Community Care Marshaling Guide
Participation objectives
1. Safe practices. Nobody gets hurts. This is a top priority.
2. Provide a community service that exceeds the client’s expectations.
3. Have fun together.
Marshal Abilities
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Follow a golf ball in the air at 200 yards (given the right light)
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Work 6 hours in rain or sun, mostly standing with the occasional use of a stool,
without a formal lunch break. Play continues rain or shine, but stops for
electrical storms and hail
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Walk an 800 m circuit
Marshal Guidelines
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Be efficient, practical, tactful and courteous at all times. Marshals should never
order persons in a gallery to do anything; they should ask them politely. At all
times they should be careful not to appear overly officious
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Do not engage in conversation with players unless the player initiates the
conversation
In the event of trouble, notify the Hole Captain, who will call for outside
assistance. Never attempt to handle a difficult situation or unruly spectators on
your own
Never attempt to give a player a ruling in any form; ask the name carrier to call
for a PGA TOUR official through the radio system
Maintain bunkers should a caddie fail to rake a bunker
Do not to drink alcoholic beverages before and during duty periods
Vocalizing is the best method of controlling large galleries
o “STAND PLEASE” – to stop moving spectators while a player is about to
play. At the time, hold your arms above your head
o “QUIET PLEASE!” – to stop talking or other noise
o FORE! – ON THE RIGHT!” or FORE! – ON THE LEFT” – to warn that a
shot is headed outside the gallery ropes
o “OFF THE FAIRWAY, PLEASE!” – to spectators in crosswalks and to
press and photographers who stray too far from gallery ropes
o “WALK AROUND THE GREEN (or BUNKER), PLEASE!” – to those who may
try to walk on the green or through bunkers
o “DON’T RUN, PLEASE WALK!” – when spectators start to run. A running
gallery is out of control and serious injury can result. Try to stop any
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o
running
BUT – never give directions when a player is in the act of making a stroke
Near Misses
Four marshals were hit by balls in 2015! This can be avoided.
It is important to:
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stay at the perimeter rope,
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signal ball direction at the tee and at the crosswalk, and
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move further up the fairway at the sand traps.
Shifts
Pro-Am days (Wednesday and Thursday)
1) 2 shifts: morning and afternoon
Championship Tournament (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
2) A single shift. Extra assistance at later holes is often appreciated, especially on
Saturday and Sunday.
The first and replacement shifts meet at the Volunteer tent about 15 minutes before
their shift, and then proceed to the tee box. Shift times are announced before the
tournament, but may change due to weather. People at all positions should be swapped
out at the same time.
A full team is made up of 12 people for each shift. The placements on the Pro-Am and
Championship days are slightly different:
Pro-Am Marshaling Positions
Clockwise from the tee, looking down the fairway:
1) Tee entrance gate. This person initiates the rotation.
2) Left side of the crosswalk
3) Near left side in the landing area
4) Far left side in the landing area
5) Left side of the green
6) Right side of the green
7) Far right side in the landing area
8) Near right side in the landing area
9) Right side of the crosswalk
10) Right side of the tee
11) Left side of the tee
12) Hole captain
Championship Marshaling Positions
Clockwise from the tee, looking down the fairway:
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1) Tee entrance gate. This person initiates the rotation.
2) Left side of the crosswalk
3) Near left side in the landing area
4) Far left side in the landing area
5) Left side of the green
6) Right side of the green
7) Right side in the landing area (only one person in this area)
8) Right side of the crosswalk
9) Road right of tee
10) Right side of the tee
11) Left side of the tee
12) Hole captain
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This can be accomplished with a team of 27 people working at least 3 shifts each, with
an emphasis on the Pro-Am days. Team members are encouraged to consider car-pooling
prior to submitting their availability.
Positions and responsibilities
Team:
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Ensure safety of all members and public
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Reduce distractions to golfers
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Hasten play by assisting golfers to find their off-fairway balls, and enable access
to those balls
Rotate with “hand-offs”, with the person managing the rope at the tee moving
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immediately to the left crosswalk, after the drives are completed
Quiet signs should be used to indicate play is in progress at all locations. Some
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golfers or caddies may ask that they not be used, and we should follow their
direction for that group. Leave the QUIET sign, flags and hammer at the
position rather than carrying them with you in the rotation.
