Standard Bearers

Important Tournament Information

For our group, there are no standard bearers for the Monday pro-ams this year. Badges can be picked up at the volunteer breakfast or before your first shift on Wednesday.

Volunteer Breakfast

The volunteer breakfast will be on Saturday, March 2. Breakfast starts at 7:45am. Please follow signs for parking in lot 7 and the event takes place alomng the number 9 fairway.

Each Volunteer Committee will have a Chairman located at a colored table inside the volunteer breakfast tent. Ours is YELLOW

Parking Information -- NEW

You will be required to display your volunteer hang tag and wear uniform AND/OR your ID badge to ride the volunteer shuttle. You will receive your hang tag when you pick up your uniform package. An alternative is you can park at Universal showing your badge for free entry, but you will be dropped off by 18 tee box on that shuttle.

Volunteer Shuttle Schedule

Wednesday, March 6 5:30 am – 8:30 pm (Onsite - Parking lot 10)
Thursday, March 7 5:30 am – till 1 hour after conclusion of play (Hyatt Grand Cypress)
Friday, March 8 5:30 am – till 1 hour after conclusion of play (Hyatt Grand Cypress)
Saturday, March 9 5:30 am – till 1 hour after conclusion of play (Hyatt Grand Cypress)
Sunday, March 10 5:30 am – till 1 hour after conclusion of play (Hyatt Grand Cypress)

Plan to be in the parking lot:

1. At least 1 hour prior to tee time if not intending to eat before your tee time
2. At least 1 ½ hour if intending to eat/have coffee before tee time

The bus ride is ~30 minutes without traffic and the bus may not leave until the bus is full.

WARDROBE

All Uniforms must be picked up at the PGA Tour Superstore(click for map and directions).

Tournament Dress Code: All volunteers are required to wear the official volunteer uniform (volunteer shirt with khaki pants). Men are required to wear long pants. Ladies may wear knee-length shorts/skirt during scheduled working hours.

Men, please tuck in your shirts.

Wear comfortable shoes.

Morning walkers should wear solid, not mesh, footwear as dew can make for wet feet which cause blisters. Softspike golf shoes are allowed. Shoes with good traction on the soles are recommended over slick soles. All shoes must have capped toes.

Previous year API MasterCard sponsored tournament clothing is allowed so long as the Mastercard logo matches the current.

Jackets/Sweaters with no logo are allowed

Jackets with other sponsors logos taped over are allowed in bad weather but discouraged.

Rain gear is allowed and ponchos are provided by the API but often run out early in the day. Having your own poncho may be a good idea.

The API Board does not want other sponsors logos on or over your volunteer clothes. It is unfair to MasterCard who is paying the bills for the tournament.

FOOD

Breakfast is 6 - 10 AM Coffee, Donuts, Bagels/Cream Cheese, bananas and OJ

You will be provided with a voucher for a boxed lunch each day that you are scheduled to be picked up in the main volunteer tent. Here is the lunch menu schedule:

• Wednesday: - Honey Baked Ham - ham/cheese sandwich
• Thursday: - Publix - ultimate sub
• Friday: - Chick Fil A - chicken wrap
• Saturday: - Bagel King - oven roasted turkey/cheese sandwich
• Sunday: - Bagel King - corned beef/cheese sandwich

Box lunches will include: sandwich of the day, chips, whole fruit, packaged dessert, condiments, wrapped salt, pepper, napkin and silverware. (All items subject to change)

Volunteers with special dietary needs are instructed to bring breakfast and lunch food for themselves.

If you do not desire to eat the API food, you can bring your own or purchase other items from the concession stand.

On Course Food and Beverage

• You are allowed to take your own snacks while you walk.
• You are allowed to take water from the coolers at the tee boxes
• Please allow the players/caddies to take their drinks first.

Please do not open food wrappers when the noise would affect the players. Walking off the tee and between the green and next tee are good times to eat or drink.

Please do not sacrifice proper carrying of the standard for eating or drinking; if needed, stop and put the standard down to open/consume food/water.

Restrooms During your walk

There are porta potties inside the ropes for the players. You may use those. Please allow the players or caddies to use first. Use caution to open and close doors quietly.

Between 9/10 or 18/1 use the restroom behind the starters house. You may need to get the key from the lead volunteer at the practice range. The doors may be unlocked as this is a controlled and restricted area from the public.

Please refer to the volunteer newsletter for all other tournament information!

Standard Bearer Positioning

Tee Box – Stand behind the caddies or next to the caddies on the right side of the tee. That may be reversed for left-handed golfers.

