PGA Championship
I volunteered at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club last weekend. Thanks to a friend (yeah, AJ) I got a sweet spot as a Marshal on Hole 10, along with my dad, on Friday and Saturday mornings. It was great fun, but I also learned a lot about professional golf and crowd mentalities. A few thoughts...
During training sessions, we were being told how to handle different situations. As Marshals, we are basically responsible for crowd control, to the extent that police don't need to be called in or something - asking the crowd for quiet during players' shots, working crosswalks, working the grandstands, etc.. And during the session I started to wonder, what if someone decided to streak at the PGA Championship? Do they expect me to run the guy down like field security at Yankee Stadium? Or do I call the cops and just sit and wait? But then I realized that if I asked the trainers about this, I would probably be automatically sent to some watchlist or something, them thinking that I was on recon for a buddy or planning something along those lines myself, so I kept my mouth shut and figured that if it did happen, I'd deal with it like anybody else would - watch and laugh.
......
Besides having fun and sweating off 10 lbs of water weight, I also learned a lot this weekend. From the time I was 14 until I graduated college, I worked at a private golf club in NJ. I started caddying at 14, but "worked my way up" to assistant starter and pro shop manager in college. It was the funnest job I've had to date, but I also learned a lot about the sport of golf. It is a fun sport but one that requires true dedication in order to master its requisite skills. You cannot play golf casually and be really good. It requires dedication, commitment, and constant practice...and even after all of that, there is still room for improvement. And during my years at GBCC, I saw some pretty committed golfers who had a solid mastery of their skills and of the sport. But I hadn't seen anything until I witnessed the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelsohn, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, or John Daly pick up a club and stroke the ball. From attitude, to strategy, to ball strike, to follow-thru, the PGA is a level of play unmatched anywhere else. In the past, I had seen some pretty good golfers up close, but they couldn't compare to the likes of the greatest. Then again, if I could practice something every day, I would like to think I'd be pretty damn good at it too!
......
You'd be surprised by the stupid things people say when they find themselves within earshot of famous athletes. Now if you've ever been to a major professional sporting event (football, baseball, basketball) I'm confident that you've served witness to the fans who shout things at players, coaches, referees, or all of the above as if, despite the 49,999 other people in the venue, their intended audience can actually hear them and their comments specifically. Deep down, those fans know that only the crowd immediately surrounding them can really hear them, and so I suspect that entertaining their peers is what truly motivates them - not the unrealistic possibility that someone on the field might hear them. But that entire dynamic changes at a golf event. You are standing 20 or 30 yards from the athlete, and whether they acknowledge you or not, you can be sure that a well-timed comment will be heard. So with this opportunity, you'd think a true fan would prepare his or herself for the moment. Nope - I heard some doozies. Here is a brief sampling...
"You suck, Tiger" - I actually enjoyed this one. Here, a fan realized the depth of his opportunity, and took it for all it was worth. Imagine dead-quiet after a bad tee shot and a 270 yard walk to your ball. Out of nowhere, somebody tells you that you suck, and everyone within 200 yards can hear it. Classic, and deserved! Tiger is such a cry-baby when his game is off. I'm surprised he didn't yell at the groundskeeper for including sand on the course.
......
The Marshal position was a volunteer one, and was primarily reserved for NJ area country club members. How did you get a spot, Brad? See above - friend, advantageous position, generous hook-up, etc. Anyway, a large percentage of the volunteer population was Baltusrol members. Initially, I thought this was a concerted effort to play good host and represent their club in a positive light. NO! Rather, I learned about the ugly side of volunteerism. With the job came a free pass to the event - any day, any time, anywhere but the PGA Member/Player areas. Apparently, many of the Baltusrol members saw it as an opportunity for a free ticket, as many of them ended up blowing off their volunteer assignments and shifts and chose to attend as spectators instead, leaving many of us who did take our responsibilities seriously in a tough situation. It was not appreciated, nor did it bode well for the club's image, in my opinion. What's worse? Anybody who can afford to be a member of Baltusrol GC can easily afford tickets to the PGA Championship, and shift assignments were only 3 hour clips, leaving plenty of time for spectator enjoyment. Yet they chose the cheap way and ended up screwing a lot of nice people. Not enough of a sour note to ruin the weekend, but thought I'd mention because the audacity blew my mind. As we used to tell the Delbarton crowd, all that money doesn't buy class!
And no, I'm not worried about insulting anyone who may be reading this, because as far as I know, no Baltusrol members read my blog. And if they do, I am pissed at them anyway for not inviting me to play the course!
