Photos courtesy of Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide
After 40-plus years, it’s not often that new homes are built in Muirfield Village, but one being built right now is sure to catch the attention of an enormous number of people.
Granted, there won’t be anyone living there, per se. But the new structure going up just southwest of the Muirfield Village Golf Club pavilion will certainly be home to an army of volunteers every May, starting this year.
Memorial Tournament organizers are in the process of building a brand-new headquarters, designed by architecture firm Moody Nolan, for tournament operations. Volunteers at the 2019 tournament will be among the first people to see it up close.
The 15,000-square-foot building, given the go-ahead by the Dublin Planning & Zoning Commission in November, is situated north of Memorial Drive, about 450 feet northeast of the Kinross Court intersection. It replaces a 4,000-square-foot cart barn that was constructed when the golf course was built in the 1970s.
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In terms of design, tournament officials and Moody Nolan have taken steps to ensure the building’s look is consistent with the rest of Muirfield Village.
Though there was, as of February, no projected timeline for tournament staff’s permanent occupation of the building, construction is expected to be finished by the time the 2019 Memorial Tournament rolls around. This year’s tournament is set for May 27-June 2.
“We expect to have at least partial use of the building during tournament week,” says Dan Sullivan, executive director of the tournament.
The main use of the building during tournament week will be as the volunteer headquarters, and the ground floor is planned to serve this purpose for future tournaments as well.
Outside of tournament time, the ground floor’s primary purpose will be for equipment storage – much needed, Sullivan says, as storage space has been a challenge in recent years.
“Right now, our equipment is spread over five, six or seven places,” he says.
Also located on the ground floor: an instructional area with cutting-edge teaching equipment, which opens up to the practice range via a set of transparent garage doors. A state-of-the-art golf simulator for use by members of the club will anchor this area, including monitors and equipment for monitoring swings. Members will also have the opportunity to learn from the club’s pros there.
“Outside of the tournament week, the members will have use of it,” says Sullivan.
Tournament offices are set to be located on the second floor. Officials expect this part of the building will still need fine-tuning by the time the tournament starts, Sullivan says.
Tournament offices will be moving to the new building from a pavilion that overlooks the course. The promise of a larger, more flexible office space is one of the main reasons for the decision to build a new facility, Sullivan says. It will also be a much better space for meetings with sponsors, volunteers and other important groups, he says.
“We’re excited that it can provide benefits to multiple groups,” he says.
Sullivan is also excited about this year’s tournament roster. Changes to the PGA Tour schedule have created openings in the schedules of some of the world’s top golfers, and that opportunity can only benefit the tournament and its patrons.
“We expect that field to be as strong as it’s ever been,” Sullivan says.
No Mulligans Needed
Street Festival, Benefit Concert and More Highlight Tournament Time Frame
This year’s line-up of Memorial Tournament-adjacent events continues to expand on those of previous years, thanks in large part to the growth of Fore!Fest.
Last year’s inaugural Fore!Fest took place on the Thursday of tournament week, located at – and organized in partnership with – Bridge Park. And just as Bridge Park has grown by leaps and bounds since last spring, so, too, will Fore!Fest take on a larger role this year.
Fore!Fest 2019 will take up three days, running Thursday through Saturday, May 30-June 1. More musical acts, more vendors, more restaurants to partner with and more space to work with will all help turn the free festival into even more of a happening in the hottest new area of Dublin.
That’s on top of the tournament’s longer-tenured community events, which include:
The Legends Luncheon: This major fundraiser, benefiting Nationwide Children’s Hospital, takes place in early May at the Ohio Union on The Ohio State University campus. Attendees at the 2019 luncheon – which highlights the positive effects the tournament’s fundraisers have had on the hospital and its patients, and features the announcement of the Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award – include Memorial Tournament Founder and host Jack Nicklaus; his wife, Barbara; LPGA legend and 2019 Memorial Tournament Honoree Judy Rankin; and former stock car racing driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The IGS Energy Benefit Concert presented by City of Dublin: Supporting the Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nationwide Children’s, this mid-May private concert always brings in a big-name musical performer to raise money for the hospital. This year’s performer is ???, who follows such acts as Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow and Ben Folds.
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The FORE! Miler: Slated for May 23, this annual four-mile road race benefits the alliance between Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It’s followed by a post-race party at the Golden Bear Club.
Garth Bishop is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
