IMG_0801
The inside of the media center at Hazeltine, located just behind the driving range and the first tee.
The inside of the media center at Hazeltine, located just behind the driving range and the first tee.
This is what they call "Radio Row," small studio spaces available for broadcasters ranging from the BBC to local stations here in the Twin Cities. Located directly behind the main media area.
Another shot of the main media area in the media center. I have no idea why I included two photos of the same thing. Need more coffee.
A dark photo, I realize, but they didn't have the lights on in the main interview area. You'll see this backdrop a lot on ESPN, Golf Channel, et. al. this week.
Photographers get their own room (and own lockers) in most media centers. Because, you know, they're photographers.
This is the crowd surrounding the driving range at about 12:30 p.m. Monday. Enormous turnout for a Monday practice day.
A long-distance shot of the merchandise area and other related facilities. These run along the edge of the property next to the first hole.
This is me taking a picture of people taking pictures in front of a welcome scoreboard near the main spectator entrance.
The Wannamaker Club, a staple of hospitality areas at PGA Championships. It's directly next to the merchandise area.
Inside the merchandise "chalet." These things really are elaborate — carpeting, lots of hardwood fixtures — and it was a total zoo on Monday. Normally, that kind of chaos is reserved for later in the week.
And we've reached the maintenance facility. Fairly new construction, built about five years ago.
Inside the secondary building. A couple of spray units, some fertilizer, a hose ... heck, you can see for yourself.
The wash pad and fueling stations sit behind the main maintenance facility and just to the left of the secondary building.
One more shot of the secondary building at Hazeltine's maintenance facility. Probably one shot too many.
Now we're getting somewhere — the inside of the main equipment storage area. With Toro being headquartered in nearby Bloomington, Minn., you can guess the primary color of equipment at Hazeltine. (Hint: It's red.)
The main shop area. On Monday, greens mowers were getting last-second tweaks before afternoon rounds.
Hazeltine equipment manager Ralph Arnt (right) checks out a greens mower while Andrew Conville with The Toro Co. looks on. They pretended to ignore me taking their picture.
Arnt uses a high-pressure air hose to blow out grass, muck and grime (my words, not his) from the reels on this greens mower.
And finally, the center of action at the maintenance facility this week ... the hospitality tent. But where are all the people?
Well, they're not here. This is the inside of said hospitality tent at about 1 p.m. Monday. Plenty of good seats were available.
A banner inside the hospitality tent from the Minnesota GCSA honoring the crew assembled to work during this week's PGA Championship.
What's fueling the maintenance team at Hazeltine this week. From the looks of this table, it's cheese puffs, Rice Krispie treats and donuts. Breakfast of champions, baby.
This is why stamps cost so much: The U.S. Postal Service has its own mobile command center.
The TV compound this week (the broadcast is being shared jointly by TNT and CBS) is just off the maintenance facility at Hazeltine.
The practice putting green was mobbed early Monday afternoon. 2002 PGA champ Rich Beem and fan favorite Bubba Watson were both practicing.
If you want to visit the clubhouse at Hazeltine National, you better hurry. This structure is coming down soon after the PGA Championship concludes to make way for a brand new structure.
Now this is more like it! Later Monday afternoon, the hospitality tent at the maintenance facility was packed in advance of afternoon rounds.
Hazeltine superintendent Jim Nicol, CGCS (center) chats with crews working on sprucing up some temporary cart paths.
This was the highlight of Monday afternoon. CBS needed to move a crane assembly (it will anchor an HD camera) across the course to the 15th hole. This is just before the truck entered the course.
Because Hazeltine is a regular host of major tournaments, there is an extra wide paved path that cuts through the course to ease the impact this kind of traffic can have. Came in handy as this beast rolled past a first-aid station.
Unfortunately, the paved path didn't lead all the way to 15. The truck had to cut across the 11th hole to get there. Here, crews place plywood across an out-of-play area to protect drain lines from the weight of the truck.
Still crawling. The truck had to wait while crews moved the plywood panels to create the path across the 11th fairway.
Crossing a spectator walkway on 11 made this drive somewhat easier. But crews still had to take care to place the plywood panels to minimize damage and doubled up the panels over irrigation lines.
Slow but steady ... that's assistant superintendent Joe Maloney (white shirt, far left) overseeing the work.
Nicol stopped by the 12th green to Stimp the upper portion of the two-tiered green. Party line: "We're at championship speed, right where we want them." My line: This green was rolling just a little north of 11 as of about 6:30 Monday night.
Leaving the media center to find the troublesome tree near the 4th green, look who I found: British Open champ Stewart Cink (complete with Claret Jug) doing a live TV interview with the guys on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption."
There it is ... what's left of the oak tree off the fourth green. A large branch came down Monday night or very early Tuesday morning.
One last tree-stump shot, to show you the proximity to the fourth green. Those two small signs indicate where the player walkway to the fifth tee is located.
OK, one personal shot. GCSAA's Bill Newton and I made our way to the Metrodome to watch our own KC Royals take on the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night. A (very) rare blowout win for the boys in blue this season, 14-6 over the Twinkies!
Nicol being interviewed by Bob Stevens (dark shirt) and John Maginess on the PGA Tour Network on XM and Sirius satellite radio. The network's broadcast tower is just off the ninth green.
How do they tell what units are to be used to cut what part of the golf course? Name tags.
"No, Timmy, I'm sorry but you can't mow fairways. You need to mow the practice range. Didn't you check your name tag?"
