Skip to content
Toggle menu
SportsTravel SportsTravel

Breaking News, Podcasts and Analysis Serving People who Organize, Manage and Host Sports Events

Primary Menu
  • News
    • Hosts & Suppliers
    • Recently Awarded
    • Sports Organizations
    • Sports Venues
    • Sponsors & Media
  • IN DEPTH
    • Editor’s Picks
    • On Assignment
    • Perspectives
    • Technology in Sports
  • Podcasts
  • Sports
    • CATEGORY
      • Amateur Sports
      • Youth Sports
      • Collegiate Sports
      • Professional Sports
      • Olympic Sports
      • Paralympic Sports
      • National Governing Body
      • Adaptive Sports
      • Sustainability
      • Water Sports
      • Winter Sports
      • Women’s Sports
    • INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Bowling
      • Cycling
      • Football
      • Golf
      • Gymnastics
      • Hockey
      • Lacrosse
      • Motorsports
      • Pickleball
      • Rugby
      • Running
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Swimming
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Triathlon
      • Volleyball
      • Wrestling
  • Esports
    • Esports News
    • Esports Guide
    • EsportsTravel Summit
  • Resources
    • Bid Bowl
    • Submission Form
      • About Bid Bowl
    • Destination Spotlight
    • Destination Guides
    • Downloadable Guides
    • Venue Guides
    • Media Kit
      • Media Kit
      • 2023 Editorial Calendar
    • Digital Edition
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe to E-Newsletter
  • EVENTS
    • TEAMS CONFERENCE & EXPO
    • TEAMS Europe
    • EsportsTravel Summit
    • SportsTravel Road Trip
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram


Home > Latest News > Farmers Insurance Open Organizers Give Inside Look at Tournament Preparations

Farmers Insurance Open Organizers Give Inside Look at Tournament Preparations

Health protocols are one of the biggest things to be open and communicative about

Posted On : February 11, 2021 By : Matt Traub
Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm, lower right, walks down with 13th fairway with his caddy, Adam Hayes, on the South Course during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on January 31, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The differences in planning and producing a PGA Tour event, especially in a state with stringent restrictions on fans and on-hand employees, was laid bare during a recent webinar featuring those involved with the recent Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.

Nick Schling, director of operations for the Farmers Insurance Open, said that typically the course buildout begins in October with up to 300,000 square feet of temporary flooring spread throughout the course between food and beverage areas, hospitality suites and sponsor activations. This year, he said, the build did not start at Torrey Pines until New Year’s Eve with only 20,000 square feet of buildout needed: “It looked a lot different out there.”

During the interview, “Navigating the Challenges of COVID & Producing a PGA Tour Event,” Schling said lots of preparation also went into making sure that the event organizers and PGA Tour were squared away with the tour’s testing program that has been in place since tournament play restarted last June, making sure that all health and safety protocols were in line with the expectations from the health department of San Diego County.

“That was a big part of my time this year was COVID compliance,” Schling said. “When I look back on the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open, what I will remember are all the phone calls with doctors, nurses and epidemiologists.”

From the Archives: How the PGA Tour’s Aggressive COVID-19 Testing Has Kept Events Going
The tournament is organized by The Century Club of San Diego, a charitable group established in 1961. Andy Harmatys, senior vice president of tournament affairs and events for The Century Club, emphasized the amount of coordination that had to go on with local and state health authorities at every turn. This year’s tournament, instead of the 300 temporary restrooms on the course, had only 60 — but each one had to be sanitized and disinfected every 60 minutes, so the labor bill for temporary restrooms was about the same this year without fans as it would have been with a packed course.

“We really had to think through every single (volunteer), what role they have at the event and then take (health officials) through, from start to finish, what their day is like and what the physical touchpoints were, then apply the health protocols to those individuals and how the day would go,” Harmatys said. “Not only on the competition days but the pro-am days as well.”

Having to adjust on the fly was also emphasized. Schling said when the initial tournament plan was submitted to San Diego County for approval, the region was allowing 25 percent capacity for indoor dining. By the time mid-December rolled around, the region had been moved to Tier 1 in California, which allowed for only outdoor dining; shortly before the tournament was about to take place nearly the entire state was under a stay-at-home order with no outdoor or indoor dining allowed. Because of the shifting tiers that the region was under, Schling said tournament organizers communicated with the county that they would not be doing any dining operations but there would be a food consumption tent for the tournament volunteers to take the lunch breaks they were entitled to take.

Harmatys said the entire tournament plan sent to the county health department was around 75–80 pages long and that after a thorough review, only one sticking point remained — but that it almost sank the entire tournament: Whether or not caddies would be required to wear masks when walking the course, which the health department wanted but the PGA Tour was opposed to.

