Photos courtesy of the Scioto Country Club
For the Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington, 2016 is a year of anniversaries.
Not only is the club celebrating its 100th anniversary, it’s also marking the 30th year since the U.S. Senior Open was played there. And what better way to celebrate the latter than by bringing the golf tournament back for another go ’round?
From Aug. 8-14, names like John Cook, Fred Couples and Jay Haas will visit central Ohio to compete in the Senior Open, which was last held at Scioto in 1986. And though the pros are the main attraction, the tournament couldn’t operate without its cadre of about 2,000 volunteers, many of them with decades of golf tournament volunteer work under their belts.
“The tournament would not be able to be the venue that it’s going to be without the volunteers,” says Jeff Sopp, vice chairman of gallery services at Scioto and chairman of the board for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. “Volunteers assist in spectator management and spectator enjoyment, and a lot of the volunteers help transport the players and their caddies.”
For certain volunteers, the U.S. Senior Open is another major event to add to the calendar. That’s certainly the case for 78-year-old Robin Obetz, a retired lawyer who was co-chairman of the 1986 Senior Open.
Obetz, a Grandview Heights resident, has a rich, storied passion for golf; his great-uncle was a founding member of the Scioto Country Club. This year, Obetz plans to volunteer at the practice range, understanding the impact volunteers have had on the Senior Open and the country club in general.
“The volunteers are there to make it a pleasant experience for everybody; they have a camaraderie, and they’re doing it for their club,” says Obetz. “You can’t run a golf tournament without volunteers.”
Scioto doesn’t look quite the same as it did in 1986, and the U.S. Senior Open certainly won’t be run the same way it was 30 years ago. Obetz recalls that, at the time, the club had no professional help in organizing the tournament. Nor did its volunteers; they had to market, organize and manage aspects such as parking and tickets themselves. This time, perhaps the only thing that remains the same is the locale.
Winner Dale Douglass and Gary Player shake hands at the 1986 U.S. Senior Open Championship at Scioto Country Club
“It’ll be a showcase. It’s a beautiful location for a tournament of this order,” says Obetz. “Scioto is a perfect place for this.”
The club has undergone two major renovations: first in the 1960s, then in 2008.
As the tournament benefits from being in central Ohio, so, too, does central Ohio benefit from having the 2016 Senior Open.
“As the chairman of the board for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, it’s great to see this event come to Columbus and see all the things it’s going to do for central Ohio,” says Sopp. “Not only from an economic perspective, but from a cultural perspective; being able to look back and see its success.”
“I think, after 30 years, it’s a wonderful experience,” says Obetz. “We’re excited in Columbus to have a major tournament. It’s good for Columbus, it’s good for the golf community and, I think, good for Scioto.”
This year, a major draw of the Senior Open is the talent as well as the location itself. Scioto Country Club is where Jack Nicklaus learned to play, “so that’s also been a draw to bring people to volunteer,” says Sopp.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from the middle-aged and above because of the unbelievable field of professionals that are coming to Scioto,” says Sopp. “There are a lot of people that watched these guys when they were growing up.”
Golf is particularly appealing because of its accessibility to so many age groups, Obetz says. The volunteers alone are evidence of that; many of them are older adults.
“You can play golf and enjoy golf for a lifetime, whereas you can only participate in 99 percent of other sports when you’re younger,” says Obetz.
Obetz’s wife, also named Robin, is a retired Presbyterian minister and lifetime golf fan as well. Mrs. Obetz, who was born in Columbus but grew up in Akron, is involved in organizing the volunteers at this year’s Senior Open.
“There’s so much tradition at Scioto Country Club,” says Sopp. “The Senior Open is going to be one of the best events this year because of the entire leadership of the Championship Committee for the tournament.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
