The opening day of team matches at the Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va. was supposed to be an exciting day of golf highlighting the best in women's professional golf on the world stage.
Instead, the story of the first day was highlighted by logistical issues for the LPGA as fans waited hours to be bussed from a local concert venue parking lot to the golf course.
Jiffy Lube Live, an outdoor concert venue near the golf course, is serving as a gathering point for golf fans who wanted to park and take a shuttle over to RTJ nearby. Given the expansive parking lot of the concert venue—which has hosted some of the most iconic performers that music has to offer—it is natural that the LPGA would use that parking lot as part of its logistical plan to ship fans to and from the golf course throughout the weekend.
On Friday, however, fans had to stand in a line over a mile long and in some cases wait for hours for a shuttle to the golf course. It was so bad, in fact, that as the opening tee shots were being hit on Friday morning, the grandstand on the first hole was sparsely peopled. This was not from a lack of intended attendance; instead it was from the travel issues that stranded thousands of golf fans at the nearby concert venue.
Here are some scenes from the Solheim Cup attendees, who were boisterous in their complaints on social media on Friday morning.
Lexi Thompson is on the tee to rev up the fans that did make it in the gates! Eventually this place will be rocking. But how many fans will say never again? People waited hours for a shuttle yesterday after opening ceremonies. pic.twitter.com/reliFPhoUl
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) September 13, 2024
Just a glimpse of the line at the parking lot to get into @SolheimCupUSA. #SolheimCup @LPGA @kclairerogers pic.twitter.com/etw6gsUfUk
— Jeremy Art (@jeremyart) September 13, 2024
My son and I won tickets and drove up this morning. We’ve been to The Masters, PGA, US Open, and tons of every other sport. Never seen anything as screwed up logistically as the #SolheimCup. pic.twitter.com/wYqqkknpkA
— Rob Huddleston (@Rob_Huddleston) September 13, 2024
Turned on the Solheim Cup this morning and immediately noticed how small the crowds were.
— Mark Harris (@itismarkharris) September 13, 2024
Well, this explains it. Apparently taking people hours to get thru the gates. Lines are insane!
pic.twitter.com/4aJf9qsCXX
@LPGA @SolheimCupUSA @TheSolheimCup This is really bad. We are in our second hour of waiting for the shuttle to the Solheim Cup and we are still over a hundred yards from the pickup location. There are people in wheelchairs a quarter of a mile away. pic.twitter.com/DJIz4BVGib
— Bill Belcher (@Belcherwm) September 13, 2024
2 hours in the parking lot and only 200 yard from the front it’s a disgrace refunds need to be issued pic.twitter.com/Ky7eudA2Nc
— jon davidson (@davidson_jon) September 13, 2024
Sort of a nightmare scenario here on the first tee at the Solheim Cup with a ton of empty seats. Bus issues keeping fans from getting in. Shots in the air in a matter of minutes pic.twitter.com/nZ3JTmUEvs
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) September 13, 2024
More of the Latest Sports News
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Logistical Issues for Golf Fans Mar First Day of Solheim Cup.
