SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The golf course at TPC Scottsdale isn’t as immaculate as it is just by chance. It takes months of preparation and hours of work to get it in pristine condition for the WM Open.
"It takes a small army to do what we do,” Brandon Reese, Director of Agronomy, said. “We've got 100 people on staff that week and volunteers come from all over the world that gives their time to be a part of our team for the week."
“A lot of that stuff maintains itself, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve to make sure it looks good on TV," Reese said.
This includes a team of 65, which starts the build-out for the tournament in September, running through March before the "tear down."
"There are just so many moving parts and pieces out here,” Reese said. “We're pretty involved with the setup and preparation out here, which takes up a lot more of our time than we'd like it to."
In fact, during the actual tournament, it’s estimated there are roughly 8,400 man-hours of work to keep the course in top shape for the PGA Tour. Constant care for the greens with help from volunteers traveling to Scottsdale from all across the globe.
"There have been where we've had volunteers from every continent except Antarctica,” Reese said. “It’s pretty cool to look at our event as a bucket list for these people to come and hone their craft."
The staff doubles to around 120 workers to assist with course maintenance during play, and several have more than 30 years of service. It’s the experience and attention to detail that allows TPC Scottsdale to have the household name it does.
Tournament play tees off Thursday, Feb. 9, in Scottsdale.
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