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.

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.

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.