For variety and fairness, volunteers should start on different sides of the course
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each shift
In the case of electrical storms, some marshals on hole 3 may be asked to drive
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vans to help evacuate pro golfers
Captain / Co-Captain:
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Overall coordination to meet objectives
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Act as a point of contact between the group and the overall tournament
contacts
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Each morning sign out a radio, 9 QUIET signs, about a dozen marker flags, and a
mallet. This equipment must be returned to the Volunteer Centre each evening.
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Captain: design shifts, recruit team members, and assign duties
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Coach team members
Tee Entrance Gate
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Manage gate, allowing entrance to playing groups, ensuring that all of the group,
including the caddies, markers, and standard bearers are through before closing
the ropes. The gate is closed to non-golfers when there are many spectators
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Suggest Pro-Am caddies leave clubs outside of the rope
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Initiate the marshal`s rotation (see Rotation section for details)
Crosswalk (left and right)
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Reduce the chance of being hit by watching signals at the tee box, tracking the
ball, and ducking behind trees for protection if necessary
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Crosswalks should be opened as frequently as possible without interfering with
the movement of play. Close the gate to traffic when movement may interfere
with play
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Ensure golfers aren’t distracted by movement, sound or people in sight line
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Mark balls that fall outside the roped area by putting a flag about 1 foot from
the ball
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Remove poles or ropes if they interfere with a golfer’s shot. Consider having
the removed pole point to the hole it came from to facilitate pole re-insertion in
the ground; placing a tee or hanky in the hole, or a ball in a coloured balloon
(George’s suggestion). Return the poles and ropes to their original position.
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Left position: duplicate tee box indication of the direction of the flight of the
ball by pointing (not waving) the QUIET sign in the direction of the ball`s flight.
Raising the sign will let the landing people know that the golfers are ready to hit
their balls. These signals are critical to the person(s) on the right side of the
fairway who is otherwise blind to tee shots. Duplicating the signal also aids in
tracking balls.
Landing Area (left and right)
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Reduce the chance of being hit by watching signals at the tee box and crosswalk,
tracking the ball, being further from the fall area, and using trees for
protection if necessary
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Ensure golfers aren’t distracted by movement, sound or people in sight line
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Mark balls that fall outside the roped area by putting a flag about 1 foot from
the ball
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Remove poles or ropes if they interfere with a golfer’s shot. Consider having
the removed pole point to the hole it came from to facilitate pole re-insertion in
the ground; placing a tee or hanky in the hole. Return the poles and ropes to
their original position.
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Right position(s): take a position beyond the last sand trap to avoid being hit,
especially when the pros are playing
Green (left and right)
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Reduce the chance of being hit by standing at the back corners of the green, and
tracking the ball
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Ensure golfers aren’t distracted by movement, sound or people in sight line
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Mark balls that fall outside the roped area by putting a flag about 1 foot from
the ball
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Remove poles or ropes if they interfere with a golfer’s shot. Return them to
their original position
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Left position at green: Manage the gate, allowing playing groups to exit, while
closing the gate to non-golfers when there are many spectators. You may have
to help clear an exit path from the green when there are large crowds
Traffic
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Ensure golfers aren’t distracted by movement or sound from people and vehicles
on the service road adjacent to the tee box.
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Stop traffic on the adjacent road during tee offs. This is standard practice for
golf course maintenance, but other groups, like food services appreciate the
reminder
Tee (left and right)
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Clear the tee box of broken tees, leaves and garbage between groups
Ensure a clear a path to the tee for the players
Ensure golfers aren’t distracted by movement, sound or people in sight line. Be
aware that your shadow may be a distraction in the morning. Consider moving to
a different part of the tee box, and/or putting your sign up early and staying
still until the swing is completed. Do not stand directly behind the players when
they are about to address the ball
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Hold up arms and/or caps before the player makes his stroke. Both marshal
positions indicate the direction of the flight of the ball with QUIET sign
pointed in the direction of flight (not waved): centre if likely to be within ropes;
left or right to show direction if ball is likely to be outside ropes. This is
important for our safety and to assist finding balls
Rotation
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Rotation takes place after every second group, providing team members a variety
of perspectives and some exercise. Supporting the rotation by moving
immediately when scheduled (person at Tee Gate) or when “tagged”, and
returning to the person if replaced, supports fairness among our team
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Pick up daily “pairing schedules” which list the golfing groups. They are used to
identify the position of the golfers in the schedule and trigger rotations. Golfer
names are found on their caddy’s back
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On pro-am days it is convenient to rotate after even numbered groups have
finished at the tee. This may result in a rotation after only one group has
passed, or after 3 groups have passed, depending on the number of groups
playing
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Arrival:
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o
Morning shifts should be ready to leave the Volunteer Centre 15 minutes
before the first tee off (e.g. 7:05 am) at hole #1. They then proceed to
the tee box for a brief meeting, and then proceed to their assigned
positions
o
Later shifts should be beside the tee at the start of their shift, at which
time they will all proceed to their positions to replace the earlier shift.
