The Shriners have long been an organization that helps the community. Tirelessly, they are looking for new and better ways to improve the areas in which they work. This year the Shriners of Las Vegas were given the opportunity to run the Frys.com Open. This is a massive undertaking for any organization.
Running a golf tournament is no easy task, especially in a city like Las Vegas. The Shriners will need to make sure everything is running smoothly to ensure a successful event. Part of this is having enough volunteers to run the golf tournament. Volunteers are needed to control crowds, pick-up trash, help with scoring and gather statistics on the players in the tournament.
The Shriners will have the daunting task of attracting more spectators to this year's tournament. This is important to the success of this tournament. This year, with the FedEx Cup already decided, it might be harder than ever to attract a star-studded field and the crowds that go with it.
Gary Davis, Executive Director, says they are looking forward to the challenges ahead. Gary says, " We are not just running a golf tournament but we want to make it into a Las Vegas event." In order to accomplish this several new plans have been implemented for this year.
"The Hill" will be the focal point for the finishing holes. Last week construction was started on a 10,000 pavilion that will be a great area to watch these most dramatic holes on the golf course. The pavilion will include places to eat and drink and will be open to the public.
This year the tournament wants to be very family friendly. They want everyone to have a great time as soon as they are on the grounds of the golf course. The Shriners are working very closely with the PGA Tour Wives Association in an effort to get more players to consider Las Vegas on their schedule. By enticing the wives to come, the tournament hopes to attract a more diverse field than in recent years.
The tournament is helping to benefit the Shriners Children Burn Units here in Las Vegas and around the country. These burn units treat children, free of charge, who have suffered the effects of many types of injuries. The various fundraising activities of this organization has long included a circus and will now include a tournament on the PGA Tour.
Gary Davis is not just looking at this year's tournament but also at the future. He believes this tournament will become a player and fan favorite in the near future. He would like to see this event attract more celebrities and hopefully rival some events that are held in California. This would be a well-needed boost to a city that has seen slacking crowds at this golf tournament.
