Spectators should start developing a navigation plan for the Ryder Cup in late September at Chaska's Hazeltine National Golf Club, according to options released Wednesday by PGA of America.
Devising a strategy for arrival and departure to the event will be important because an estimated 40,000 spectators and 10,000 staff, volunteers and media will arrive daily to track 16 of the world's best male golfers at the event that begins Sept. 27.
The tournament pits top professionals from the United States against their European counterparts for match play. Nearly a century old, the Ryder Cup is held once every two years with the United States and Europe alternating as the host country.
The PGA warns that there will be strict enforcement of no pedestrian or bicycle access to the event.
Chaska Police Chief Scott Knight said the rules are all about security. The Ryder Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, so security and plans are firmly detailed.
Spectators will be required to pass through three security checkpoints before entering the venue. The first comes before they board a shuttle bus. The second comes when they exit the shuttle at the drop point near Hazeltine. The third checkpoint comes as they enter the venue.
For the general public, free parking is available at Canterbury Park in Shakopee. A shuttle bus will ferry fans on the 30-minute ride to Hazeltine. Shuttle service will run 30 minutes before the gates open at Hazeltine and 30 minutes after they close.
Gate hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 27-29, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept 30-Oct. 1 and 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 2.
For $5, spectators can take a SouthWest Transit bus to the course from drop-off points. Bicyclists will be able to lock their bikes at the spots, but there will be no parking. To find the drop-off locations and bus schedule, go toswtransit.org/ryder-cup.
Ryder Cup admission tickets must be shown to board the buses.
Spectators with limited mobility must call 877-472-7275 in advance of the event to reserve a space in a designated parking lot. The free service is intended only for fans who use wheelchairs, scooters or oxygen tanks. Wheelchairs and scooters won't be available at the event.
For those with limited mobility who don't need an apparatus, handicap spots are available at Canterbury Park on a first-come basis and tags are required.
The PGA provides instructions on its website about what is admissible into Hazeltine.
Those who live near the golf club will be required to walk or bike to a transit hub to get to the venue. Knight said one is already available on the west side of the facility and they're working on a shuttle for the east side. Allowing walk and bike entries would put too much traffic into adjacent neighborhoods and would allow entrants to bypass security checkpoints, he said.
Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747
Twitter: @rochelleolson
