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The Bell Canadian Open - views from the inside

Silver

I don't have a handicap.
Dec 5, 2004
1,863
1
Well, after my first day of volunteering at the BCO, I have a few brief thoughts:

1. Watching practice rounds can actually be kinda boring because you can't tell what's going through the players' heads as well as you can when you know exactly what their goal is. I couldn't help but wonder if Vijay was trying his hardest to hit into the bunkers/rough/miss putts and in general look like me out there.
2. I felt sorry for the guys doing security at the door to the clubhouse because I, as a "roving" security volunteer, basically got to wonder freely and just watch people play.
3. I have new respect for the word "rough"
4. I would like to be a member of a REALLY expensive private club because the courses really can be that much better in terms of design and maintenance
5. Jesper is one cool dude
6. Golfers have really started to go outside the box when it comes to outfits and I, for one, think it's pimp
7. The amount of work that goes into organizing an event like this must be immense. There's a lot going on and it all seems to be going smoothly.
8. Being able to take pictures on Mon-Wed is effin cool. I'll post some another day when I'm not so tired because I had to get up at 4:30 this morning to be there on time.
9. Getting up at 4:30am to volunteer on a relatively boring day is pretty shitty. Scratch that, getting up at 4:30am is pretty shitty, period.
10. Vijay's a funny guy and most of the other pros seem to like him. He seems to like joking around with the guys.
11. Pat Perez looks like an ******* in person, too.
12. Apparently Mike Weir is actually a bit of a git, from what I heard today.
13. I should remember to bring my Sharpie tomorrow. I generally don't care that much for autographs, but they'll serve as a nice memory.
14. Some people that watch golf are effin lame. One of the security volunteers was the biggest knob I've ever met in my life. So annoying, and wouldn't shut up.
15. I should stick with a group next time because apparently Leggatt holed out from the fairway on a long par 4 shortly after I left to go see what was going on elsewhere.
16. Their bad shots have got nothing on mine. I can hit bad shots SO much worse than they can. Pfft.
 

Golfbum

THAT'S SOLID
Jan 14, 2005
296
0
If this is your first PRO event then pay close attention to the "GOLF BUNNIES" I have witnessed them at Glen Abbey in the past. Some will follow a group for 18 holes, and they are not wives!
 

Rockford35

Shark skin shoes
Staff member
Admin
Aug 30, 2004
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Silver said:
9. Getting up at 4:30am to volunteer on a relatively boring day is pretty shitty. Scratch that, getting up at 4:30am is pretty shitty, period.

12. Apparently Mike Weir is actually a bit of a git, from what I heard today.

16. Their bad shots have got nothing on mine. I can hit bad shots SO much worse than they can. Pfft.


These three statements are just eliminating the obvious.... :biglol:

R35
 

Bravo

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2004
5,822
15
Hey great report...I am really enjoying these from the Shottalkers who are attending Tour events.

Keep the reports coming and get us some photos...
 
OP
S

Silver

I don't have a handicap.
Dec 5, 2004
1,863
1
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Volunteering as security - day 2

Well, my shift today was the afternoon shift for the pro-am. I was slightly late so got put into the "roving" security group again. This is the plum position that lets you go out and watch whoever you want, all the while watching for cell phones and crap like that. It sure beats getting stuck at the clubhouse doors or something of the ilk. I'll be sure to be late tomorrow for my final shift as well.

