Beyond the Course: Hazeltine Prepares for the Ryder Cup

As the golf world prepares to come to Minnesota for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club, Hazeltine continues preparing to host the golf world.

The on-course preparations include:

Rerouting of the course from the traditional order of holes 1-18 to finish with holes 5-9 on the back nine — a change intended to move the most important action to holes with some of the largest viewing areas.

Hazeltine's membership volunteering to close the course to play after Labor Day to ensure pristine conditions.

Hazeltine greenskeeping superintendent Chris Tritabaugh’s normal 50-member staff adding nearly 100 superintendents and assistants from Minnesota, Canada, Europe and Asia for the event — including the course manager from 2014 Ryder Cup site, Gleneagles in Scotland.

But the off-course preparations are just as impressive.

Crews have spent the summer constructing the corporate tents, grandstands, concession stands, merchandise tents, scoreboards, bridges, fencing, restrooms and 10 large high-definition video boards that will allow 40,000 or more fans to follow match-play action during the three-day competition.

Meanwhile, Hazeltine Catering Sales Manager, Jan Hillius, has been involved in planning the food, beverage, and hospitality provided in the clubhouse. This is a look at what the team at Hazeltine will execute during the Ryder Cup.

• 600 people for breakfast, lunch, and snacks in the Ballroom
• Team USA and European Team in the Locker Rooms
• Breakfast, lunch, and snacks for player's families, caddies, and players in separate Team Rooms
• Corporate Hospitality in the Champions Room

Planning and managing one day of food and hospitality services for all of those groups would be demanding, but that will be the daily schedule for the entire event. It will be like hosting multiple weddings, multiple times a day — for many days. 

Hazeltine National Golf Club is a private golf club located in Chaska, Minn., about 30 minutes southwest of downtown Minneapolis. The club opened in 1962 with a mission to build and maintain a golf course suitable for the conduct of national championships. Hazeltine is one of only two courses in the United States to have hosted the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur, and Ryder Cup. Hazeltine’s meeting and event space, golf shop and specified services in the learning center are open to the public. More information about becoming a member at Hazeltine is available at www.hazeltinenational.com.