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Green, Ohio —
The PGA Tour is just firing up its 2012 season, with only one of the four majors (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship) in the books. But preparations are well under way for the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. This year’s tournament is Aug. 1-5 and for an event that draws many of the top golfers in the world, volunteers are the life blood of the proceedings.
Each year, around 1,000 adult volunteers and 100 junior volunteers take part the the tournament, serving on one of more than a dozen committees that oversee everything from transportation to scoring and finance to signage.
“It’s like a family reunion every year for volunteers and they get to be right up close and personal with the golfers and the event,” said Glenda Buchanan. She oversees the tournament’s volunteer army along with working with Northeast Ohio Golf Charities Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the event that benefits between 35-45 local charities each year.
Areas to volunteer:
- Emergency action: Stationed on the course and responsible for transporting players on and off the course in the event of inclement weather.
- Marshals: Crowd control, including quieting patrons when a golfer is about to hit a shot.
- Shuttle transportation: Provide transportation around the course for individuals with any sort of special needs or disabilities.
- VIP Transportation: Transport players, tournament officials and other VIPs to and from the airport and hotels.
- Mobile devices: Patrons were allowed to use mobile devices on course for the first time in 2011, and this group directs them on when and where such devices can be used.
- Corporate hospitality: Check credentials at the clubhouse and for villas and sky boxes.
Other volunteer areas include finance, signage, will-call tickets, parking and facilities. The breadth of volunteer involvement may surprise those unfamiliar with the tournament, as volunteers even work with scoring and walking scoreboards, which are the handheld boards carried with each group of players to
indicate their current score for the tournament to those following the group through its round.
In fact, walking scorekeepers are typically the first volunteer area to fill up (typically within
one day) once event information is released because with a fixed number of golfers comes a fixed number of people needed to carry to mobile scoreboards.
Applications to volunteer for this year’s tournament are available at www.bridgestoneinvitational.com, along with the NOGCF site, nogcf.org. Junior volunteers must be at least 13 years old and volunteers are asked to work a total of four shifts during the week, with a shift lasting four to six hours.
The PGA Tour is just firing up its 2012 season, with only one of the four majors (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship) in the books. But preparations are well under way for the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. This year’s tournament is Aug. 1-5 and for an event that draws many of the top golfers in the world, volunteers are the life blood of the proceedings.
Each year, around 1,000 adult volunteers and 100 junior volunteers take part the the tournament, serving on one of more than a dozen committees that oversee everything from transportation to scoring and finance to signage.
“It’s like a family reunion every year for volunteers and they get to be right up close and personal with the golfers and the event,” said Glenda Buchanan. She oversees the tournament’s volunteer army along with working with Northeast Ohio Golf Charities Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the event that benefits between 35-45 local charities each year.
Areas to volunteer:
- Emergency action: Stationed on the course and responsible for transporting players on and off the course in the event of inclement weather.
- Marshals: Crowd control, including quieting patrons when a golfer is about to hit a shot.
- Shuttle transportation: Provide transportation around the course for individuals with any sort of special needs or disabilities.
- VIP Transportation: Transport players, tournament officials and other VIPs to and from the airport and hotels.
- Mobile devices: Patrons were allowed to use mobile devices on course for the first time in 2011, and this group directs them on when and where such devices can be used.
- Corporate hospitality: Check credentials at the clubhouse and for villas and sky boxes.
Other volunteer areas include finance, signage, will-call tickets, parking and facilities. The breadth of volunteer involvement may surprise those unfamiliar with the tournament, as volunteers even work with scoring and walking scoreboards, which are the handheld boards carried with each group of players to
indicate their current score for the tournament to those following the group through its round.
In fact, walking scorekeepers are typically the first volunteer area to fill up (typically within
one day) once event information is released because with a fixed number of golfers comes a fixed number of people needed to carry to mobile scoreboards.
Applications to volunteer for this year’s tournament are available at www.bridgestoneinvitational.com, along with the NOGCF site, nogcf.org. Junior volunteers must be at least 13 years old and volunteers are asked to work a total of four shifts during the week, with a shift lasting four to six hours.
There is a volunteer fee of $75 to help offset the costs and translates into more charitable dollars donated to local charities. The volunteer package includes a tournament golf shirt, headwear, volunteer badge valid for week-long tournament access, meals and beverages during assigned shifts, a catered volunteer breakfast on Saturday of tournament week and an invitation to the volunteer kick-off Party July 29.
Giving 16-plus hours might seem like a lot to ask, but Buchanan sees an enthusiastic response every year from those who volunteer.
“I can only tell you what volunteers have said in the past and from my time as a volunteer before being on staff. It’s the idea that you are working together to benefit the community because a lot charities benefit from this,” Buchanan said. “It’s like a family reunion every year for volunteers and they get to be right up close and personal with the golfers and the event.”
Volunteers have come from 17 states and Canada to lend a hand and they are rewarded with a party at the end of the week, prizes, tickets for the tournament at half price, a 40-percent discount at the merchandise tent during the week, a shirt and hat, meals and snacks and a credential so they can attend when they are not volunteering. Four current volunteers have been part of the event for 53 years and counting.
The motto for Buchanan and those who work with her is simple: There can never be too many volunteers.
“We can always use more and you can never have too many,” Buchanan said with a chuckle.
Once volunteers get a taste of the event, they typically return in subsequent years, Buchanan said. She often receives thank-you cards from volunteers, which seems odd given that they are the ones working without pay, but the chance to be a part of what she deems a world-class event is an opportunity they appreciate.
The focus going forward is building a strong base of younger helpers because many current participants are older and may not be able to take on tasks that require a lot of physical strength and effort.
Those wishing to volunteer can fill out the form online and specify three areas they wish to help in, ranking them in order of preference. The deadline for registration is July 13.
