Volunteers make impact at Forest Hills

H ead golf pros around the country would love to have the kind of membership support that Robby Watson enjoys at Augusta's Forest Hills Golf Club.

Thirteen of his members volunteered their services and worked all three days of last week's Augusta City Amateur.

They worked in scoring, the range, on the scoreboard, pairings, carts and taking water out on the course for the players. All in temperatures of more than 90 degrees.

"Without their help, there's no way this tournament could be successful," Watson said. "They do so much. Basically, all they get is a thank you and a cap."

The volunteers are typical of the 175 golfers who are members at Forest Hills, which is a public course.

"I've got a great membership here," Watson said. "We have people who are willing to do things and make this place better."

All the volunteers are members of the course. Most are retired.

"I like to help the golf course; it's my home course," said Jim Eakle, who has been a volunteer for more than 20 years.

Eakle started as a scoreboard volunteer and is now the starter on No. 1.

Almost all of the 13 volunteers this year at the city amateur also help out during Forest Hills' other two big tournaments - the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational and the club championship.

For most of them, the city amateur is special.

"They love the city amateur; they like to be a part of it," Watson said.

"I want to see the tournament run well, and I hope I can contribute to that," Eakle said.

Eakle, Jack Leone, Paul Long, M.J. Edwards and Beanie Morris have the longest tenure as volunteers.

The others who worked the city amateur this year were Jeff Fountain, Ken Gribek, Todd Mercer, Dick Schultz, Brent Craft, Dave Maney, Joe Campbell and Larry Nichols.

Nichols was in his first year helping out. He worked in the scoring area, checking players' scorecards.

"I'd been on the waiting list for membership for a couple of years, and my name came up," Nichols said. "I love the golf course and the staff. I heard they were having a tournament, and I asked Robby if he needed any help."

Nichols also serves as a volunteer each year at the Masters Tournament.

"I love golf, and I love to play," Nichols said.

"During the city amateur, I got to sit there at the scorers table to meet all of Augusta's primo players. It's a big deal to me."

Another first-year volunteer was Campbell, who handled the computerized scoring and pairing system.

"Somebody who had done it in the past wasn't around this year, and I heard them messing with some ideas about processing the scores through a data base program," Campbell said. "I said, 'I think I can do that.' I went home and put something together and that's what we used."

"They have a tremendous amount of love about this place here," Watson said. "I ask some of them to help me, but I just do it to make sure I ask them, because I know they're going to be here anyway. Not that I'm going to take them for granted."

During the three city amateur tournament rounds, Watson arrived at the course at 6 a.m. each day. His volunteers weren't far behind.

"Paul Long was here at 6:15 one morning, pulling up carts." Watson said. "They do stuff like that."

They are also a patient group, as was the rest of the membership in 2003. They had to give up their course for seven months when it underwent a major renovation.

"They're all excited about the renovation and know it's going to continue to get better and better," Watson said. "They've seen what's happened since we re-opened in November - how much better the golf course is."

"I was always proud of the course, but this (new) course, with a couple of years, is going to be one of the finest courses in this part of the country," Eakle said. "You could probably play some major state event without any problem."

Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.