When a major championship arrives in any town, course superintendents from around the country often join in, volunteering to make sure everything is perfect for the contestants.
These volunteers might rake bunkers or help with gallery ropes – no job is too small. The course’s regular staff tends to handle much of the heavy lifting, such as mowing greens and fairways, while the volunteers are able to network while handling a wide range of smaller tasks.
Another thing the volunteers tend to be: men. But that changes to a great degree this week at the U.S. Women’s Open on June 3-6 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Troy Flanagan, the director of golf maintenance at Olympic, has recruited 29 women to volunteer during this U.S. Golf Association major, helping his team prepare the course. Flanagan saw the Women’s Open as an opportunity to assist the careers for females in the golf maintenance field, offering these professionals a chance to learn and assist with championship preparations while providing essential work for the week.
“Knowing this is the biggest event in women’s golf, we wanted to make sure that women in turf were a part of it,” Flanagan said. “So we decided to invite the women in turf to be a part of our team for the week.”
Everyone from retired supers to college students will come together and gain unparalleled networking opportunities. Flanagan said Olympic will provide lodging and meals, and the club worked with sponsors to provide travel expenses.
The week could be a huge boost to the women, offering the chance to meet other professionals and see how a major championship comes together.
Kayla Kipp, the equipment manager at Wisp Resort, will volunteer at the U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Kayla Kipp)
“Working the Women’s Open is the ultimate,” said Kayla Kipp, the equipment manager at WispResort in McHenry, Maryland. “I spent all winter plowing snow in the middle of the night, and my summer is spent taking care of all the golf maintenance equipment at the resort.”
Kipp got into the business after a 6-year stint in the U.S. Air Force right out of high school. She has never been to San Francisco or to a major championship.
“I’m looking forward to spending some of my time helping work on the equipment in the shop and some time out on the grounds raking bunkers or other tasks,” Kipp said. “I’m really curious to learn what goes into hosting an event of this size. Personally, I am most excited to see a line of mowers cut a fairway at the same time. I’ve always been fascinated by that.”
Sue Spahr, the superintendent at Swanhills Golf Course, will volunteer at the U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Sue Spahr)
Sue Spahr, the superintendent at Swanhills Golf Course in Belvidere, Illinois, has more experience in the golf industry than Kipp. She’s been taking care of Swanhills for 28 years, and she’s excited for the Olympic opportunity.
“It’s pretty phenomenal that Troy would take this on,” Spahr told the Rockford Register Star. “As if there isn’t enough pressure itself hosting the tournament. And there are a lot of COVID restrictions, too. There are a lot of hoops he’s had to jump through to make this happen.
“We are supposed to have a lot of education out there also in addition to all the work we have to do. I just want to pay attention to how meticulous they are and bring back some tricks of the trade.”
She was a Biology major and worked at a course in college, and she has been at Swanhills since.
“I will be on-site (at the Women’s Open) Sunday to Saturday, the longest I’ve been away from my course in decades,” she said with a laugh before telling Golfweek she is eager to meet some of the female leaders at The Olympic Club.
“I have a 15-year-old daughter,” Spahr said, “and these are the types of role models I would love for her to have.”