___
All in all, a good time was had, and I came as close to Baltusrol as I will probably ever come, barring a lottery win or some other unforseen cash windfall. And I learned a little about the inner workings of professional sports, good and bad. Experience Grade: A+
During training sessions, we were being told how to handle different situations. As Marshals, we are basically responsible for crowd control, to the extent that police don't need to be called in or something - asking the crowd for quiet during players' shots, working crosswalks, working the grandstands, etc.. And during the session I started to wonder, what if someone decided to streak at the PGA Championship? Do they expect me to run the guy down like field security at Yankee Stadium? Or do I call the cops and just sit and wait? But then I realized that if I asked the trainers about this, I would probably be automatically sent to some watchlist or something, them thinking that I was on recon for a buddy or planning something along those lines myself, so I kept my mouth shut and figured that if it did happen, I'd deal with it like anybody else would - watch and laugh.
......
Besides having fun and sweating off 10 lbs of water weight, I also learned a lot this weekend. From the time I was 14 until I graduated college, I worked at a private golf club in NJ. I started caddying at 14, but "worked my way up" to assistant starter and pro shop manager in college. It was the funnest job I've had to date, but I also learned a lot about the sport of golf. It is a fun sport but one that requires true dedication in order to master its requisite skills. You cannot play golf casually and be really good. It requires dedication, commitment, and constant practice...and even after all of that, there is still room for improvement. And during my years at GBCC, I saw some pretty committed golfers who had a solid mastery of their skills and of the sport. But I hadn't seen anything until I witnessed the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelsohn, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, or John Daly pick up a club and stroke the ball. From attitude, to strategy, to ball strike, to follow-thru, the PGA is a level of play unmatched anywhere else. In the past, I had seen some pretty good golfers up close, but they couldn't compare to the likes of the greatest. Then again, if I could practice something every day, I would like to think I'd be pretty damn good at it too!
......
You'd be surprised by the stupid things people say when they find themselves within earshot of famous athletes. Now if you've ever been to a major professional sporting event (football, baseball, basketball) I'm confident that you've served witness to the fans who shout things at players, coaches, referees, or all of the above as if, despite the 49,999 other people in the venue, their intended audience can actually hear them and their comments specifically. Deep down, those fans know that only the crowd immediately surrounding them can really hear them, and so I suspect that entertaining their peers is what truly motivates them - not the unrealistic possibility that someone on the field might hear them. But that entire dynamic changes at a golf event. You are standing 20 or 30 yards from the athlete, and whether they acknowledge you or not, you can be sure that a well-timed comment will be heard. So with this opportunity, you'd think a true fan would prepare his or herself for the moment. Nope - I heard some doozies. Here is a brief sampling...
"Nice pants, Sergio" - I'm sure he, and his stylist, thank you for your compliment
"C'mon, all day Tiger, you the man" - after an errant tee shot...at first, I thought maybe "all day" like he wanted him to screw every shot up like that, but the "c'mon" and the "you the man" lead me to believe that he was a fan -so what's the message here.
"Hey, Phil...you were supposed to call me to be your fourth today" - no he wasn't, first because you probably suck, and second because they don't play foursomes on the PGA tour - dumbass.
"In the hole" - on the tee of a 460 yard par 4. It ain't going in the hole just yet buddy, but welcome to your first round of golf."You suck, Tiger" - I actually enjoyed this one. Here, a fan realized the depth of his opportunity, and took it for all it was worth. Imagine dead-quiet after a bad tee shot and a 270 yard walk to your ball. Out of nowhere, somebody tells you that you suck, and everyone within 200 yards can hear it. Classic, and deserved! Tiger is such a cry-baby when his game is off. I'm surprised he didn't yell at the groundskeeper for including sand on the course.
......
The Marshal position was a volunteer one, and was primarily reserved for NJ area country club members. How did you get a spot, Brad? See above - friend, advantageous position, generous hook-up, etc. Anyway, a large percentage of the volunteer population was Baltusrol members. Initially, I thought this was a concerted effort to play good host and represent their club in a positive light. NO! Rather, I learned about the ugly side of volunteerism. With the job came a free pass to the event - any day, any time, anywhere but the PGA Member/Player areas. Apparently, many of the Baltusrol members saw it as an opportunity for a free ticket, as many of them ended up blowing off their volunteer assignments and shifts and chose to attend as spectators instead, leaving many of us who did take our responsibilities seriously in a tough situation. It was not appreciated, nor did it bode well for the club's image, in my opinion. What's worse? Anybody who can afford to be a member of Baltusrol GC can easily afford tickets to the PGA Championship, and shift assignments were only 3 hour clips, leaving plenty of time for spectator enjoyment. Yet they chose the cheap way and ended up screwing a lot of nice people. Not enough of a sour note to ruin the weekend, but thought I'd mention because the audacity blew my mind. As we used to tell the Delbarton crowd, all that money doesn't buy class!
And no, I'm not worried about insulting anyone who may be reading this, because as far as I know, no Baltusrol members read my blog. And if they do, I am pissed at them anyway for not inviting me to play the course!
___
All in all, a good time was had, and I came as close to Baltusrol as I will probably ever come, barring a lottery win or some other unforseen cash windfall. And I learned a little about the inner workings of professional sports, good and bad. Experience Grade: A+
posted by bdonin at
1:07 PM
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