Happy New Year 2019 from the Golf Volunteers

Happy New Year to all our golf friends and #golfvolunteers around the world.



In 2018, we volunteered at the following tournaments:
The PGA TOUR / PGA TOUR Champions' Marketing and Volunteer Outreach Group wrote an article about us and posted it on their charity website. Find an excerpt herehttps://blog.golf-volunteers.com/2018/10/pga-tour-volunteer-appreciation-shared.html

Our 2019 volunteer schedule looks like this so far (with additions pending and hence those are not posted yet):

- Genesis Open
- THE NORTHERN TRUST
- Charles Schwab Cup Championship

If you want to join us at any of those tournaments or have questions about any tournament you are interested in, feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to point you to the right folks to talk to.

You all have a Happy and prosperous New Year 2019!!!


Ryder Cup Apparel - Ryder Cup Gear

We've been looking around to find some of the Ryder Cup Apparel, that we saw the players and fans wear, when we were watching the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, France.



There are a few places, that sell the fan and Ryder Cup apparel. One of them, known to many of us for their fan wear for college football and professional football, is Fanatics. Besides the Ralph Lauren outfits, Fantatics, as well as Amazon (and some other places like Neiman Marcus) sell not just Ryder Cup Gear, but also accessories like flags, putter grips, etc.



PGA TOUR Volunteer Appreciation: Shared Passion for Volunteering Yields Unexpected Rewards



Andreas Kraemer - Celina Sanchez


It was quite a surprise when folks from the PGA TOUR reached out and were curious about our story. Eventually, the article (click on photo above) was published on the PGA TOUR's volunteer website. Of course, we are proud to be recognized like this, but also want to ensure, that the many volunteers, that join us throughout the year and are a very valuable part of this, are not left out.
Some of you are so engaged, that you join us not just in one, but several tournaments throughout the year and in different geographical locations.

We hope, we can inspire others to give back to the community, make great friends along the way, have fun while spending long days and nights to enable the impact, that the PGA TOUR and its Affiliates (PGA TOUR Champions and others) have across the country and around the world.

Join us and many others to make this all happen!

Ryder Cup 2018 Team USA Now Complete

Ryder Cup 2018 Team USA is now complete. As of September 10th, 2018, the Ryder Cup Team USA Captain Jim Furyk completed his team after choosing as the final captain's pick, Tony Finau. Ryder Cup 2018 Team USA is ready to take on Team Europe in what could become an epic event, that will glue many of us to TV screens around the world.

Team members as per rankings:


Ryder Cup 2018 Team USA


Captain's picks (in alphabetical order):


Captain Jim Furyk will be joined by the following Vice Captains:



The Ryder Cup: Golf's Greatest Event

The Ryder Cup: Golf's Greatest Event The Ryder Cup: Golf's Greatest Event
Revised and updated, this in-depth look recounts The Ryder Cup''s rich history and venerated place in sports, its champions and its characters, and its status as golf''s greatest grudge match. From its humble origins in 1927 to its place today as golf''s most gentlemanly battle-and a multi-million-dollar international sports event-The Ryder Cup has cemented its place in both its legacy and lore. Golf journalist Tom Clavin and golf commentator Bob Bubka have now made current their seminal work on the tournament, exploring the history and the rivalries, the extraordinary triumphs and devastating defeats, and the U.S. and the European contingents who have made this contest so remarkable. The names are legendary for any fan of golf: Palmer, Nicklaus, Jacklin, Floyd, Mickelson, Ballesteros, Faldo, Hogan, Nelson, Watson, Strange, Sarazen, Crenshaw, Woods, Montgomerie...the list goes on, as do their pitched battles for dominance and accomplishments on the greens. This up-close and personal look at The Ryder Cup is a must-read for golf fans, especially in preparation for the landmark 40th Anniversary tournament in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2014.

