The first rounds of the PGA Championship begin on May 15th, but the preparation to make it all happen started well over a year ago. That’s something Keith Wood, Director of Green and Grounds at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, knows all too well. He’s been at Quail Hollow for 10 years and has hosted a tournament every year, including the 2017 PGA Championship.
We talked about what it takes to set up an event of this scale—from the agronomy and course preparation to the massive physical buildout, the coordination of volunteer staff, and ensuring that all necessary equipment is on-site exactly when it’s needed. Keith emphasized the importance of keeping volunteers well-fed and noted an interesting trend: energy drinks have become more essential than coffee!
He’s had great success bringing back former employees—now working across the industry—as volunteers. “Quail has always been a family, and I love that our former team members want to come back to help out,” Keith shared. It’s also a huge advantage to have people on-site who already know the property. Volunteers, both men and women, are coming from all over the country, and Keith is excited to showcase true “Quail hospitality.”
It was a fantastic conversation, full of insights into the behind-the-scenes setup of one of golf’s greatest events.