Jane Thompson Olson
2021 was the perfect year to be a volunteer at the Ryder Cup. The Ryder is a much-anticipated pinnacle of golf tournaments. It was canceled in 2020 because of COVID.
The setting was Whistling Straits, which was created by the great golf course designer Pete Dye. Located on a two-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline near Kohler, Wisconsin, Whistling Straits is a links-style course which is a walking-only, rugged, hilly, windswept place for dramatic golf at its best. A huge challenge for spectators to get around and a bigger one for golfers! I would encourage you to visit, have lunch in the Irish-style farmhouse and take in the magnificent vistas.
In case you are wondering, a links course is the oldest style of golf course and was first developed in Scotland. It’s located alongside big bodies of water, has sandy soil and little vegetation except for tall native grasses. Not like the beautifully landscaped and groomed course in Georgia where they play the Master’s. Usually, golfers can only walk a links course as it isn’t suited for carts. I’ve played on a couple links courses. They are difficult, and if you don’t keep your ball on the fairway, you are, more often than not, in big trouble. The rough can include sand dunes that are deep and very tricky to get out of.
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men’s golf competition between a United States team and a European team. The contest occurs every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. In 2018, the European team won the Ryder Cup on the French National Course near Versailles. The Ryder Cup is named after the English businessman Samuel Ryder who donated the trophy in 1927.
My husband Paul and I had previously volunteered for the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, and, lucky for us, we were as
ked to return for the Ryder Cup. For the 2021 event as well as the PGA championship, we paid around $200 which got us two shirts, one hat, a jacket, water and meal coupons, and tickets for all the days of the event. The shirts and jacket were Ralph Lauren and very nice. I love this year’s jacket and will put it to good use. We were also able to buy tickets at a reduced rate for friends.
Paul’s job this year was “driver.” He didn’t have much to do because of COVID. At the last minute the PGA decided to give rental cars to all golfers and their caddies to get from the American Club in Kohler, where they were staying, to the course. Paul ended up driving Nick Faldo and his wife from the American Club to the Milwaukee airport and he was done! For the PGA, he had been out on the course at a certain hole measuring shot distances.
I worked in the huge football field-size merchandise tent bagging items at checkout. Average sale was $350.00. Customers were buying cups, flags, shirts, hats, and other Ryder Cup gear for themselves, family and friends.
Since we do not live within an hour of Whistling Straits, our uniforms were mailed to us and we were not required to attend any informational meetings prior to the actual event. Tournaments usually begin on Tuesday or Wednesday and end on Sunday late afternoon. We were asked to volunteer for at least four days and were allowed to request days and times. Those are usually honored. My shifts in the merchandise tent were from two to five hours long. We are lucky because Paul’s sister lives within thirty minutes from the course, so we stayed there.
Team USA regained possession of the Ryder Cup with a resounding 19-9 victory in the two-day competition September 23-25. What a thrill to be a part of this huge event with over 40,000 spectators dressed in red, white and blue and waving American flags!
How did we get involved in this type of volunteer activity? We started our volunteering at golf events in Cary, NC, at the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf event. That was fun but a lot of work! Paul was in charge of all the tents on the golf course, a huge task for a big tournament played on three 18-hole courses. I was a celebrity host. We began our hosting on Friday and didn’t finish until Sunday evening. Hosting involved being at the celebrity’s beck and call – be it events to attend, special needs, etc. We were given a brand new car to drive, which I loved. One year, I had to find a workout place for my soap opera star because he was having a bedroom shoot the following week and wanted to look “buff.”
Once you get on the PGA list as a volunteer, you get notified for any events that are in need of volunteers. For us, the minimal cost is well worth the money. It’s a fun way to volunteer.
