LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As hundreds of thousands of golf enthusiasts get ready to travel to Valhalla Gold Club next week, the course is buzzing with more than 3,000 volunteers working to make sure the PGA Championship in Louisville runs as smooth as possible.
As the golf club prepares for the championship, officials are keeping an eye on flood potentials during the tournament.
"We have an entire staff crew, we've got emergency services, we've got PGA staff, we've got Valhalla staff, ready to service anything that happens," Ryan Ogle, championship director for PGA of America, said.
Of course, some hazards are already in play and hard to plan for.
"You know, everything's dictated by weather," Jason Newman, Valhalla's head mechanic, said. "Cross your fingers for this freaking tournament. I want it to be clear and sunny."
Newman has been keeping an eagle eye on this week's forecast and for good reason: there's a flood watch in effect through Thursday morning.
"Instead of going out there to mow whatever, we have to put back the bunkers or pick up some debris from a tree that fell down," he said.
In the words of Ogle, hope for the best and plan for the worst.
"We're monitoring it making sure safety is first and foremost," Ogle said. "But we're optimistic it's gonna' be a fantastic week and we'll do whatever is necessary."
The last time this course hosted a PGA championship was 10 years ago which, unfortunately, featured some torrential downpours. Six years earlier in 2008, it was the Ryder's Cup and a tropical cyclone storm, thanks to Hurricane Ike.
Ogle said the course's past weather hazards will serve them well this time around when it comes to storm preps.
"There's nothing we haven't faced," he said.
The tedious works continues to boost a city that'll soon find itself at the center of an international sports spectacle.
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