they walked the famed No. 2 course during a practice round on Wednesday.
For Thursday’ s first round, they picked a spot to watch and as Parpart says,“ We talked to the volunteers,” who urged the two to join their ranks.“ We decided we wanted to do it. We would try it one time. It was too late for us to do 2006 so we said 2007 is going to be at Oakmont, which won’ t be that far away.
“ When you apply, you have to give them three or four choices for committees,” Parpart said.“ Talking to people in Pinehurst, marshal is what everybody wants to do. Usually the USGA gives those spots to [ club ] members and [ volunteers from ] the area. One of my daughters thought we would be interested in the corporate hospitality committee. That’ s what we got, enjoyed it, and we went from there.”
Trying it“ just one time” went out the window quickly. Parpart and Wilkerson volunteered again at Torrey Pines in San Diego in 2008, the site of Tiger Woods’ last major victory.
Wilkerson said two times was enough, and Parpart passed on working at Bethpage Black on New York’ s Long Island in 2009.
Parpart, a VSGA member, still teaches part-time at Douglas Freeman High School in Henrico County. He’ s spent more than 30 years coaching boys basketball and girls tennis at the school.
During the off year in 2009, Parpart bent the ear of Sangston— his longtime friend and activities director at Freeman— about volunteering at the U. S. Open. Sangston, a Jefferson Lakeside Country Club member, was getting ready to retire.
“[ Larry ] said you might enjoy this,” said Sangston, who is a member of the Virginia State High School League Hall of Fame.“ He said next year it’ s going to be at Pebble Beach, and he said you can sign up on the website. I went on and signed us up.”
FAMILY ADVENTURE“ Us” was Sangston and his wife, Ann. Parpart’ s wife Gayle was already signed up, and Parpart pulled some strings to get the Sangstons on the hospitality committee.
The group continued to grow with the addition of Parpart’ s cousin Bill Moore and Moore’ s wife Stevi, who live in Northern Virginia; and Richmonders Charles and Porcilla Saunders. Unlike the others, the Saunders’ volunteer time is through the
The Parparts’ memorabilia room features a number of credentials from past trips to the U. S. Open.
merchandise committee.
Retired Freeman teacher Mary Virginia Manson became the ninth member of the group last year at Oakmont.
“ When we left [ Oakmont last year ], nobody was going to Wisconsin. Then Bill and Jim said,‘ Why don’ t the three of us go?’” Larry Parpart said.“ I got hotel rooms, and we were going to fly. Next thing you know, Ann wanted to go. Stevi, who loves to travel, wanted to go. Gayle still hadn’ t gotten in yet, and the Saunders weren’ t in yet. Then the next thing you know everybody was in [ including Manson ].”
“ Going to Wisconsin is a whole new experience,” Gayle Parpart said.“ None of us has been there.”
As they did for Oakmont in 2016, they have rented a house that has five bedrooms and five bathrooms and is about 50 miles west of Erin Hills, which is located between Madison and Milwaukee. That means they have to get up early, drive to the parking area for volunteers then take the shuttle for volunteers to the course.
The week is a working vacation for the group. They work Monday, Wednesday and Friday( three to four, four-hour shifts per person) and use Tuesday and Thursday to play golf, sightsee or shop. They don’ t work weekends.
Volunteers have to buy the uniforms: $ 150 per person for two shirts, a jacket, a hat and a bottle. The best uniform, Ann said, came from Pebble Beach and included a lined jacket that helped combat the surprising northern California chill.
“ It was as cold at Pebble Beach as I have
CHRIS LANG( GROUP PORTRAIT); ARTHUR UTLEY( CREDENTIALS)
24 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2017 vsga. org