Conway Farms begins tuneup for BMW Championship

On course, the buildup for the 2013 BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest has begun in earnest with crews spread throughout the lovely layout erecting what will be a plethora of corporate hospitality tents and chalets.

“When we get those structures up and the tents, it’s going to be very exciting,” said club president Dave McDonough. “Nothing like this has happened at Conway, and we’re excited to see the beginning of that effort.

“This is all brand new for us, but I have to say it’s going very, very well for us. We’re all still talking to each other, so that’s a good thing.”

Off the course, the buildup has begun as well, as Western Golf Association officials unveiled their plans for parking the expected 125,000 fans expected to be on site the week of Sept. 9-15. They also talked ticket prices, and were all smiles about the fact that Saturday’s round won’t conflict with Notre Dame football on NBC as has been the case in past years.

Tee times on Thursday and Friday will begin at 10:15 a.m., while on Saturday and Sunday rounds kick off at 7:15 a.m. Practice rounds begin Monday and run through Wednesday.

Daily grounds passes will be $40 with weekly passes going for $100.

And so far, ticket sales are ahead of pace.

“When we’ve changed venues in the past, the support of the Championship has been tremendous,” said Vince Pellegrino, vice president of tournaments for the Western Golf Association. “We’re seeing the same thing here.

“We’ve seen increased interest from the community, and we have even higher goals than we’ve had in the past here in Chicago.”

As for parking, a majority of people will be parking just west of I-94 on Everett Road and will take a shuttle bus to the course.

And McDonough thinks they’ll like what they see when they arrive.

“We have long known that Conway Farms is a world-class golf club,” McDonough said, “and we’re excited to know the world is going to realize it as well.”