North 72nd street around Lake Cunningham is a quiet place. Side streets and wooded areas nearby don’t see much traffic other than that of the locals. The typically quiet neighborhoods surrounding Omaha Country Club are a little louder these days, however.
Aside from local travelers, maybe some deer and turkey, and folks headed off toward the interstate, not much can be seen near these roads north of the newer business district around Immanuel Hospital. Today, however, a new electronic sign appeared, warning folks of “upcoming event traffic 7-8 through 7-14.” Still, there’s not much to see (yet), but turn off 72nd onto any number of side roads that enter the area around OCC, and you’ll notice a bustling work site- not just a peaceful, secluded, upper-middle class golf club and neighborhood.
What seems like hundreds of cars, trailers, trucks, rental vans and more line the boundaries of the course. Through holes in the trees lining the course’s entrance, one can see hoards of workers preparing the grounds for the thousands of visitors the club expects for the upcoming 2013 U.S. Senior Open.
Upon a stroll through the neighborhoods or around the golf course, one can see giant grandstands, areas where leaderboards will appear, and pathways for participants to use during play. Around the clubhouse and western edge of the grounds, workers set up hospitality areas and prepare for the equipment trucks, local vendors, and more. Things are coming together. The picture you’ve got of OCC in your mind is far from what you’ll see starting next week.
The event ramps up one week from today with practice rounds and the competition gets under way on Thursday, July 11. As the course is nearly ready and the contest is just under a week away from kicking off, most everything is a go. Pairings are one of the only things unavailable at this point, but if there are any questions or information you have, the U.S. Senior Open Web site probably has answers for you.
The spectator information tab located at the top of the page includes the following sub-menus that should contain any and all information you need:
- ADMISSION GATES AND WILL CALL TICKET INFORMATION
- ATM/CASH MACHINE
- CAMERA POLICY
- DISABLED SPECTATORS
- JUNIOR TICKETS
- MERCHANDISE PAVILION AND SHOP
- RESTROOM FACILITIES
- FIRST AID STATION
- SECURITY
- SPECTATOR PROGRAM/PAIRING SHEETS
- SPECTATOR PARKING
- FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE
- GRANDSTANDS
- AUTOGRAPH POLICY
- ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
- TELEVISION SCHEDULE
If you are attending the event, you’ll want to make sure to take a peek at the above information on the Senior Open Web site. If you are planning on watching on television, ESPN2 has the coverage Thursday and Friday, NBC gets the event on the weekend.
Need tickets to the event? Click here for more information about attending the event. A limited number of daily tickets are still on sale- other packages are sold out, so check for availability now.
