PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Golf is something that most players in upstate New York can only dream of this time of year.
Despite this week's winter storm, preparations continue at Oak Hill Country Club for the 2023 PGA Championship. It’s a race against the clock to transform the course before spring when it will host tens of thousands of fans — and the best golfers in the world.
Eric Nuxol is the operations manager for the tournament.
“Essentially anything that you see come on site on the golf course, that's not normally here, I have a hand in," Nuxol said.
That includes everything from hospitality tents to grandstands and other infrastructure not normally a part of the grounds.
“You know we really are erecting a city here," said Nuxol. "The amount of infrastructure that actually goes in, it completely changes from what you're normally seeing on this golf course, which is an exciting part of the job.”
The work actually began in November to get ahead of winter. Fortunately for the crew, it was an unseasonably warm winter.
“We've been fortunate to this point, obviously, and everything that we did do in the fall was for days just like this," Nuxol said.
Building a small city in the middle of an iconic golf course takes great care.
“It's important that people can get around and it makes it feel like we are actually at Oak Hill with everything that we've got up," said Nuxol. "So I think bringing the city that we're building here, but keeping the prestige of Oak Hill Country Club."
Even on a day when the thought of playing golf is but a dream, golf is at the top of Nuxol’s mind.
“We work around with what we can do, right?" he said "We don't control the weather, and ultimately we make the best out of the good days that we do have."
Crews say preparations for the tournament are right on schedule.
The PGA Championship comes to Oak Hill Country Club May 15-21.