THE
USGA’S
TWOYEAR N
PLAN
PLANNING FOR THE
USGA’S BIGGEST MONEY
MAKER—THE U.S. OPEN—
BEGAN LONG AGO.
AND MECHANICSVILLE
NATIVE CHARLIE HOWE
HAS BEEN RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF IT.
PHOTO CREDIT HERE
by KEN KLAVON
vsga.org
early three years ago, just before the U.S. Open
at Merion Golf Club commenced, Charlie Howe
got the figurative boot by the United States
Golf Association.
It went something like this: Pack your belongings,
and find living arrangements in the Pittsburgh area pronto.
The Mechanicsville native did so, well aware of the endless
challenges that lay ahead. Tabbed as the championship manager
in anticipation of the 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club,
Howe thusly took on demanding 20-hour work days with aplomb.
It’s not atypical for the USGA to send an advance person to a
future U.S. Open at least two years out.
Of all the USGA’s national championships, the U.S. Open is
its crown jewel—bar none. Much of the money generated from
the U.S. Open is derived from the lucrative $1.2 billion, 12-year
deal the USGA signed with FOX in 2013 to be its broadcasting
partner. Besides merchandise sales that reach in the multiple
millions, ancillary non-television advertising monies are
connected to five corporate sponsors: American Express,
Deloitte, IBM, Lexus and Rolex. Former USGA Executive
Director David Fay liked to say the U.S. Open got all the bills paid
for the year. He wasn’t joking, either.
In any case, the beat of this year’s championship is palpable.
“We’re very, very involved outside the ropes because we have to
be,” said John Zimmers, Oakmont’s superintendent since 1999. “My
staff has to be involved on a daily basis because of the deliveries,
underground utilities and how they get things installed. Things
like drains, potable water, and power and gas lines. It’s all part of
the overall setup that people may not think about.”
Howe, sanguine and talkative, said in late March that being
within 100 days of June has brought a sense of urgency.
“It’s obviously a lot of work and preparation. But it’s what goes
on outside the ropes that really help make it a U.S. Open,” said the
32-year-old Howe, who matriculated at Virginia Tech and earned
a master’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University.
One of 15 USGA employees currently on-site, Howe serves as
the USGA’s point person at Oakmont for all outside-the-ropes
matters. It’s not easy. It’s like keeping tabs on a beading spigot
that drips continuously.
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