RIDGEDALE, Mo. — With the Bass Pro Legends of Golf Tournament taking place in April, it stands to reason that wet weather has become as synonymous with the event in Ridgedale as its marquee names.
A downpour drenched the final day in 2014, forcing the first-ever trophy presentation at Top of the Rock inside. Last year’s Pro-Am also saw far from ideal conditions.
The third time could be the charm, as the forecast shows no rain over the three tournament days for the first time since the event moved to the Ozarks. That fact wasn’t lost on eight-time Major Champion Tom Watson, who played his first round of the year at the course on Thursday.
“I just don’t worry about it anymore,” Tournament Director Kirk Elmquist said. “Yeah, you try to watch the radar and prepare for it, but sometimes you get such neat areas around here where it just splits and goes right around you.”
Competitors at the first day of Pro-Ams on Wednesday got that benefit. Spotty showers drenched areas as close as the media parking lot, but the course was spared.
Not that Johnny Morris’ crew would be caught off guard.
That includes Todd Bohn, who became the Director of Agronomy at Big Cedar Lodge earlier this year. He may not be fazed by the weather that had impacted the first two tournaments, but he understand the challenges of keeping up this venue.
“We’ve had beautiful weather leading up to the event and we have not had the pressure that they’ve had in years past with the rainfall,” he said. “We’re keeping our fingers cross that that will continue and that we can give the players the conditions that they want, which is a dry, firm course.”
It’s not the most orthodox task, even for a crew of close to 40 people between the courses at Buffalo Ridge and Top of the Rock. There isn’t only the unique location at Big Cedar Lodge’s high point, but appearance that have to be maintained.
“We do a lot of work with hand tools that you wouldn’t use on a normal course. We can’t use machines that would leave tracks. That’s part of the mystique and beauty of it… just what it takes to maintain it.”
If history is any indication, the course will more than look the part, rain or shine.
“We cram a lot of preparation into two weeks whereas, normally, it may take a month or so to get there. We want to provide tournament conditions for our guests each and every day. I think that’s what differentiates us."
