Matt Jolly poses for a photo at the Quicken Loans National golf tournament.
IAA Golf Course Management alum Matt Jolly stopped by for a visit to Jull Hall recently, after returning to Maryland following an internship with the Tiger Woods Foundation. After graduating from the IAA in 2011, Matt continued his education at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC, where he earned a B.S. in Sports and Event Management.
Like the IAA, JWU required Matt to complete an internship during his course of study. During an internship with the Tiger Woods Foundation, Matt worked at two major golf events: the Quicken Loans National held June 23-26 at Congressional Country Club, and most recently the Deutsche Bank Championship near Boston, MA. Each event required a six week commitment that included one month of advance work, the actual tournament week, and one week post-tournament.
Matt gained a lot of valuable experience through his internship. "People just do not realize how much work is involved staging a PGA Tour event," according to Matt. "Major golf tournaments hire staff up to three years before the actual event."
There is a tremendous amount of construction involved in PGA tour events. People admire the large tents and pavilions but forget that those structures require scaffolding for leveling the surface, in addition to flooring, furniture, framing, electricity, lighting, air conditioning, et cetera. Companies pay tens of thousands of dollars to entertain clients at these events. Also, like all construction work, permits and inspections are required as well. On the golf operations side, miles and miles of rope and stakes surround the course, shot-link cameras and television cameras are directed at every hole, giant digital scoreboards grand stand seating are installed, directional signage is placed, and 300 portable toilets are set up along with over 1,000 trash and recycling boxes that require service daily.
Believe it or not, there are companies that specialize in staging these huge events and many smaller firms act as subcontractors. Matt hopes to land a job with one of these firms. "We are nomadic at times and a bit like the traveling circus," said Matt, "but this circus travels to some of the most beautiful places in the world."
