When you get there (preferably early, around 8:30 a.m.) have a plan. This will save a lot of milling around the clubhouse area deciding what do to: follow a specific player or group; walk the course; or grab a seat in the grandstand. Free pairing sheets are distributed at the entrance will tell you who is teeing off when and on which nine. For practice rounds consult the appropriate scoreboard at the course.
Here our ideal plan – not because it’s necessarily better than any other, but just to start you thinking about how you might adapt it to suit your preferences.
Unless you’re a TV cameraperson or commentator, a blimp pilot, or a tournament official or volunteer, there are only two ways to follow a golf tournament in person: follow a particular group through 18 holes, or plunk yourself down in some good viewing spot and watch the passing parade. Of course, you can come up with your combination of both options, depending on how you feel that day, the nature of the golf course, the size of the crowds, the weather, or your horoscope for the day after.
Our plan’s first step is for you to pick a group of golfers to follow (most often three to a group). Keeping in mind that crowds tend to follow the “name” golfers, you should usually pick someone whose name you recognize but who is not likely to draw a huge crowd. Then follow his or her group so you can see more and get closer to the action. Following Tiger Woods or John Daly may be glamorous, but you are likely to see less and walk more. Once you have selected a group, off you go, following along for the first nine holes.
When your group finishes their first nine, wish them well and head back in the direction you came from, about a hole or two from the clubhouse. The idea is to find a good vantage point, not too far from a refreshment stand and a restroom, where you can watch the rest of the field come through.
Since you are walking half the course and hopefully are traveling light and have left your cell phone at home, try to find some natural (preferably soft) seating or a viewing grandstand. That’s our plan, and we hope it helps in putting yours together. To further help in your planning, we’ve listed some of the good points of sitting and walking.
Sitting
If you’d rather not walk the course, there are some definite advantages to sitting in one spot. For example:
- Sitting on a comfortable beach chair is undeniably easier and probably more relaxing than walking the course and trying to keep up with a group. You’ll get a good spot if you get out there early.
- You’ll become an expert on the hole you’re watching. Binoculars may be a help on long par 4’s and 5’s.
- You’ll get to enjoy the surroundings between groups. There is something relaxing about the ebb and flow of activity while watching, say, from behind a green. Staying in one spot also lends itself to getting to know your fellow sitting spectators, perhaps more so than walking, and also the volunteers posted at the hole.
- You’ll get to see at least a good part of the field as they pass by your spot, and you can compare how different players handle the same hole.
- At Wykagyl for the Sybase Classic, a good spot is behind the 8th green. It is shaded by trees and affords a terrific view of the second shots as the women pros come over the hill and into the green. The 9th hole is to your left, and restrooms and refreshments are a relatively short (but steep) walk up the hill to the clubhouse area.
- At Westchester for the Barclay’s Classic, a superb spot is to the golfer’s right of the 11th hole, under a huge tree. You can see where drives end up on this difficult par 4 and the long second shots it requires to a well-trapped and sloping green. Be prepared for second shots rattling around in the big tree. Restrooms and a refreshment stand are steps away, and during lulls in the action you can view golfers coping on the 16th green after tee shots on a long and difficult par 3.
Walking
- You’ll get some good exercise. Just so you don’t overdo it, remember that a course of 6,800 yards covers almost 4 miles just from tees to greens, and you can add another mile just getting from one hole to another through l8 holes. If the layout is hilly, of course, that adds to the effort and both Wykagyl and Westchester are mountain goat courses.
- You’ll get a feel for the course, and you can enjoy some varied scenery on the way. Sure, golf courses are not truly natural environments, but for the urban or suburban dweller, they sure beat malls and parking lots, which incidentally don’t supply habitats for plants and animals.
- You’ll see how the players in your group handle different situations and how each manages his or her game and the course. You’ll also get a good idea of the way the round is going for the players and how each handles adversity or success.
A side benefit of following a particular group is that you may, depending on the size of the gallery, get to know, at least in passing, relatives and spouses of the players, which will make the experience just that much more enjoyable.
Whether you walk or sit (or both) is up to you. The important thing is to get off the couch and out in the air in person.
Enjoy the show.
