
 
No I haven't. Thought about doing the Rocket Mortgage previously but didn't follow through with it
 
I really love working them, inside the ropes and rarely a bad experience. Really the only bad thing is as a Marshall sometimes you are around the green, sometimes working a rope crossing. The only real issue i have ever had was a drunk "entitled" that wants to cross NOW and you have times that the ropes just have to stay closed. Like when the players are coming down the fairway, or they hit a iron of the tee or hit a short shot and they are playing from too close to the crossing to let said entitled cross behind them. Generally explaining the decision nicely works for most.
The Pros are gracious and kind for the most part and if you are EVER not clear where to stand on tee box or green, look at the caddy, they will always let you know about their man's preference.
 
Yep, 3 Kemper Opens back in the day as a PGAT employee.

Few words of advice:

1. Events don’t happen without volunteer help. We’d have an additional 30-40 just on our maintenance staff and they were gold.

2. Don’t let being inside the ropes go to your head. No volunteer is better than a useless volunteer. On the other hand, be a steward for what’s going on because fans will look to you for help.

3. You will be exhausted. Trust me, by the first tee shot of the first practice round on Wednesday the course and tournament staff is already “done”. The volunteers can really help lift spirits. Sounds silly, but it’s true. Two months prior to the tournament we worked 7 days a week. Tournament week some of us didn’t even go home and just slept in our cars. Our staff of volunteers were all maintenance guys/girls from other courses, equipment reps, even our chemical rep. They really helped the works and took pressure off us. Apparently CBS thinks anyone with an all access badge is theirs for the week. Oof.

4. If you get a cart to use, be f’n careful of the ropes. Seriously. The “drive up and fling it over your head on the go” trick is cute until you miss or slingshot yourself or something off the cart. Depth perception gets wonky starring at the rope and only 3 hours of sleep.

4. Don’t wear your free volunteer shirt to a strip club after the day’s event.

I think everyone who plays golf should do it at least once. It’s a circus and a nightmare all at the same time. Trust me, you’ll have stories to tell.

And now you know why Greg Norman can kiss my ass.
 
I was a spotter on a par 5 PGA Seniors event. Loved it. I worked my shift, then you got benefits for the other hours of the day for watching, easier access to autographs, etc... It was a fun experience. I plan on volunteering at the new PGA event at the new Black Desert Course in Utah the first weekend of Oct this year.
 
Back in the early/mid 1990s I carried player signs at the Las Vegas tour stop. Other times I drove a cart delivering water bottles/ coolers, or picking up trash. It's had a lot of different names over the years , but we still call it the the LVI.

Most of the workers were volunteers back then.

Back then it was 90 holes, played on 5 different course around town. After the cut, they finished on one course.

Although I didn't work his group, I got see Tiger beat Love in a playoff. That was his first professional win iirc. He was just a skinny little kid back then.
 
I thought about working the event @ Castle Pines this year... they wanted $250 to pay for the shirts and hat... I decided I'd rather just go and watch for that cost.
 
Done tee box, fairway and green guy and caddied in pro am;

Main thing for me was to get there early and just enjoy. Pre work could find a hole you like and see if you can get stationed there.
 
I have not but think it would be kind of fun to do.
 
I’ve spoken to a few people that have worked the AT&T Pro-Am and have throughly enjoyed it. Then there are those that worked the US Open that hated every second of it because they were basically treated like cattle.
 
In 1992 I worked for NBC at the Players Championship. I was stationed on the 14th green Saturday and Sunday with a list of all the groups and what the players were wearing. They'd radio into our heads sets and say "who's hitting on 14". I'd have about 1 second to tell them from 200 yards away in the fairway. Luckily I don't think I messed it up and it was a lot of fun. The funniest part was they gave us really ugly NBC flowered hats to wear so we'd be recognizable. Someone gave me I $75 or $100 for it right at the end of Sunday's play which was exactly what a college kid needed.
 
Haven’t but @Jmk202 did on the Houston Open a few years ago
 
Never done it. Myrtle Beach in May? Make sure you wear a hat if you're in the sun. Wear sunscreen. Drink plenty of water. Have a great time. Let us know where you'll be so we can see you on tv!
 
Best job is walking scorer. Inside the ropes, see the play and interaction with the caddy up close. When your shift is done you can watch the tournament.
 
We worked the LPGA Lady Citrus Open back in the 70's at our home course in Orlando (Rio Pinar CC). We started off as standard bearers, but then caddied the next couple of years. It was an awesome experience!
 
My brother and I were gonna volunteer for the Barbesol, but then COVID hit. The feeling had worn off by the next year.
 
In college I got to work the Presidents Cup when it was at Muirfield In Columbus. It was such fun event because the Pros are way more relaxed and interactive but still competitive. I was the one holding the scores sign walking down the middle of the fairway about 30 feet behind the players. the group I was with was pretty legendary.... A guy named Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar and at the time a player playing really well Brendon De Jonge.

Great Experience, unfortunate part was we got rained out after 9 holes and then I couldn't make it back the next day to finish the 2nd nine so I never got the opporunity to get my signs singed and take them home like others did.
 
I’ve worked a couple different jobs at the Valero Texas Open. There are 2 jobs I’ve settled on:

#1 caddying the Wednesday Pro-Am. Get to walk inside the lines, hang out with pros and meet big business sponsors. Everyone kinda humbles each other don’t their respective dominance in their own areas.

#2 Strike Force we go around with radio earpieces (so the chatter doesn’t take away from the game) fixing broken stuff and occasionally catch a snake but you know staplegunning skrim around scaffolding isn’t sexy but….

 
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