by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Of the 1,600 or so volunteers that helped make this year’s Players Championship a success, Marc Smith’s eight years have little significance volunteer-wise.
There are plenty, like Clerk of the Courts Jim Fuller, who worked their first tournament this year. Then there are the veterans, like Walt Courtney, who has been donating his time for over three decades.
However, Smith’s years have been very productive and he’s been rewarded for his dedication. After serving as first vice chairman this year under Chairman Jack Garnett, Smith officially takes over as chairman for the 2003 Players Championship today.
Yes, his ascent to the top — he has been a vice chairman since his fourth year — has been swift. But Smith remains quite humble about becoming chairman in such a short period of time.
“I was asked after my third tournament to be a vice chairman,” said Smith. “I was very honored by that.”
Smith credits his being named chairman after just eight years to, basically, two things.
One, many of the hundreds of volunteers that work the tournament each year want to do just that — work the tournament. They enjoy either the same assignment each year or the opportunity to do something different each year. They develop a relationship with the players and the fans and each other. And, they have little to no desire to deal with the administrative and public relations aspect that comes with becoming a vice chairman. Volunteering, to them, means a week away from the office and an opportunity to spent a lot of time at the picturesque Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach. The last they want to do is spend another week supervising people.
Two, Smith believes that what he does for a living played a major role in his nomination as a vice chairman five years ago. For the last 14 years, Smith has been a partner in First Coast Sales, Inc., a food brokerage company that sells to several local grocery store chains. Prior to that, he spent nine years with Proctor & Gamble and six and a half with Dr. Pepper. Because a lot of this corporate experience was in a managerial position, Smith was viewed as a logical candidate to climb the volunteer ladder.
“Through my business career I’ve had a lot of opportunities to manage people,” said Smith, who graduated from the University of Miami, Ohio. “This is so much fun I can’t stand it. I get to work with some great people and develop friendships that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
As chairman, one of the first things Smith will have to address is the volunteer situation, something each chairman is expected to analyze. The fact that the volunteer contingent grows virtually every year has a ripple affect. More volunteers means more costs to the tournament in the form of uniforms, hats and food. More volunteers means more parking for non-paying fans. In essence, sometimes too much of a good thing — even volunteering — can have its drawbacks.
“That’s one thing that we’ll evaluate at the end of the tournament this year,” said Smith. “We do not have to scramble for people. We may have to establish a cut off date and number. This year we have 1,600 volunteers and that may be enough.”
In addition to helping the other four vice chairmen — Rusty Pritchett, Kevin Robbins, Tommy Lee and Tim Tresca —with anything they need, Smith spent a great deal of last week watching and learning from Garnett. Part of the job of being chairman is to do the occasional radio or TV spot. Also, the chairman is such a figurehead position, they often serve as one the spokespeople for The Players Championship.
When Smith wasn’t shadowing Garnett, he was dousing the inevitable fires that come with hosting golf’s “fifth major” and 35,000 fans a day. Without well-planned teamwork, the tournament could be a disaster.
“Jack and I are in constant communication,” said Smith last week. “We review our notes at the end of the day and get ready for the next day.”
And, the next day comes quickly. Whether you are a vice chairman or a marshal at the 17th tee, the days are much longer than the average work day.
“I got here at 6:15 this morning and will probably leave about 6 o’clock,” said Smith on Monday. “This is a short day.” Starting Thursday, he arrived about 5:30 in the morning and left about 8 o’clock at night.
The Ohio native moved to Jacksonville from Pittsburgh in 1980 while he was with Proctor & Gamble. And, it wasn’t like the company had to twist his arm. Or, show him around. A late winter trip to Florida several years earlier convinced Smith that Florida winters were a bit more tolerable than Pittsburgh winters.
“I came down here on spring break when I was 19 and I said I have got to get back here,” he said. “I would probably have taken a demotion [with P & G], but it was a promotion. God willing, I’ll die here.”
Maybe, but not before he takes the reins for next year’s tournament. And the preparation starts almost immediately. During the next three to four weeks, he and Garnett will sit down and evaluate this year’s committees and form next year’s, selecting vice chairmen in the process. They will also consult the current vice chairmen and past chairmen.
“We have learned a lot from the vice chairmen about how to make the tournament better. And, the past chairmen are a tremendous resource,” said Smith. “I feel we have the luxury of nitpicking now.”
By fall, Smith will have his committees established and the sales push for the 2003 tournament will begin. There will be speaking engagements and many meetings. The key to his success in 2003, Smith says, won’t necessarily revolve around him as much as it will revolve around who is around him.
“Getting ready lasts all year, especially the organization part,” said Smith. “I have always believed that you should surround yourself with good people.”
As in 1,600 good people.