Inside the Ropes • Scottsdale & beyond
In 1987 I was managing the Golf Division in the Leisure Dept at Ask Mr. Foster Travel, packaging golf trips in and out of the U.S. Scottsdale was about to explode: Tom Weiskopf had the new TPC of Scottsdale coming online—one of Dean Beaman’s “stadium” designs—and the Phoenix Open was moving there from Phoenix Country Club. That was just the start. The early ’90s unleashed a wave of desert gems: Troon North, Grayhawk, The Raven, Legend Trail, and more. We bundled it all—air, car, hotel, tee times—and the phones lit up.
Somewhere in that swirl, while vetting a golf cruise company, I met a producer cutting video for them who was wired into ABC Sports. He tossed me a lifeline I didn’t know I wanted: “You want to spot at events when you can get the time off?” Yes, I did.
The First Gig
My debut was the Dinah Shore LPGA in Palm Springs. Easy drive from Scottsdale, decent day rate (fifty bucks back then), and all-you-could-eat in the TV compound. Show up around 11 for a 1 PM hit, work a few hours, go home with a story.
What a Spotter Actually Does
- Be the booth’s eyes: who’s away, who’s hitting, lie/angle, club if you can catch it.
- Stay a shot ahead: fairway for tee shots, then hustle green-side for approach/putt order.
- Speak only when asked: radio discipline is gospel. One stray comment can end a gig.
Perks? At Mission Hills, a friend knew the starter—$20 cart fee and we could sneak out on the other course around 2 PM and almost finish 18 before dark. Not bad for “work.”
Every Network Is Different
Some crews sent spotters to follow groups. Others kept you stationary on a fairway or green. I preferred moving, but I did my share of fixed-position jobs—ESPN at the Phoenix Open included.
Highlights Reel
- Johnny Walker (Jamaica), Tournament of Champions (La Costa), The Tradition (Desert Mountain), Riviera / Nissan Open, Desert Scramble ’88, Tiger’s early invitationals.
- Majors: The Masters (Augusta ’92, ’93) with Frank Chirkinian, Chuck Will, and Lance Barrow; The Open (Muirfield ’92); PGA Championship (St. Louis ’92, Nick Price win).
- Final lap: U.S. Open (Pebble Beach, 2010) — my spotter retirement.
Gratitude Roll
Right place, right time, and the right people: Jack Graham, Margaret Schaefer, Bob Rosburg, Mark Loomis, Terry Jastrow—and a bunch more who made room for an 8-handicap golf nut who could keep a clipboard and a radio straight.
This is the origin story. The rest—the near-misses, the live-TV scrambles, and the “did that really just happen?” moments—are coming in Inside the Ropes.
