Inside the massive setup for PGA Championship at Aronimink
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Organizers have spent more than two years planning every aspect of the PGA Championship coming to Aronimink Golf Club. Now, they're lining up the final putt.
Why it matters: Next month's tournament aims to offer something for everyone — from die-hard golf fans to casual spectators (and kids 15 and under who get in free with a ticketed adult). More than 200,000 fans are expected to attend.
The big picture: That means preparing for constant movement across the Newtown course — from fairways to merchandise shops and sponsor activations.
- Organizers have altered the course to make it more challenging for mammoth-swinging pros who can drive the ball great distances, laid out gravel and built infrastructure, and they're bringing in decorators to ensure hospitality tents and pop-ups glisten for visitors.
- And by tents, we're not talking about a couple of poles and a canvas. We're talking fully carpeted structures, some with glass walls, that require 100-plus construction workers to assemble.
- About 3,200 volunteers will help staff the tourney.
The goal was to make the PGA Championship, which runs May 11-17, a "must-attend event," championship director Jackie Endsley tells Axios.
The intrigue: Hosting a successful major largely comes down to how easily spectators can follow the action — and Aronimink's layout is built for it.
- "It's a beautiful piece of property," said PGA Championship operations manager Tyler Curtis as he showcased unobstructed sight lines on a tour of the grounds Thursday. "There's not a bad seat in the house out here."
Take the clearing between the ninth and 18th holes, near one of several grandstands that will fill in quickly on a first-come, first-served basis.
- "You can kind of see off in the distance the 11th green, 15th fairway," he said about the prime vantage point. "Eight and 10 share the same green."
What to expect: To accommodate the crowds, the PGA has added four double-decker tents and nine grandstands.
- They're scattered throughout the course — especially the final two holes, where fans will gather late if the leaderboard is tight.
- The PGA Shop, across from the 18th hole, will serve as a central hub — a 50,000-square-foot store with about 20 merchandise vendors inside, Curtis said.
- It will be surrounded by a massive leaderboard, markets and pop-up activations, including spots to get wine and beer.
While much of the heavy lifting is done, Curtis says, they'll be making last-minute changes days before the championship starts.
- "I know there's always some tweaks that need to happen."
If you go: Corporate hospitality and Championship+ grounds tickets are sold out, but you can still score tix to the practice rounds (or find them on secondary markets).