“The conversation we had with the county was, ‘let’s take you through what it’s like to be a professional caddie,’” Harmatys said. “Could you do this? Basically, we said ‘hey, can you walk 4.5 miles with a 55-60 pound bag on undulating property for 5 ½ hours?’ The response was ‘No.’ So they didn’t have to wear masks. We had to take it down to that level of detail.”

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email
Posted in: Coronavirus, Golf, Latest News, Olympic Sports, Professional Sports, Sports OrganizationsTagged : Golf,PGA Tour,San Diego,San Diego Sports Commission,San Diego Tourism Authority

Post navigation

USA Hockey Selects Texas for 2021 IIHF U-18 World Championship
Report: Tennis Participation Up 22 Percent in 2020

Follow us on Twitter

SportsTravel Follow

Breaking News, Podcasts and Analysis Serving People who Organize, Manage and Host Sports Events. Producers of the TEAMS Conference & Expo.

SportsTravel
sportstravel SportsTravel @sportstravel ·
27 Jan

.@USFigureSkating will hold its 2024 national championships at Nationwide Arena in @ColumbusSports, the first time the U.S. Figure Skating Championship event will be held in the Ohio destination. https://wp.me/paJznw-dq6

Reply on Twitter 1619083202827796480 Retweet on Twitter 1619083202827796480 Like on Twitter 1619083202827796480 2 Twitter 1619083202827796480
sportstravel SportsTravel @sportstravel ·
27 Jan

The U.S. will host the 2024 @CopaAmerica, the traditional South American tournament involving 10 @CONMEBOL national men’s teams, which in 2024 will include six @Concacaf teams as part of a partnership between the confederations of North and South America.
https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/u-s-to-host-expanded-2024-copa-america/

Reply on Twitter 1619064407061065728 Retweet on Twitter 1619064407061065728 Like on Twitter 1619064407061065728 Twitter 1619064407061065728
sportstravel SportsTravel @sportstravel ·
27 Jan

The 2023 @GCACSports Outdoor Track and Field Championship will be held in Shreveport, Louisiana, and hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. This year’s competition takes place at Lee Hedges Stadium April 14–15.
https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/shreveport-louisiana-to-host-2023-gcac-outdoor-track-and-field-championship/

Reply on Twitter 1619041470367019008 Retweet on Twitter 1619041470367019008 5 Like on Twitter 1619041470367019008 6 Twitter 1619041470367019008
sportstravel SportsTravel @sportstravel ·
27 Jan

The @NJCAA has announced the 2023 and 2024 NJCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Soccer Championships will be held at the @StrykerSports in @VisitWichita.
https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/wichita-to-host-njcaa-soccer-championships-in-2023-and-2024/

Reply on Twitter 1619030817115869184 Retweet on Twitter 1619030817115869184 1 Like on Twitter 1619030817115869184 2 Twitter 1619030817115869184
Load More

sportstravel

There's so much to discover at the new Virginia Be There's so much to discover at the new Virginia Beach Sports Center! 285,000 square feet of convertible space can accommodate 12 basketball courts, 24 volleyball courts, nine field hockey courts, and a 200-meter hydraulically banked track—and it can hold up to 5,000 spectators to watch the action.
SportsTravel is on location in Philadelphia for th SportsTravel is on location in Philadelphia for the @unitedsoccercoaches Convention that starts tomorrow and lasts throughout the week. We’re looking forward to the next few days of connecting with friends old and new on location.
CES 2023 is going strong in Las Vegas. CES 2023 is going strong in Las Vegas.
Virginia Beach may be famous for its gorgeous outd Virginia Beach may be famous for its gorgeous outdoor spaces, but the city’s newest sports facility makes it a pleasure to be indoors. The @vbsportscenter is your premier sports facility in Virginia Beach, offering high-quality basketball, volleyball, field hockey, track & field facilities, and plenty of room for your team to shine. Find out more at https://vbsportscenter.com
Michigan won’t go away. What an instant classic. Michigan won’t go away. What an instant classic.
The TCU faithful have had a lot to cheer about in The TCU faithful have had a lot to cheer about in the first half.
The College Football Playoff kicks off with the fi The College Football Playoff kicks off with the first semifinal between TCU and Michigan at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
Some sights and sounds from the Rivalry Series gam Some sights and sounds from the Rivalry Series game between Team USA and Team Canada on December 15.
Hilary Knight tied the game for Team USA in the th Hilary Knight tied the game for Team USA in the third period of a Rivalry Series game with Team Canada on December 15.
Michelle Lupo, the business development manager fo Michelle Lupo, the business development manager for the @northstarmeets Sports Division, moderated a session today at the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism, featuring Kara Bachman from the Chicago Sports Commission, Curtis Francois from World Wide Technology Raceway and John Groh from the Rockford Area CVB. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about sports-related travel!

