PGA Championship | Major undertaking

IN THIS CORNER will be the strongest field in major championship golf. In the other corner will be the course that many experts consider the toughest in the United States.

“Like a title bout, the best against the best,” Brett Sterba said in looking toward the 2012 PGA Championship, set for the week of Aug. 6-12 at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course.

But from Sterba’s viewpoint as the championship director, there’s more than golf to be considered in the first men’s major tournament in the Palmetto State.

“We want this to be a great experience for everyone,” he said. “We want them to be pleased and proud they attended. We want them to leave with some great memories. That’s our goal.”

To that end, the planning team — headed by Sterba and resort president Roger Warren, the tournament’s general chairman — is focusing on every detail, including the technological possibilities. The apps that will be available for cell phones could move tournament golf far into the future.

“The question we ask ourselves is: What can we do to make everyone’s day better?” Sterba said. “Some of the answers will come in the form of technology. Our staff is working on some things that no one would have considered not too long ago.”

Rather than banning cell phones, the PGA allowed them at the 2011 tournament near Atlanta, and this year’s event will take the plan one step further with apps.

“Need to know where the nearest restroom is or where the closest concession stand is? The app will have the answer,” Sterba said. “What to know where Tiger Woods is or Phil Mickelson is on the course? The app will have the answer. It’s a really exciting innovation.”

Sterba arrived at the Kiawah resort near Charleston in July 2009 to begin his work, and the plans forged by the committee have succeeded. The tournament is a sellout, hospitality opportunities have been purchased and volunteer positions mostly filled. Traffic patterns have been established and a parking area prepared.

The impact will be enormous. Officials project 154 hours of television coverage will be viewed by 673 million households in more than 200 countries. Tickets have been sold to people in 44 states and 10 countries. Analysis by the PGA and College of Charleston predict the event will generate $92 million in direct spending, $26 million in labor income and upwards to $75 million in media exposure.

“I know that as we get nearer to August, the championship’s scope will be realized,” Sterba said. “People will see how big it is, and it’s just not at the local level. About 65 percent of the corporate sales are from South Carolina with 35-38 percent in the Charleston area, so the impact stretches throughout the entire state and beyond.”

With tickets and volunteers taken care of, there is little that the public will notice in the immediate future. But, Sterba said, “We will be busy.”

From the start, the biggest physical challenge has been maximizing the limited space available. For example, the television compound requires seven acres and the merchandizing tents required between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet each. Scoreboards and seating areas must be placed for optimum use.

“We know where those things will be, and we have set the schedule to bring them in,” Sterba said.

The change from the idyllic scene that now greets visitors to the Ocean Course to a mini-city that will accommodate more than 30,000 during tournament week starts in early June. Sterba estimates 10-to-12 tractor-trailer rigs carrying the equipment will arrive daily everyday.

Officials used the 2007 Senior PGA at the Ocean Course for a test run and took steps to facilitate gallery traffic and replace sand in bunkers that led to some plugged lies. They also will incorporate some ideas from the 2011 PGA in Atlanta to keep spectators cool with misting stations and fans.

A huge parking area is in place at the entrance to Kiawah Island and fleet of buses will shuttle fans to the course. The ride will take 15-20 minutes, and officials will use that time to best advantage.

“We will have a captive audience,” Sterba said. “We will have a video welcoming them to the tournament and telling them what to expect. What we expect is that everyone will have a memorable experience.

“The golf should be great with the greatest golfers facing the challenge of the country’s toughest course. But that’s only the start from our perspective. We want fans to really enjoy themselves. That’s our goal.”