Volunteer Committees | The Farmers Insurance Open

Marshals / Evacuation Team

Responsible for crowd and noise control on the golf course. Marshals are stationed at various locations on course: tee, fairways, greens, etc. This committee is the largest group of volunteers and provides gallery control for the tournament and ensures PGA TOUR player safety and movement around the golf course. Several Marshals will be selected to serve on our Evacuation Team. Members of the Evacuation Team help carry out our emergency plan to transport PGA TOUR players and caddies on and off the course in case of inclement weather. In the event there is no need for an evacuation, their primary duties will be those of a Marshal.

A mandatory orientation will be held one-to-two weeks prior to tournament week, and will run approximately one hour in length.

Marshals are expected to:

Work Wednesday through Friday (required days). Additional shifts may be assigned to help during the weekend.
Locate and protect bad shots.
Control patron noise, camera and cell phone usage.
Maintain crowd control with hand held signage and patron ropes.

Standard Bearers

Responsible for accompanying each group of golfers while carrying a standard board (approx. 5-6 pounds) displaying that group’s scores in relation to par on a cumulative basis.

Standard bearers are expected to:

Work at least three (3) full days, Tuesday through Sunday. All standard bearers are required to work Wednesday and at least two (2) additional days.
Understand golf rules and etiquette.
Walk 18 holes, rain or shine, while wearing the proper equipment.

Leaderboards

Responsible for posting scores on the manual leaderboards located on the Torrey Pines North Course. Duties help complement the electronic scoreboards on course, by providing patrons with up-to-the minute scores.

Volunteers are needed to work two (2) full days, Thursday and Friday, and are responsible for updating and communicating progress with scoring control headquarters. An additional full day is needed to assist other volunteer committees.

ShotLink Laser Team

A laser operator manages a large metal laser that is stationed on the fairway and green of each hole. This device records information about the players’ shots and sends it back to the PGA Tour website for publishing. The ShotLink system collects and disseminates scoring and statistical data on every shot, real time, during every match via the use of hand held palm pilots.

A mandatory training session by the PGA Tour will be held one week prior to tournament week, and will run approximately one hour in length.

Laser Team operators are expected to:

Work four (4) full days, Thursday through Sunday. Wednesday is mandatory for those with two or less years ShotLink experience and optional for those with three or more years experience.
Understand golf rules and etiquette.
Stand/sit at an assigned hole, rain or shine, while wearing the proper equipment.

Will Call / ADMISSIONS

Responsible for providing spectators, media and player guests a location to pick up credentials/tickets that have been left by a player, official, sponsor or patron. Corporate Hospitality clients, Spectators, PGA Tour Professionals, PGA Tour staff, Media Center and Tournament Office will use Will Call for distribution of credentials/tickets.

Will Call volunteers are expected to:

Work various shifts from Monday through Sunday.
Provide an organized and accountable system of credential/ticket distribution.
Organize credential/ticket packets with labels and alphabetize.
Qualify individual by checking photo identification (Drivers License).
Distribute packets to qualified individuals.

ShotLink Walking Scorers

Responsible for walking with each group to keep statistics and hole-by-hole records for each player. Scorers will keep on course statistics and scores on a handheld Palm Pilot computer device.

A mandatory training session by the PGA Tour will be held one week prior to tournament week, and will run approximately one hour in length

Scorers are expected to:

Work at least four (4) full days, Monday through Sunday. All Scorer volunteers are required to work Wednesday and at least three (3) additional days.
Understand golf rules and etiquette.
Walk 18 holes, rain or shine, while wearing the proper equipment.

Century Club Ambassador

Our ambassadors are responsible for serving as official greeters at the Tournament Main Gate. Ambassador volunteers will serve as the welcoming committee for the patrons entering the tournament. Ambassadors will help greet spectators upon entering, assist as information specialists to those in need, and direct spectators to pairings guide sellers or the Information Booth for additional information.

Ambassadors are expected to:

Work at least three (3) full days, Tuesday through Sunday.
Be familiar with the Farmers Insurance Open Tournament as you are a resource to tournament patrons during tournament week.
Be responsible for distributing Tournament Programs and Pairings Guides at strategic locations for tournament information and sponsor exposure.
Ensure daily delivery and distribution of Pairings Guides to front gates.
Be friendly and cheerful as you hand out information to patrons at the front gates of the tournament.

Mobile Device Committee

Members of our mobile device committee are responsible for roving the course to ensure mobile device usage is not being abused on course. Their primary duty is to ensure no photos or videos are being taken especially around PGA TOUR players.

Mobile Device volunteers are expected to:

Work at least three (3) full days, Thursday through Sunday.
Be familiar with the Farmers Insurance Open Tournament as you are a resource to tournament patrons during tournament week.
Be willing to take action in the event patrons need to be warned about appropriate mobile device behavior.

Bunker Buddies

As a bunker buddy, you will be responsible for preparing the traps out on course in the morning prior to play every day of the tournament. You will be assigned in teams to work on specific holes on the North and South Course. A bunker buddy’s work is completed near the time the first players begin play, so we will be starting as early as 4:30 am each morning and finishing at approximately 8:30 am.

Bunker buddy volunteers are expected to:

Work at least three (3) full days, Monday through Sunday.
Be willing to work early morning hours to ensure the traps are in pristine condition prior to play each day.
Understand the proper protocol for maintaining the traps out on course. A mandatory training session will take place prior to the tournament to discuss the duties involved with the job.

Tournament Shuttle Services

Responsible for providing golf cart assistance for players to and from the lower putting green and golf range. Other duties include monitoring all carts to be charged and cleaned when returned to the cart barn, and staging carts to be used on an as-needed basis.

Volunteers are needed to work a minimum of three (3) full days, Wednesday – Sunday.

Special Areas

Responsible for assisting tournament staff with Pro-Am registration, parties, and gift distribution. Volunteers also provide numerous support functions on Pro-Am days. They work to ensure a smooth and memorable experience for all amateur participants in three pro-am golf events. Duties also include providing assistance and support to Corporate Hospitality Areas during tournament week.

Transportation

Responsible for assisting player services by volunteering to become a courtesy car driver to transport PGA Tour professional, their families, PGA Tour officials, and other VIPs of the Farmers Insurance Open. Transportation volunteers also assist with the inventory and tracking of all tournament vehicles during the tournament.

Volunteers are needed from the Saturday prior to tournament week through the Monday after. Transportation volunteers are expected to:

Keep receipts from all fuel transactions.
Be familiar with the La Jolla/San Diego/Airport area.
Be a resource to PGA Tour professionals and officials.