The First Tee Course Reporters

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Editor's note: Herbert Lee Woods, Sachi Hamada and Matthew Kopstein will be serving as Course Reporters from the Northern Trust Open on Wednesday and Thursday. For their bios, click here. To read Wednesday's blogs, click here.

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SECOND DAY AT RIVIERA
Herbert Lee Woods III

My second day here at Riviera Country Club as a Junior Course Reporter was filled with fun just like yesterday, but also with sunshine rather than rain. Today the weather was beautiful and we were able to spend more time outside viewing golf and seeing the golf course. I took a tour of the two DePuy-Mitek Mobile Health and Fitness Trailers with Mr. Jeff Hendra who is a Physical Therapist for the PGA TOUR. I learned about the inside of the trailers that before today, I didn't even know existed. I had no idea that there were personal trainers and even chiropractors onsite at TOUR events.

The training crew is on the road for about 30 weeks out of the year, and they arrive as early as 5 a.m. so the players with early tee times can come and get deep tissue massages, ice for their muscles or even heat for injured or sore muscles. In the second trailer there is a portable gym. In there, the players can come and work out, and get warmed up before they go and start hitting balls on the range and putting as well as chipping.

The training crew consists of nine people and normally has two or three people working in each trailer per day. It is just so interesting to me to continue to see all of these behind the scenes areas that I never knew were there before.

Another interesting trailer we got to visit was the SHOTLink trailer with Mr. Jason Larson, who told us he played golf professionally for about 10 years before he started at the TOUR. We learned a lot about scoring that most of people don't notice when they are watching a round of golf. SHOTLink handles the scoring and the yardage that you see on television and on the scoreboards. SHOTLink sends two scorers with every group. One walks with the group and has a small device a little bigger then an average cell phone, and then there is a laser placed in the fairway and around the green. The laser placed in the fairway tracks the ball from the tee box to the fairway. They can tell the yardage by the laser being placed on the ball and then being tracked to the hole. They also have 11 scoreboards scattered around the course, and the scores we see on television and on the Jumbotron come from the handheld devices. They are delivered within 5 seconds to the various media.

Looking back on this experience I can say that will never forget it. There is so much more than golf at these events and working for the TOUR is really something I am going to consider for my future. I've learned so much just from spending two days behind the scenes of a live event.

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BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE NORTHERN TRUST OPEN
Sachi Hamada

The first round of the Northern Trust Open started off early with the professionals swarming Riviera Country Club, stretching and warming up for their day. Most arrive two hours prior to their tee time and make their way up to the DePuy-Mitek Mobile Health and Fitness Units. John Adam, ATC, led us into the vast inside of the "gym on wheels" that was packed with exercise machines like treadmills and spin bikes provided by Cybex. All corners of the vehicle were filled with weights and exercise balls that all the players are welcome to use to work up a sweat. Mr. Adam explained how hip stretches and exercise are critical to the golf swing to maintain consistency. He aids the golfers before and after their round to keep them in healthy shape.

Across the parking lot, Jeff Hendra, Physical Therapist for the PGA TOUR, assists the players with any sort of injuries before and after their round. A variety of machines surrounded the room built to relieve pains or relax muscle tensions. Towards the back of the truck, rows and rows of drawers containing every size of shoe and t-shirt -- perfectly suited for the golfer's needs -- were neatly stored. The trailer was stocked with first aid kits, medicines, hot and cold packs; anything needed to comfort the professionals. I think that the TOUR players are very lucky to have these units in walking distance to keep them healthy, fit and playing well on the golf course.

The most intense part of today was when we visited the SHOTLink truck located in the middle of the golf course covered with varieties of colored wires. When we first stepped in, it smelled like coffee and all you could hear was chatter from the back. Jason Larson, SHOTLink Operations Coordinator, greeted us with some sort of remote in his hand. He explained that over 200 volunteers either carry one of the devices or use a laser to record all of the shots hit during the tournament. Across Riviera C.C. there are 11 scoreboards that are sent information from the truck that receive their information from the lasers and the remote. In the truck the staff compare the information sent in to make sure it all checks out, and then within five seconds the results are sent on to television, PGATOUR.COM and the scoreboards. It is amazing how this technology can change the way people view golf and inform them of how each golfer is playing.

This Northern Trust Open has been quite an experience for me and I have learned that there are many departments out there that are needed in order to host a tournament like this. I loved every second of it and hope to visit more tournaments so I can thank and pay more attention to the people that make them happen.

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'ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE'
Matthew Kopstein

When most people think of golf, they typically don't think of injuries or any type of danger at all. They might think the most dangerous thing that can happen is getting run over by a golf cart. But there are a lot of ways a player can get injured or hurt out on the course, and when that happens, there is only one place to go.

Jeff Hendra is the Physical Therapist on-site when players get hurt or feel any pain that needs attention. When Jeff took me inside of the DePuy-Mitek Mobile Health and Fitness Units, I really wasn't expecting it to be so nice; it was as if I walked into my doctors' office. There were stability balls, weights, mats, beds, even ultra-sound machines. If you had a problem, this trailer had something to fix it. They even had shoes and shirts in every size so the players are always able to go in, even if they aren't dressed for the occasion. When I asked Jeff about some of the best players he helps, he said "the ones that can make you laugh; there are some real characters out there."

Jeff also taught us how important it is to get an education and make your resume as long as you can get it. He taught us that getting your credentials are crucial to making it and getting the job you want, and how good it will look to potential employers when you are certified in different areas of your field. While speaking to all of the people I have met the last couple of days, I found that making alliances is also very important. We realized sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know when you are trying to break into a field, so we are glad to be making some new friends along this experience for the future!

The second trailer we visited was the gym. This is where players go before and after their round to either stretch or cool down. The gym has everything a normal gym would have, just crammed into a trailer! The ATC on site was John Adam, who has been with many organizations including the MLB, LPGA, and currently the PGA TOUR. When asked what is the best part about his job, he jokingly said "I'm still looking for it", and laughed. With both John and Jeff being very down to earth and cool guys, I can see why players love going to them to get help.

Today was a great end to one of the coolest things I have ever done, and although I am sad that it has to end, I will remember all the great things I have seen, and the memorable people I have been able to talk to and meet.