Ryder Cup 2018 Team Europe Complete

Ryder Cup 2018 Team Europe is now complete. The captain's picks happened and the team is poised to match up with Ryder Cup 2018 Team USA in just a few weeks. You can always debate the captain's picks, but the decision is final and we are all looking forward to an exciting tournament.

Team members as per rankings:


Captain's picks (in alphabetical order):



Ryder Cup 2018 Team Europe

Captain Thomas Bjorn will be joined by the following Vice Captains:




Special Olympics Athletes Visiting The Northern Trust - Player Transportation Helping Out



Wednesday (8/22), Pro-Am Day at The Northern Trust, was also a special day for multiple Special Olympics golfers.  The whole afternoon was set aside to allow the athletes to experience the Ridgewood Country Club clubhouse, practice on the range and tee off to play a few holes. Of course, the obligatory 1st Tee photo was taken and later on, during the evening reception handed to the players and their families. The tournament's Player Transportation committee helped, as usual, with shuttling the golfers and families between the hotel and the clubhouse.



About the Special Olympics:
Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place -- one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.

About The Northern Trust:
The Northern Trust is the 1st play off event for the FedEx Cup and leads up to the TOUR Championship, that concludes the PGA TOUR season.

About golf-volunteers.com:
Golf-Volunteers.com is a community of golf volunteers and aimed to exchange knowledge, experiences and learn about golf volunteer opportunities on the PGA TOUR and the PGA TOUR Champions.

Special treat for The Northern Trust Player Transportation Volunteers




The volunteers in the Player Transportation committee at The Northern Trust received a special 'THANK YOU' from a happy 'customer'. Gestures like this are rare, so this makes it even more special.

Yesterday (Tuesday), one day after the main arrival rush was behind us, the manager of Louis Oosthuizen stopped by our transportation office and dropped off 3 boxes of donuts for our deserving volunteers. That was such a nice THANK YOU for the hard work the volunteer drivers in our committee accomplished over the weekend.   On arrival weekend for the tournament (Sat - Mon) alone, already over 200 trips were completed. 

The Northern Trust Volunteer Parking

The Northern Trust Volunteer Parking Lot


Volunteer Parking will be located in Lot 9. Address for Lot 9 is at the Garden State Plaza Mall (Lord & Taylor parking lots), 1 Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ 07652. Allow ample time to arrive, since there is a shuttle ride involved from the parking lot to the course. Shuttles will run Monday, 8/20 to Sunday, 8/26. Shuttle times are as follows:

  • Monday 8/20: 6:00am to 7:00pm
  • Tuesday 8/21: 5:00am to 7:00pm
  • Wednesday 8/22: 5:00am to 8:00pm
  • Thursday 8/23: 5:00am to 8:00pm
  • Friday 8/24: 5:00am to 8:00pm
  • Saturday 8/25: 5:00am to 8:00pm
  • Sunday 8/26: 5:00am to 8:00pm
Years ago, Celina volunteered at the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, but then - after we've met and the tournament was still in the fall - we had other volunteer obligations at the same time. Last year, 2017, the tournament took a break (due to sponsor negotiations) and finally made it back onto the PGA TOUR Champions schedule for the 2018 season. The tournament also moved to March, which works much better for our schedule. We are both more or less 'newbies' to the tournament now and decided to help out for a few days with Transportation (our favorite committee).  As 'newbies', we had to attend the 'general training' and pick up our uniforms in Newport Beach last weekend.


Quite a few 'newbies' showed up and the training was very informative. Big take-away: Have fun and always be in uniform during your shift - oh, and don't drink any adult beverages, when on shift.

With our 'work work' obligations, we have to wait to join our fellow volunteers until the weekend, but are looking forward to meeting some familiar faces from other tournaments (e.g. the Invesco QQQ Championship at Sherwood Country Club or the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club). Of course, we are also looking forward to seeing a lot of our friendly players and families again. It's been several months, that we saw some of them at the end of the 2017 season at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, AZ.