@chisportscomm @wwtraceway @gorockford #travel #tourism #sportstravel #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness
The Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok kicks off wi The Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok kicks off with a 2 a.m. start Sunday to give runners the best conditions possible across the city. The Expo is taking place at Royal Paragon Hall, where runners can pick up their bibs and prepare for the race.

#marathon #running #sportsevents #sportstourism #sportstravel @tourismthailand
Thank you to @worldathletics and Mass Participatio Thank you to @worldathletics and Mass Participation World for the chance for SportsTravel Executive Editor and Publisher Jason Gewirtz to present the latest data on sports-related travel to delegates at the World Athletics Global Running Conference in Bangkok. Friday’s schedule also included remarks from the prime minister of Thailand and the country’s sports and tourism minister, who emphasized the importance of sports events to the nation’s economy and quality of life.

#athletics #thailand #bangkok #running #sportstravel #sportstourim @tourismthailand
Love high speed sports? We are at the @ibsfsliding Love high speed sports? We are at the @ibsfsliding World Cup event in Park City at @utaholympicpark this weekend. Friday morning’s action was the women’s monobob event, won by American Kaillie Humphries. Scroll through to see the #bobsled in action at full speed, then slow motion, and hear from Humphries after her win.
SportsTravel is in Bangkok, Thailand, this week mo SportsTravel is in Bangkok, Thailand, this week moderating sessions and presenting on sports-related travel at the @worldathletics Global Running Conference, including an opening day session on government relations in sports events featuring @sport_singapore, Portas Consulting, @laliga and @houstonsports_janis from the @hc_hsa who appeared virtually from Doha where she is attending the World Cup.
#sportstourism #sportstravel #mpw22 #wagrc
Winner buys dinner! When you bring your sports eve Winner buys dinner! When you bring your sports event to World Equestrian Center – Ocala, you can refuel with something heavenly from seven different on-site restaurants. From pub burgers and #taco salads to fine dining, WEC has a #winning option for everyone.
Twickenham Stadium in London is the largest rugby Twickenham Stadium in London is the largest rugby union stadium in the world, seating 82,000. The home of England Rugby, it is owned and operated by the Rugby Football Union and hosts events year round. 

#rugby #rugbyunion #twickenham @twickenhamstadium
Black in a sea of orange: the courage of the oppos Black in a sea of orange: the courage of the opposing fans.

@raiders @broncos @nfl #fans #raiderfans #broncofans @empowerfieldatmilehigh
One of the NFL’s best traditions is the @broncos One of the NFL’s best traditions is the @broncosthunderstorm skydivers who jump into Empower Field at Mile High before every @broncos game.
Beer and alcohol sales may be banned at the World Beer and alcohol sales may be banned at the World Cup, but in the @nfl, there are more than enough in-stadium options, including the many available at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the @broncos. 

#worldcup #2022worldcup #broncos #beer #drinks #sportsevents
Stay in comfort and style during your next sports Stay in comfort and style during your next sports event at World Equestrian Center – Ocala’s luxury hotel, three-bedroom rental units or full-service #rvpark. Restore your aching body with treatments at Calluna #spa or enjoy dining and shopping at the facility’s impressive restaurants and performance retailers.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Columbus to Host 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
  • U.S. to Host Expanded 2024 Copa America
  • BLAST Premier Returning to U.S. for the First Time Since 2019
  • Shreveport to Host 2023 GCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship
  • Wichita to Host NJCAA Soccer Championships in 2023 and 2024
  • IOC Seeks Pathway for Russians to Compete at Paris Olympics; Ukraine Threatens Boycott
  • Canton, Ohio, and Detroit to Host USFL Franchises in 2023
  • Athletes Unlimited Softball Events Heading to Rosemont, Illinois
Sports Travel Magazine

About Us

Since 1997, SportsTravel magazine has served the sports‐related travel and event industry. It is the only publication written and designed to serve the people who organize, manage and host sporting events of all types at all levels.

  • Subscribe to E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • SportsTravel Foundation
  • Supplied Content
  • Privacy
  • Terms

NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA SITES

  • Northstar Meetings Group
  • Meetings & Conventions
  • Meetings & Conventions Asia
  • Meetings & Conventions China
  • Successful Meetings
  • Incentive
  • Meeting News
  • Retail Travel
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • See All Northstar Brands

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Sports ETA

Destinations International
Northstar Travel Media LLC Copyright © 2023 by Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000
scroll to top