1. I'm a little surprised at how hesitant some players are to give autographs. I'm not sure if they realize it, but without these fans to support them, they wouldn't have this job at all. Mike Weir could be working at a car plant in Ontario, for all we know.
2. I have a whole new respect for the meaining of the word "rough". Apparently our rough is as bad as it gets. I was watching Billy Andrade hit "bunker" style shots out of the rough while practicing on the 13th today and listened to him mutter to himself about how difficult it was the whole time. When we asked him about it, he said it was some of the worst he's seen (although he wasn't complaining). Some of the other volunteers said players said it's almost US Open style rough. Jesper told me today, basically, that the only way he'll do well is if he keeps it in the fairways, and the fairways are narrow.
3. The players seem to generally be *very* impressed with the course. Tom Pernice, Jr. said to us today as he was signing autographs that if the PGA/RCGA brought the tournament back here every year, we'd have one of the best fields in golf because the course is that good. A couple of other players made similar comments. It won't happen, of course, but it's nice to know that. Also, if the Deutsche Bank had been played in Seattle like it was supposed to be, we'd have a truly pimp field.
4. An amateur (that stunk from what I saw of him) in Vijay's group got a 200 yard hole-in-one today. Can you imagine getting a hole-in-one with Vijay as your witness? Maybe he stunk because I saw him later and was nervous about it - he got the HIO on the 3rd hole!
5. Joey Sindalar, Brent Geiberger, Fred Funk, Billy Andrade, and Justin Rose (the last three of which I made a point to get autographs from on my volunteer hat) seemed like some of the best people to play with. They were friendly with their groups, seemed to be having fun, and were also nice about giving pointers, etc.
6. Vijay's teeth are REALLY white.
7. Swedes dress the best.
8. I feel sorry for caddies in general. Those bags look freaking heavy.
9. Jesper beat Vijay in a bet for $20 to see who could bomb it over the back fence at the range firs. I'm pretty sure the fence is at about 280+ and it must be 80 feet high. I'm not sure what kind of total distance it is, but Jesper won.

I hope to put up some pictures shortly. I'll add more thoughts if anything comes to mind.
 

Big Brother Dunk

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2005
554
0
Whoa! Awesome pics! well done.

Do you think any of them would pose with you if you asked? That would be cool.
 
OP
S

Silver

I don't have a handicap.
Dec 5, 2004
1,863
1
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #12
Big Brother Dunk said:
Whoa! Awesome pics! well done.

Do you think any of them would pose with you if you asked? That would be cool.

probably not now...I don't think cameras are allowed from today onward
 

EDSGolf

Well-Known Member
Aug 24, 2005
446
0
Silver said:
probably not now...I don't think cameras are allowed from today onward

Cameras are definitely not allowed from today onward or else you'll have caddies like Steve Williams throw them in the lake
 
OP
S

Silver

I don't have a handicap.
Dec 5, 2004
1,863
1
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #14
well, unfortunately, Tiger's not here

fortunately, Steve isn't either

:biglol:
 
OP
S

Silver

I don't have a handicap.
Dec 5, 2004
1,863
1
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #15
Day 3

Holy shit, are some of those volunteers lame-asses or what?

At our "post" today, we were between the putting green and the first tee and stopping foot traffic for the players. There were six of us and 3 of them were fecking LAME. I wanted to punch them all in the face, even the old bag with the spiked mullett.

1. Many volunteers are lame fecking fools.
2. Got my 5th and 6th signatures on my cap today - now I have Funk, Jesper, Andrade, Justin Rose, Appleby, and Vijay. I don't know if I'll bother trying to get anyone else's...maybe DiMarco, but that's it.
3. Some of the players were really polite and nice to us for holding back the people and clearing the way for them. Some of them were tools. David Frost was funny - "oh guys, don't stop these people for me, I'm not worth it, don't worry about it" and then told the fans to go ahead. Sure thing Frosty, whatever you want.
4. Jesper's still cool.
5. Weir...I don't know what to make of him. I'm leaning strongly towards a-hole. Too many people have said it to be ignored.
6. Those guys aren't nearly as good at hitting fairways as I thought. Off the first tee, admittedly into a narrow landing area, I'd estimate about 30-40% even hit the fairway.
7. Mark O'Meara was surprisingly curt with fans asking for an autograph after his round was over. I thought he'd be good about it. I was wrong.
8. It's been a good experience so far, but watching on TV is probably still better...overall. But this is well worth it, regardless.
 

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