i mentioned a couple of times on the board that this year i would be working the pga championship as a volunteer. this past sunday we had our first training meeting and uniform distribution. i will be working the merchandise tent as part of 400 of the 3,500 total volunteers. the tent is huge, measuring 120' x 360', with 38 point-of-sale terminals. it actually won't resemble a tent at all, rather an upscale department store. it will be so cold in there in the mornings the joke is you could hang meat in there. it was advised to wear coats or sweaters.

part of the volunteer package was two tickets to the tuesday practice round, which was a nice surprise. i was also surprised when i received the wrong credentials. luckily i saw the mistake before i left. the uniforms are very impressive, light blue shirts and hats with the pga championship logo and the pga logo. i also purchased a coat that also have the logos. it is black in color.

i will be going to the course at the end of the month for a tent walkthrough. i will be posting another blog then. hopefully this will be a rewarding experience.

Twit,

Thanks for posting this blog.  CTMs started doing this informally a few years ago and members found it both fun and interesting.  The up close and personal perspectives are cool indeed.

I posted my experiences back in 2003 at the US Open in Chicago and if I go to Bethpage next, will do the same.  Cannot believe I've been a member for so long! 

Have loads of fun!!!  

Twit,

Thanks for posting this blog.  CTMs started doing this informally a few years ago and members found it both fun and interesting.  The up close and personal perspectives are cool indeed.

I posted my experiences back in 2003 at the US Open in Chicago and if I go to Bethpage next, will do the same.  Cannot believe I've been a member for so long! 

Have loads of fun!!!  

Ms M:

Twit,

Thanks for posting this blog.  CTMs started doing this informally a few years ago and members found it both fun and interesting.  The up close and personal perspectives are cool indeed.

I posted my experiences back in 2003 at the US Open in Chicago and if I go to Bethpage next, will do the same.  Cannot believe I've been a member for so long! 

Have loads of fun!!!  

thanks ms m. i wasn't sure whether or not to do this because of tiger not playing but decided maybe it will give someone an idea to volunteer in the future. i enjoyed donnakay's blog and it gave me the motivation. i've been to weeklong tournaments before but this is the first time volunteering. the one thing they tell you is that if you are wearing the uniform anywhere on the course, you are the expert. you are asked to carry a manual around to answer any questions the patrons may have. you can get questions from where the bathrooms are to where the players ate dinner the night before. hopefully i'll do a good job.  

I'll be looking forward to your updates as the event progresses.   I hope you find it as enjoyable as did I!!

One of the nicer perks, besides having the weeklong pass so I could attend the US Open on the days I wasn't working, was the preferred parking they gave to volunteers.   It was not much closer to the course than the public parking but we had great air-conditioned bus services.

What I've liked about the merchandise tents at the events I've attended is the quality of the stuff they sell.   It's not souvenier "junk".   The jacket and skort I bought my grandaughter at Oakmont have been outgrown, first by her and now by my great-neice, and is currently in use by a friend's grandaughter.   These items have been washed and dried at least 100 times and still look great!   Same story with the long sleeved teeshirt I bought myself!  The clothing was on the expensive side but you don't mind when they hold up so well.

Thanks for posting this Twit! My wife and I have talked about volunteering and we will be reading all your posted comments.

My wife is a RN, does that mean she could be assigned to work at a first aid station or something similar at a PGA event?

         Bob

Bob, I remember from filling out my application for the US Open, they particularly asked for special skills - like nursing - and if you would be willing to be assigned to an aid station.  My friend who is an EMT here in Pittsburgh worked 3 days at Oakmont and loved it!

I suppose because of my age and clean driving and criminal record (yes, they checked), I got a second letter asking if I'd be willing to be an emergency evacuation driver and was assigned to one of the trailers along the 3rd fairway with vans parked nearby, ready to hustle players out of there.  So basically, there being no problems, not even a thunderstorm, we got to sit on folding chairs and watch the groups come thru.   Tough, huh?

donnakay:

I'll be looking forward to your updates as the event progresses.   I hope you find it as enjoyable as did I!!

One of the nicer perks, besides having the weeklong pass so I could attend the US Open on the days I wasn't working, was the preferred parking they gave to volunteers.   It was not much closer to the course than the public parking but we had great air-conditioned bus services.

What I've liked about the merchandise tents at the events I've attended is the quality of the stuff they sell.   It's not souvenier "junk".   The jacket and skort I bought my grandaughter at Oakmont have been outgrown, first by her and now by my great-neice, and is currently in use by a friend's grandaughter.   These items have been washed and dried at least 100 times and still look great!   Same story with the long sleeved teeshirt I bought myself!  The clothing was on the expensive side but you don't mind when they hold up so well.

thanks for the encouragement donnakay. general parking is going to be at the silverdome, so i'm sure we'll be closer, and the waits shorter. they say to allow 45 minutes to get to the merchandise tent. i'm sure i'll get requests from family and friends, i'll probably go broke (lol) !!! 

BrianP9969:

That is pretty cool.  Have fun twitB 

thanks brian. i'll try in between the work. wish tiger was there though.

as most know, i went to the PGA Championship at Southern Hills last year where Tiger won his 13th major.

it was an experience i will never forget. standing inches away from greatness on all 7 days. you could see him go from playful on Monday and Tuesday to intense and determined on Saturday and Sunday.

i know you said you wish Tiger was there this year, for your sake, i wish he was, too. he is definitely worth the price of admission. he lives up to all of the hype...

when it's all said and done, there's no doubt that this man will be the greatest golfer of all time.

osubass1:

as most know, i went to the PGA Championship at Southern Hills last year where Tiger won his 13th major.

it was an experience i will never forget. standing inches away from greatness on all 7 days. you could see him go from playful on Monday and Tuesday to intense and determined on Saturday and Sunday.

 

i know you said you wish Tiger was there this year, for your sake, i wish he was, too. he is definitely worth the price of admission. he lives up to all of the hype...

when it's all said and done, there's no doubt that this man will be the greatest golfer of all time.

 

 

well i did have a chance to see him twice last year, at the memorial and the wgc-bridgestone, but seeing him win a major would definitely be the highlight of all highlights. i envy you. don't know when i'll get the chance. i'm gonna try for pebble beach in 2010.

i saw a different side of tiger at the memorial, not quite the intensity you saw. on sunday and pretty much out of contention, he decided to join the masses on the practice range. jerry kelly in particular was pretty adamate (sp?) about it, and voiced his opinion quite audibly, to the effect of, you're everybody's friend when you're losing.

on #14, one of the few holes i saw tiger that day, before he hit his approach shot he waved the crowd down so they could get a better view. i thought it was a nice gesture. don't know if he would've done that if he was leading, but still the same, he knows the stage he commands, and performs well. it was a satisfying week for me. i got to see tiger hit balls side by side with jack nicklaus on the range. it was funny because the plackard next to nicklaus was for phil. you can see it here on video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yzhGf077Ig