About 90 volunteers were taking part in a training session Saturday on how to evacuate the golf course in the event of severe weather. Dave Campbell and Jack Rose, co-chairmen of the Evacuation Committee, conducted the training at Pine Needles. Evacuation is a part of On-Course Operations for the U.S. Women’s Open.
Various committees were conducting training programs for volunteers and making final preparations on the weekend before the start of U.S. Women’s Open.
Members of the Evacuation Committee and the volunteers headed out on the golf course for some hands-on training . Should a storm strike, it would be the job of these volunteers to get the golfers, caddies, walking scorers, standard bearers and USGA Rules officials safely off the course.
When the all-clear signal is given indicating that it is safe to resume play, they must return everyone to the place where they were on the course before the evacuation.
Working in smaller groups, each with a designated leader, volunteers familiarized themselves with the procedures on exactly what to do if there is a weather warning — where to get keys to vans to transport people off the course and the radios needed for communications. They went over evacuation routes and where to take people for safe cover. The volunteers will work in shifts throughout the week.
Once the all-clear signal is given, the standard bearers will go to each van, so the players and the others will know which van to get into to take them back out on the course.
“We do not control the weather,” Campbell reminded everyone. “If the players have any complaints, refer them to the USGA official.”
Elsewhere around Pine Needles, other volunteers were busy at work making final preparations.
Penny Warters, Sharon McCauley and Joan Thurmond, all members of the Pinehurst Country Club, diligently compiled working manuals for the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Kansas, which will be the site of the 2002 U. S. Women’s Open. The 36 manuals contain everything you ever needed to know about how to hold a USGA event.
“When the call came today that help was needed for this project, we were delighted to come right over,” McCauley said. “It’s great satisfaction to be as helpful as we can.”
Another group of volunteers were in the media center working under the direction of Wendy Uzelac, the USGA director of regional affairs. These volunteers were preparing the 150 Player Registration Material Packets. Dorothy Zihal and her fellow workers are members of the Hospitality Committee.
“I was asked to pitch in today and I was happy to do it,” Zihal said. “It means a lot to be a part of this national event.”
In the early afternoon, an instruction meeting was held for about 90 standard bearers. The majority of them are high school students — both male and female, golfers and non-golfers, veterans and rookies.
Ann Guiberson, another USGA director, regional affairs, was the instructor. She used video and actual demonstrations for the training on what is expected of a standard bearer.
The walking scorers and the standard bearers work as a team making sure that the golfer’s scores are correctly displayed for each player in the group. They walk on the side most convenient for the spectators to see. They must walk side by side.
They make the scoring changes as quickly as possible. They do not talk to the players. They were advised to drink plenty of water, wear comfortable walking shoes and use sunscreen.
Two first-time standard bearers, Jonathan Branson and Duke Boroughs, who are students at New Century Middle School, credit one of their teachers, Stewart Heilman, for their decision to volunteer.
“My teacher encouraged me to do it, presenting it as an opportunity not to be missed,” Branson said. “I wouldn’t mind being a standard bearer for Annika (Sorenstam).”
Boroughs thought it “was pretty cool to be a standard bearer”.
Turns out that Heilman is the chairman of the Standard Bearers Committee. In his remarks, he reminded all volunteers that they might be on television sometime during the tournament. He told them to wear their uniforms, to display their credentials in a prominent place and to wear comfortable shoes.
In general, volunteers were told that they should be knowledgeable about all aspects of the Championship, as well as be an expert on the local area. This is a grand opportunity to present the Sandhills to the rest of the world.
During the training sessions throughout the day, each presenter closed with similar words: Enjoy the opportunity to be a part of this event and to see first hand the finest women golfers in the world.
In a crowd of 30,000 people someone will always be watching you. Smile till it hurts.