It was very nice by the tournament leadership for the Toshiba Classic to approach us and ask, if we can promote golf volunteer opportunities for the tournament here on www.golf-volunteers.com. They provided us with some material, photos and volunteer stories, that we started to post on our Toshiba Classic page. Feel free to check it out and maybe even provide us with more input - or, even better, your personal experience about the tournament. We are looking forward to it.   See you at Newport Beach Country Club!!

It’s time for the 147th The Open Championship at Carnoustie

The Open Championship at Carnoustie


There is so much history around The Open and Carnoustie.  This week, the tournament is finally back at this historic course for the 147th The Open Championship and we are excited to watch, what conditions nature will present to a star-studded field.
Join us in this excitement and get in the mood with some great memorabilia :).

2018/2019 PGA TOUR schedule announced

Finally, the 2018/2019 PGA TOUR schedule has been announced today (7/10/2018). There are quite some interesting changes:
First of all, the number of FedExCup playoff tournaments has been reduced from previously 4 to now 3. The order will be:
  1. THE NORTHERN TRUST (being played in Boston every other year, starting 2020) with 125 players.
  2. BMW Championship with 70 players.
  3. TOUR Championship with 30 players.

Starting with the 2019/2020 PGA TOUR season, The Houston Open as well as the 'A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier' will move into the fall as early tournaments in the wrap-around season.

We have the full schedule posted on our site, so feel free to check it out. 






THE NORTHERN TRUST FedEx Cup Playoff

We are only 60 days away from THE NORTHERN TRUST FedEx Cup Playoff tournament at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ.

Ridgewood Country Club Paramus NJ
What a beautiful clubhouse: Ridgewood Country Club

This week I flew in from the West Coast to do my site visit and check out the logistics for the Player Transportation Committee.   It was an early start with my 7:45am arrival at Newark airport (EWR), one of the airports that we will service during our Player Transportation duties.
I got my rental car and drove up to Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ.  It was a good way for me to scout out the route, possible implications on our operations due to construction and rush hour traffic. After all, many of my The Northern Trust Player Transportation volunteers will make the drive between Ridgewood CC and EWR.    We also will do runs to LGA and - much closer - Teterboro (TEB), where quite a few of the players will fly in and out of for the tournament.

The Northern Trust Player Transportation Committee
Our Tournament Transportation sign for airport greeters

Once I got to the course, I met with PGA TOUR tournament staff for a few hours to line up everything, that needs to be prepared in the remaining weeks. Joe, our great volunteer coordinator this year showed me our 'Paddle Hut', this year's 'office' for the Player Transportation Committee. It's a really neat building. Big enough for the whole team and very close to the player parking lot.  We also just have to walk around the back of the building to get (within seconds) to the 1st tee. So, on the rare occasion where it is slow, you can easily walk over and watch some great players tee off.

We even have a patio and will get some picnic tables for 'break time'.  Our 'office' will be equipped - as usual - with office desks and an area for our volunteers to sit and chat, read or watch golf on TV. Yes, we will get a TV again and - since the hut usually does not have A/C - we will also get an A/C.

Player Transportation in the Paddle Hut
After all the meetings, Joe and I took a little tour of the course. It is certainly in immaculate condition and I am so looking forward to tournament week and being back. A lot of the structures (merchandise tent, hospitality, etc.) are already under construction and you can't miss, that the tournament is almost around the corner.

Ridgewood Country Club - Clubhouse from mid-way down the 1st hole

Heading back toward EWR I took another route (passing by Teterboro) to get a better feel for the roads along the way and to be able to - even as an out-of-towner - talk geography with my local volunteers.

A short night in an EWR airport hotel and a 5am flight back to the West Coast ended my less than 24-hour visit, but I am looking forward to being on-site for 10+ days throughout this exciting FedEx Cup playoff tournament.

If you come across this article and are NOT a volunteer yet - especially not a Player Transportation Committee volunteer - and got curious about helping out, please contact me or read more about our duties on the NORTHERN TRUST Player Transportation page on our website here. We will be happy to see you at Ridgewood Country Club in August 2018.