Do not go directly to your scheduled position
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The rotation is initiated after the golfing group finishes their drives, by the
person managing the gate at the tee (position 1). They replace the person on the
left side of the crosswalk (position2). The rotation continues in a clockwise
direction around the perimeter of the fairway: left crosswalk  left landing(s)
 green 1 green 2 right landing (s) right crosswalk  (street)  tee 1
tee 2 tee gate.
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Leave the QUIET sign, flags and mallet at the position, rather than carrying
them with you in the rotation
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Bring all QUIET signs, flags and the mallet back to the captain at the end of the
day
Tips and requests
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Marshals should wear the shirt/jacket provided, as well as a black bottoms
(pants, shorts or skort for a lady)
Showing up at suggested times saves phone calls and stress. The times may seem
early, but advice and many tournament stories are shared before moving to the
tee
QUIET signs should be used at all locations. Do not wave the QUIET signs other
than to quiet crowds and signal ball direction. Waving the signs at other times
can be distracting to golfers
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Follow unique caddie/golfer directions, for example where to stand, not to use
signs, etc., for that group
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Everyone should be available when large crowds are anticipated (e.g. 11:20-12:00
on Champion days). Try to take washroom and meal breaks outside this time
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Dress for the weather. Waterproof shoes and warm clothing when rain is
forecast. Sunscreen. Hat. Bug repellant (if necessary). Drink lots of water and
stand in the shade when possible during sunny days. You may not notice when you
become dehydrated. Water is provided
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Don’t put valuables in your backpack if there is any chance that you will be
putting it down. Consider having your spouse carry valuables such as keys, wallet,
etc.
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It takes over 30 minutes to go and return for lunch and can be disruptive to the
rotation. Eat before or after your shift. There may be complimentary
breakfast items (fruit, muffins) and free lunches along with complimentary
water, coffee and tea available in the Volunteer Centre. If not, reasonably
priced food ($5-7 per plate) is available for breakfast and throughout the
day. People aren’t supposed to bring food on the course, but granola/power bars
are okay.
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A party with BBQ food will likely be available on Saturday after 3:30. A full
breakfast may be available on Sunday morning
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People following the sequence are appreciated, making it fair for everyone.
Please replace the floater who replaced you when returning to work. Those not
respecting others and the rotation will not be invited back.
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Binoculars may be useful to track balls when in a “landing” position, as well as to
read signage/score boards near the green of hole 3, and the fairway on hole 17
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Complete daily ballots in the Volunteer Centre to be entered in daily draws
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Carpool with team members to increase the pleasure of going to the tournament
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Have fun
What to bring
Although all of the following items may not be required every day, experience has shown
that most will come in handy:
Hat, as issued or western hat
Golf shirt, as issued
Volunteer pass
Parking Pass, if provided
This marshaling guide
Copy of hole 3 marshals’ schedule
Current day’s tee-off schedule
(Pairings available on site)
Back pack or Fanny pack
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Mosquito repellent
Umbrella
Pencil & Paper
Water
Snacks
Rain gear
Small folding chair
Comfortable shoes
Binoculars
Black pants, shorts or skort
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Equipment
The following should be signed out from the Volunteer Centre each morning and
returned at the end of each day:
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A walkie-talkie
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9 QUIET signs (2 at each of tee, crosswalk, landing area and green)
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About a dozen marker flags
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A mallet (2 – one for each side if available)
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