How Muirfield Village keeps its golf course tournament-ready

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- "This isn't a job. This is a lifestyle."

Chad Mark's thoughts about a career in golf course maintenance are manifested during the week of the Memorial Tournament, the annual national showcase for Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin. 

Mark serves as the Director of Grounds at the Club, which means he's in charge of keeping the course as well-manicured and picturesque as possible. That elite standard, set by founder Jack Nicklaus, requires brutally long hours and meticulous planning. 

Golf is a sport for early risers. The first tee times at the Memorial Tournament send players off at 7:50 a.m. But hours before that, the course was already flooded with people in a different competition. 

At 4:30 a.m., many of the 50 full-time employees of the club's maintenance team, along with 40 volunteers and interns, gather at the facilities management office off Dublin Road (near the 6th tee).

"We were here last night until about 9:30 p.m., so it's a pretty short turnaround to get up and go again, but it's part of it," maintenance team member Ed Cole said.

He and the team gather in their meeting room, fueled by Buckeye Donuts and gallons of fully caffeinated coffee.

"We've got that adrenaline running. We've done 10 weeks of pretty hard grinding," Cole said. 

As Mark gives his final instructions to the crowded room, several of the team members rub their eyes, hoping to clear the cobwebs after a short night of sleep. 

"Once the lights are on, everybody's ready," said Jacob Walker, an Olentangy High School and OSU grad who is in his fifth year working with the team. He started as a caddie at the club. 

At 5 a.m., the army of carts and mowers rev their engines and set out for points all over the 6 miles of golf course.

"Organized chaos, for sure," Walker said. 

While Walker was a local recruit, many of the team members came from all around the world. Cole is a native of Tasmania in Australia, aiming to grow his resume by serving as an intern through a program at Ohio State. While Cole operates a large, heavy roller to keep the putting surface smooth, many of his teammates are piloting loud mowers around the greens.

"Everyone here wants to be superintendents and assistant superintendents around the world. So it's just a really great atmosphere to get the best out of yourself," Cole said. 

"You don't realize how much is happening in the morning. We do a lot that people don't see, and when they come out here and the sun's up and we're gone, everything is where it needs to be." Walker said. 

The staff has access to a seemingly endless stash of the most modern equipment.

"It's state of the art stuff. I mean, the budgets we have here, I don't even know if they really have a budget, to be honest," Cole said, jokingly. 

As for Mark, his key technology pieces are his eyes and feet. Every day, morning and night, he walks the entire golf course studying for the slightest imperfections.

"But these guys have done such a good job that I'm really pulling hairs to try to find something that they've got to fix." he said. 

By 8 a.m., the staff returns to their office, washing down the equipment and preparing to go back out after play ends in the early evening. Members of the team are always available to address course issues as they arise during the tournament. 

"When you get to such a big event like this, you need to, you know, take a lot of pride. And that's what's going to get us further in our careers, having that eye for detail and really wanting to get the best out of everything we do," Cole said. 

And as the sun rises, painting a purple sky, the staff takes time to appreciate their scenery.

"Sometimes you forget how lucky you are to work here and then you get a glimpse of 18 or catch it at the right moment and you're like, OK, pretty neat," Mark said.