Shuttles for large golf events back in full swing

Large sports events almost always count on shuttle buses to help the event run smoothly. Large golf tournaments, for example, are back in full swing, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the locale for last week’s PGA Championship.

UMA member Village Travel, of Tulsa, provided shuttle bus service for the 104th PGA Championship golf tournament at Southern Hills Country Club.

Village Travel provided roughly 60 of the 110 buses contracted for the event. Buses shuttled 45,000 to 50,000 fans and volunteers to and from the golf course from various points around Tulsa.

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Village Tours also operated shuttles from the Cityplex Towers in Tulsa to and from the golf course for volunteers who worked at the event.

Up to the challenge

“Our buses ran shuttles from 3:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. They were long days, but it was extremely fulfilling to be part of such a huge local event,” said Kerry Baker, assistant general manager of transport at Village Travel.

Events this big are not without logistical challenges. “The most difficult thing was getting drivers to buses and hotels,” he said.

Also, at the golf course, “the weight of the buses on the roads caused extreme potholes over the week, some so bad they had to lay steel plates across them,” Baker said.

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Village Tours lot in Catoosa, Oklahoma City, ready to go to Tulsa for the daily work.

And there were some high points. “We took the players’ wives to meet and dine with ‘Pioneer Woman’ celebrity chef Ree Drummond in Pawhuska,” he said.

“We are proud to be a big part of the golf events in Oklahoma and the Midwest,” he said. “We also provided service for the KitchenAid Senior PGA tournament last year here as well as the Ryder Cup in 2021 in Wisconsin.”

The Championship Course at Southern Hills Country Club is one of the top 100 golf courses in the world. Opened in 1936, it has hosted the PGA Championship five times (1970, 1982, 1994, 2007, 2022).

Related:

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