So when I found out that Tulsa's Southern Hills would be hosting the 89th PGA Championship just over a year later, I hoped to be able to attend and not just for the opportunity to see Tiger Woods. I wanted to see how Tulsa handled the "production" and compare it to my experience at Oak Tree.
With the disclaimer that I spent only the final day at Southern Hills compared to seven at Oak Tree, here is how I grade the two from a fan perspective:
Organization
Both tournaments were coordinated by the PGA of America, so not a lot of differences should exist in the overall organization of the event. From the look of grounds to the methodology of crowd movement around the course, they were carbon copies. After all, the PGA has done this several times before.I found friendly and competent volunteers and staff at Oak Tree as well as at Southern Hills, but the latter had a more difficult job because of the much larger turnout. Nevertheless, with very few exceptions, both went off in quite an organized fashion.
Edge: Even
Security
Each day at Oak Tree I was asked if I had a cell phone, camera or any other item not allowed. I politely replied that I did not and went on my way. At Southern Hills, I was asked to empty my pockets into a tray as if boarding an airplane. Combined with a visible presence of the Tulsa Police Department, security seemed far more strict at the PGA.But I'm not sure it was as effective. On the 18th green as Tiger Woods prepared for his tournament-winning putt, cell phones and cameras emerged from many a spectator around me. Of course, with the increased interest in the PGA over the Senior event, it's not altogether surprising that people would find a way to sneak in these devices. But it wasn't something I saw at Oak Tree.
Edge: Oak Tree
Crowd Support
When comparing the two, notice that I have to continually take into account that the PGA was far more of a headline event. Though I don't have the exact figures, it was obvious that Southern Hills accommodated at least three times as many people as Oak Tree did in 2006.I found the crowd at Oak Tree to be extremely polite, interested, knowledgeable and dedicated. Those at Southern Hills tended to fall a bit short in some of those categories. That said, thousands and thousands of people braved treacherous temperatures, baking in the sun just for a glimpse of an actual putt by one of the leaders, something they wouldn't see often. And when Woods won, the Tulsa crowd was loud and appreciative.
Edge: Southern Hills
The Courses
Both drew rave reviews from the players. The intricate greens and slimmish fairways of Southern Hills made for a challenging PGA that rewarded precision in many cases. Oak Tree's water, plentiful trees and often steep terrain created perhaps an even tougher task, not to mention how windy it was at times during the Senior PGA.But I'm not a golfer, and even if I was, it's unlikely I'd ever play either of these courses. So I instead looked at it from a fan's perspective. With that in mind, I found Oak Tree to be the more interesting course. The wide variety of holes, large amount of water holes and almost brutal, at times, difficulty was more intriguing as a viewer.
Edge: Oak Tree
Conveniences
Once again, there were a number of similarities by both PGA productions. Despite being portable restrooms, the facilities were, for the most part, clean from what I experienced. One would think with the greater number of people, Southern Hills would see diminished success in that category. But maybe it was the heat dehydrating everyone to the point that the services weren't needed because I didn't see a major difference.Foods, beverages and treats were largely the same at both, and stands were well-situated conveniently throughout the courses. The slight edge here goes to Oak Tree in my humble opinion because of the fact that the gift shop, club, etc. were more centrally located. At Southern Hills, you had to brave the 45 degree incline each time you returned to the Wanamaker club area.
Edge: Oak Tree
Parking and Buses
So many more people equals such a more difficult job. And while I certainly was not happy to wait 45 minutes after the PGA trophy celebration to get out of Southern Hills, I was impressed at how smoothly the line moved and how quickly volunteers had people on and off the many buses. This, combined with the fact that Southern Hills had easily accessible, paved parking at ORU while Oak Tree had to utilize dirt-covered fields and gravel roads, gives Tulsa the big edge as far as I'm concerned.My only one complaint with Southern Hills came at the very end as many thousands waited to leave the club following the trophy presentation. Herded into a gigantic, unorganized mass of sweaty people, we stalled at the gates. Despite at least four or five areas of exit, personnel forced the mass of people through a single small area in one of the more ridiculous displays of lack-of-forethought I've seen in a while. "Someone should write an article about this," an irritated woman said beside me in the heat. Ma'am, I'm happy to oblige.
Edge: Southern Hills
