More than 2,400 volunteers at Castle Pines for BMW Championship

CASTLE PINES — While golfers like Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are the stars at the BMW Championship, thousands of volunteers at Castle Pines Golf Club help the show go on.

More than 2,400 volunteers have assisted with various tasks throughout the tournament week. Donning navy blue hats and polos with the BMW Championship logo, these volunteers are seen just about everywhere on the course.

From controlling ropes, holding leaderboard signs and tracking shots, volunteers are presented with a variety of duties. And those duties are a necessity for the tournament.

“Having them come out here and dedicate their time and energy, the volunteers are the lifeblood of the Championship,” said Vince Pellegrino, tournament director at the BMW Championship. “We couldn’t do what we’re doing without the volunteers. It means a lot to us.”

Most of the volunteers at the tournament have something in common ... a love for the game.

Jason Brown, a Colorado Springs resident who works at United Airlines, volunteered with his coworkers at the BMW Championship in 2014, when Cherry Hills Country Club hosted the tournament.

He’s an avid golfer and enjoyed his experience at Cherry Hills, so returning at Castle Pines was a no-brainer.

“We just love to golf, so we come out and enjoy a couple days watching and see what the different holes are like at a course that we’ll probably never get to,” Brown said.

Jeff Ruden, who lives in the Denver area, has primarily volunteered on hole 10, handling Shotlink. Shotlink is a technology that tracks where the ball goes off the tee, allowing patrons to notice which direction it goes.

Ruden golfs often, and the experience of working voluntarily at a PGA tournament has put his own game into perspective.

“Effortless is the keyword,” Ruden said. “As amateurs, we struggle with the swing, and they make it look flawless. Those are always the benefits of watching the pros go about their work.”

Volunteer registration opened over a year ago, and all of the slots filled up within a week.

The BMW Championship is Colorado’s first PGA Tour event since 2014, when Cherry Hills Country Club hosted the same tournament. Castle Pines held The International, a Stableford tournament on the PGA Tour, from 1986-2006.

Needless to say Coloradans have been itching to see professional golf again.

“Having 10 years between the championship, the golf fans of Colorado have missed PGA Tour golf, especially here at Castle Pines,” Pellegrino said. “We had great volunteer support at Cherry Hills, and it’s equally impressive this time around.”

Ralph Shinn, a volunteer who resides in Fort Collins, said, “It just speaks to the volunteerism in Colorado and northern Colorado. It seems to be something that’s very pervasive for the area. It’s such a great tournament. BMW does a great job.”