Resort already down to finer details for PGA The Ocean Course's first hole is a relatively short par-4. The PGA Championship setup was use recently at the course and the best score anybody could manage was a 78. The Ocean Course's layout will have very little free land during the 2012 PGA Championship between corporate hospitality tents and trying to squeeze thousands of spectators. Make the final turn of the journey to the Ocean Course today and only the clubhouse provides a clue that one of the nation’s most difficult golf challenges awaits. Make that same trip next August, and a small city will have replaced that idyllic scene. Only then, Roger Warren says, will visitors understand the scope of the 2012 PGA Championship. “We have been trying to explain” the magnitude, said Warren, the tournament’s general chairman and president of Kiawah Island Golf Resort, “but I think what fans will see is well beyond their expectations.” Massive tents that house the Wanamaker Club and merchandising area only begin to tell the story of a changed landscape. The television compound will cover more than 165,000 square feet, and hospitality areas bought by some of the world’s most famous companies will stretch along the 18th fairway and help frame the par-3 17th hole. “You won’t see much ground between the ninth and 10th holes,” Kiawah publicist Mike Vegis said. Studies suggest the tournament will create an economic impact of $193 million. The figures include direct spending from visitors, salaries for labor from 832 jobs, 154 hours of media exposure and taxes. More than 3,000 volunteers will lend a hand. The Kiawah folks hope to reach two objectives — create a great fan experience and have the Ocean Course prove itself — and, Warren said, “I believe we will do great.” Saying the Ocean Course must “prove itself” might raise eyebrows around the golf world. The host for the 1991 Ryder Cup is called the toughest course in the country by one publication. “The course was so young and wild then (in 1991) and it’s different today,” Warren said. “There were some nuances to work out; for example, the grasses have changed. The course hasn’t been tested by the best players in the world in a stroke-play event. “There is no doubt the course will be a challenge. There will be a lot of mystery since the pros haven’t played it and the tournament will be a first-time experience. They will evaluate how fair it is.” If a recent contest is any indication, the pros will be tested. Kiawah officials set up the course to resemble the 2012 plan and opened the competition to all. The low score: 6-over-par 78 by a scratch golfer. “He’s the only one who broke 80,” tournament director Brett Sterba said. “Out of about 1,000 who tried, 155 turned in a scorecard and the average score was 98.” The challenge will be hitting fairways, said Kerry Haigh, managing director of tournaments for the PGA of America, who will set up the course. Rough will be 1½ to 2½ inches. “I’m not looking for a particular score,” said Haigh, who set up the Ocean Course for both the Ryder Cup and the 2007 Senior PGA Championship. “I want a fair yet challenging golf course for the best players in the world.” The Ocean Course will separate the field, Warren predicted, “and that’s what the players want. They want to be challenged, and I believe the Ocean Course will demonstrate that South Carolina has a venue worthy of a major championship.” Does that mean that Kiawah is looking to other high-profile events? “We intend to deliver a first-class experience,” Warren said. “We appreciated the PGA of America and value that relationship, and we also know the Ocean Course fits the U.S. Open criteria. The Ocean Course has to prove itself first, and I believe it will. Then we’ll see.” The Kiawah contingent that attended the 2011 PGA at the Atlanta Athletic Club came away knowing their plans in place for 2012 are on target. Sterba, who has been working on the 2012 event since January 2009, said, “we are seven or eight months ahead of schedule in terms of hospitality sales and a year ahead in ticket sales.” Officials looked at the 2007 Senior PGA for ways to improve and have taken steps to facilitate gallery traffic and replace sand in bunkers that led to plugged lies. They also discovered a bottleneck around the 17th green. For the 2012 PGA, the 17th will be surrounded by spectators either in the double-decked hospitality suites or on the viewing mounds. Haigh said the hole, which became the focal point of the Ryder Cup playing at 197 yards, will be stretched to 227 for rounds that play downwind. The amphitheater-setting will attract up to 10,000 fans each day, Sterba predicted, comparing the scene to the 16th at Phoenix or the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. The August weather will be hot, of course, and misting stations are planned throughout the course. At Atlanta, officials had electric misting fans attached to the top of bleachers and Warren said, “That might be something we want to consider.” Overall, though, all systems are on “go.” A huge parking area is in place and a fleet of buses will shuttle fans to the course. Food courts are set and traffic patterns have been established with the assistance of the Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies. “Our No.1 priority is to deliver what we have promised, and that is to make this a memorable and enjoyable experience for our visitors and fans,” Warren said. “I know we will. When they get here next August, they will know what a big deal this really is.”

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