Fairway – Walk in the fairway on the side where the patrons/public are walking.
Holes 1,2,3,6,8,9,10,15,16 walk on right side. 4,5,7,11,12,13,14,17,18, left side.
In the fairway; stand abeam to the player hitting, outside the caddy.  If the caddy is between you and the golfer, you cannot be faulted for your position.
If the rope, trees etc do not let you stand by the caddy, stand at the players back approx. 10 or more yards away.
If we used a clock for a reference, the green is 12 o’clock and your best place to stand is at the 3 o’clock position to the player. The next best place is at the 9 o’clock position. Do not stand in the 4-7 o’clock position as most players find that distracting.
(You need to be spring loaded to move forward to each player until all have hit. If you cannot make it to the recommended position stay where you are and the player or caddy will move you to where they want you)
Do not always follow the walking scorer as they do not usually get close to the player or have a sign that distracts the player. They also do not follow a route that is proper to show the paying public the players name or score – particularly on hole 6 where you need to stay on the right side where people are and not cut the corner of the lake.

On 9th Fairway - Stay on the right side of the fairway until about 50 yards from the green and then walk to the left side of the fairway. People in the tents can see the large scoreboard on the left side of 9 green.The API board has told us to favor the right side of 9 fairway, to give the corporate tents preference to names and scores of players.

Green - Your goal is to make it to the rear of the green at the opening of the pathway to the next tee before the players start to line up their putts.
Do not walk on any green. Walk outside the fringe or around the bunkers in the rough.
If a player is in a greenside bunker, position yourself as if in the fairway or get to the back of the green if you can. Many players will walk from the bunker to the flag before playing which gives you time to get to the back of the green.
Each green at Bay Hill has two poles at the rear/side of the green with the green number in a circle at the top. This marks the exit lane to the next tee. 1,2,3,6,8,10,15,16 exits are on the right side of the green. 4,5,7,9,11,12,13,14,17,18 are on the left or center of the green.
If your position at the back of the green places you in the direct line of a players putt ( either from the front or rear) move to a position off that line ( I recommend you move 20 or 30 feet left or right and blend into the crowd and take the standard out of the holster and put the pole on the ground) If the player wants to move you he will tell you where he wants you to stand. If patron ask you to kneel, I do it out of courtesy or go behind them where I can see. If I can’t see the scorer will give me the result for each player.

It is advised when you unholster your standard to set it on your shoe. The bottom of the poles are hollow and it is possible you will collect dirt or mud that will then get all over your pants when re-holstering the standard.

The standard is not a sack of potatoes or a picnic basket, please do not carry it as such. It should be upright where the gallery can see and read it while walking.

Changing Numbers

The best technique is to keep score in your head(or keep a scorecard) and confirm with the walking scorer each players score( score under or over par or confirm the player had birdie, par or bogey etc) and then change the numbers as you walk to the next tee. (Nothing requires you to be on the next tee until all players have hit) If you finish changing numbers and see players still teeing off – stay in place until all are done teeing off and then walk to the tee and proceed down the next fairway.

Some people can keep score and change numbers as the player putts out. The key here is to change numbers without making noise that distracts the players and brings attention to you. Remember there are two numbers to change on the standard and when players are in double digits there may be 4 numbers to change. Even if you use this technique, you must confirm the changes with the walking scorer.

If a player or caddy tells you the score is wrong on the sign, tell them you will change it. Consult with walking scorer for the correct score. If it is in the pro am, which is a team score, change it to make the team happy and avoid the aggravation. Normally the caddy(pro-am only) has the correct team score and the card he turns in determines the recorded score for the pro am.

Standard Bearer Roles

Walking Standard Bearer – You are scheduled with a tee time for that day of the API tournament. The schedule will have your name, tee (1 or 10) and tee time. You are expected to be on the tee box 10 minutes before the tee time. The carry time for an API round is 4-5 hours.

Alternate Standard Bearer – This is listed on the schedule as Alternates. You are there in the case that a scheduled Standard Bearer cannot make their time. I schedule 5-6 people for this duty and I schedule them to arrive at the volunteer tent 30 minutes before the first tee time and remain until all afternoon scheduled standard bearers arrive for their shift. Length of duty is 6-7 hours.

Cross-Over Volunteer – This a courtesy position that provides the walking standard bearer a break after 9 holes of walking. You will be stationed on the 9th green or the 18th green. You will be able to bring a chair that conforms to tournament policies and you will get to switch off with another cross-over volunteer for lunch and bathroom breaks.

General Information 

Credentials: Wednesday you are allowed onto the bus without a name tag as long as you are in uniform and it is your first shift.

To be allowed into the volunteer tent you must be in uniform with a badge.