The Ocean Course

VITALITY

MY APRICOT HILL

The Ocean Course

July 10, 2012

Yellowstone Park Foundation

Seussisms

As the PGA Championship begins on August 9^th, The Ocean Course has the eyes of the world upon it and hopes of PGA golf professionals and PGA Tour players in its grasp.   In its 94-year history the PGA Championship, one of the world’s premiere sporting events, has had 63 individual winners and has been held at 71 courses across 25 states. Never before has the PGA Championship been held at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, ranked as “America’s toughest golf course” by Golf Digest in January 2012.

More than 200,000 spectators will journey to The Ocean Course this week to see what golf course architect Pete Dye and his side-kick Mother Nature have in store for the players and who will ultimately win the revered Wannamaker Trophy.

Playing at 7,676-yards, with a field of 156 players, the tournament consists of 72 holes of stroke play with the lowest 70 after the first 36 holes making the cut to the weekend competition. It’s estimated that more than 600 million households in 200 countries will watch some or all of the 154 hours of live broadcast of the tournament.

With a transformation to rival a fast motion, time-lapsed Lego competition video, The Ocean Course has been transformed into a tent city, respectfully erected with careful regard to its sensitive environment. Protected sand dunes and marshes have been painstakingly cared for during the preparations.

More than 3,000 volunteers join the assembly of PGA of America staff professionals, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, temporary and sponsor personnel to orchestrate a flawless tournament, as well as an exciting sporting experience for up to 30,000 spectators each day.

It’s monumental really when you consider the amount of preparation, services, water, catering, security, player and media logistics, equipment and energy necessitated by this endeavor. It’s staggering to comprehend the massive undertaking nearly three years in the making, yet absolutely clear that Kiawah Island and the greater Charleston are up to the task.

My Apricot Hill is pleased to participate and wear many golf hats during the championship with our daily “moment-to-moment” photo gallery and Twitter feed to our My Apricot Hill staff as volunteers and Wanamaker Club ticket holders. Look for My Apricot Hill’s PGA Championship photo gallery post-tournament next week.

From My Apricot Hill’s perspective, the recreational golfer, The Ocean Course is as much a Pete Dye masterpiece as it is an Al Capone era villain.   Go ahead, tee off with your foursome and the benefit of your wise and proven caddy only to realize there’s now five of you at play. Look over your shoulder then you’ll see her, Mother Nature looming large.

The 7,676-yard Ocean Course is a powerful force to be reckoned with. With no prevailing winds, the front nine and the back nine play like two distinct courses so to engage eastward and westward winds. Some days, if the winds wish to rest, you play The Ocean Course. Other days, if the winds wish to blow, The Ocean Course plays you. No matter how The Ocean Course plays, the satisfaction and privilege of playing among the unsurpassed ocean scenery leaves an unforgettable, maybe even spiritual imprint on you. Play it once it’s intimidating, play it again and again it becomes a pilgrimage of self-determination to be better, play better.