How to enjoy the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club
By Don Jozwiak Photography by Brian Walters

If your image of professional golfers is a bunch of paunchy guys in Sansabelt slacks, you need to move past late-night Caddyshack reruns and get in touch with the times.

Many of today’s top tour pros are runway-ready, fine-tuned athletes from all around the world. Players such as Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas and Adam Scott are buff gym rats who could turn up in Golf Digest and GQ in the same month. These young multimillionaires are the reflection of the galleries who follow them, with crowds at today’s tour events skewing younger and more affluent every year — and the atmosphere at some events rivals a raucous college football game.

That makes golf tournaments a hot ticket these days, and one of the biggest events of 2008 is headed for The D. The 90th PGA Championship will be played at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township on August 7 through 10, though the weeklong festivities will start on August 4. As the final of the four major championships played every year — along with the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open — the PGA Championship is known as “Glory’s Last Shot.” This year, it will also be the last chance for U.S. golfers to qualify for the Ryder Cup, the team matches that were played at Oakland Hills back in 2004.

There’s a lot at stake for the competitors, and a lot of ways for you to enjoy the action as well. Here are a few different approaches for getting into the swing of things during the PGA Championship.

High Rollers
Like every other major sporting event these days, the best seats in the house at the PGA Championship are reserved for corporate sponsors. Dozens of corporate villas will be set up on the grounds at Oakland Hills, complete with buffets, open bars, TVs, air conditioning, restrooms and plenty of other VIP perks. If you happen to own a company and can afford a six-figure payment to set up your own on-course oasis, or if you can afford to snag yourself a $700 Executive Club ticket for the week, congratulations. If not, be on the lookout for friends and business associates who can hook you up. To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, corporate hospitality tents at golf events are so choice; if you have the means, I highly recommend them.

On the Cheap
OK, so let’s say you’re at the other end of the spectrum. No one’s giving you the golden handshake for a corporate invite, and you’re going to have to spend your own money to get into the PGA Championship. Here’s my suggestion: Hit the practice rounds. Grounds tickets are available for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for $30 each day. These are the days the pros practice prior to the PGA Championship’s Thursday start, and this is a great chance to see the competitors in a more relaxed setting with smaller crowds.

Other positives of the practice round routine is a greater likelihood of scoring some autographs, and you can bring a camera. Asking for autographs and taking pictures are both no-nos once the championship starts. Be warned: If you want to see the world’s best player practice, you’ll have to get there when the gates open at 7 a.m. Tiger Woods is often the first player on the course during practice rounds, meaning he’s often off the course by mid-morning.

Diehard Fan
If you’re really into watching golf and don’t care about the VIP perks, you’re a candidate for the Season Grounds Ticket. At $350 for the week, it isn’t cheap. But it does get you access to the course throughout the entire PGA Championship, practice rounds included, along with a copy of the official PGA Championship Journal and free off-site shuttle parking. If you go this route, be sure to bring your sunscreen and wear your comfortable shoes. Oakland Hills earns its name, and the undulations make it a taxing walk if you decide to follow a group around the entire course.

My advice is to get there early and grab a seat in the grandstands near the 16th green. You’ll be able to see the double gut-check of golfers playing over the pond to the slippery 16th green, then sweating out the brutally hard 17th hole. Other great vantage points are behind the 9th and 18th greens. You may also want to rent a myLEADERBOARD device — a handheld that gives you real-time scoring and locations for every player on the course. It’ll cost you $25 per day, but it’s the best way to follow a 144-player field, especially since cell phones are banned on the grounds.

Family Fun
If you have a young family, the PGA Championship offers a few fun opportunities. First, kids 17 and under can get discount tickets — $15 for practice rounds, $30 for championship rounds, up to four per adult attending. Second, a PGA Play Golf America Day event will be held on Monday, August 4, at a nearby course (check PGA.com for details as the event approaches). This free, daylong event will have clinics and activities for kids, including free 10-minute lessons from PGA of America teaching professionals and other fun stuff like skills challenges and trick-shot exhibitions. It’s a great way to give the kids a taste of PGA Championship week without needing to brave the crowds of Oakland Hills.

Don Jozwiak is an editor for PGA Magazine and lives in Farmington Hills.