some cases, rubber covers are placed over cabling where it crosses paths and, in others, special H frames are erected to take them over roads. Conduits have been laid underground when a couple of roads were resurfaced recently, but the vast majority of cabling is laid above ground. But the system clearly works. What worries Jim more it seems is the ingress of hand-held cameras into locations on the course that fixed ones can seldom, if ever, penetrate. “There’s no place on the course that a hand-held cannot access,” he states. “That creates additional stress for us because it exposes parts of the course to the intense scrutiny of a worldwide audience.”
He then recounts the case of one US course that was staging an international tournament. Hand-held cameras followed play into the trees to peer at a player trying to thrash his way out on to the fairway. But, in doing so, the viewing audience were also treated to the site of tree branches and debris strewn about that had not been cleared, and which showed the course off in a poor light. “There is no part of the course that we can ever take our eyes off,” says Jim soberly. “You like to think you can breathe easily, but all sorts of strange occurrences are possible that serve to put the spotlight on us.”
He returns to the issue of hand-helds. “Use of a hand-held camera usually means one cameraman, and at least one sound engineer, jumping on and off a buggy.” Ideally, the rough is the best place for buggies, he adds, but that’s not
always possible, he concedes, when the media are screaming to capture the best angles for coverage.
Work during events is conducted round the clock to ensure the media are happy. The sheer weight of numbers tramping around the media centre and other parts of the course mean some remedial work may be necessary, Jim explains. Putting down chip bark to minimise bogginess or laying it around diesel generators are typical, he says. But he is quick to differentiate his Ryder Cup and Wales Open roles. “We are a partner in the former, and must always be acutely aware that the Ryder Cup does not belong to us. When the Wales Open is staged, in a way, we have
carte blanche to promote the event how we want and to our best advantage.” Jim is “absolutely delighted” that Colin Montgomerie, captain of the All Stars team at Celtic Manor, has been named Ryder Cup captain. It seems appropriate too, not least because one of the Resort’s three championship courses is named after him. In a sense, ‘golf is coming home’ in 2010 perhaps.
Speaking to Jim, candid as he is about the pitfalls of accommodating the media, you nevertheless are struck forcibly with the conviction that for him and his team, and all at Celtic Manor Resort, only the greatest show on earth will suffice when “the big circus” rolls into Newport.
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