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The Honors Course, 1995/96, courtesy of the Chattanooga Free Press
Thirty years ago this week, I started a life-changing role with UT-Chattanooga, coordinating the 1996 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships. It was a 13-month position focused on event management and sports marketing, and it just happened to be the final collegiate tournament for Tiger Woods, who was already a household name in the golf world. Long story short: we sold more tickets than any of the previous 99 NCAA Golf Championships. The event was a huge success (and yes, Tiger won).
Although I didn’t pursue a career in event management after that unforgettable experience, I still find myself drawn back to it when the opportunity arises. This past weekend was a perfect example, Pints on Preston, the annual craft beverage festival for the Charlottesville Ale Trail. It was our third year hosting the event, and by the day before, that old thrill of running an event had kicked back in. While I love the work I do today, event management brings a unique kind of energy and satisfaction that’s hard to beat, but only if you’re well-prepared and inclusive.
That NCAA Championship taught me how to prepare for an event or really, any major project, like nothing else I’d ever done. I was just 24 at the time and had limited experience, but UTC gave me the time and space to learn, collaborate, plan, and execute. I’ll always be grateful to the people who believed in me and understood what it would take to deliver a top-tier event for the Chattanooga community. I was constantly busy, but never felt rushed.
Preparation brings calm when the event goes live. That sense of confidence is priceless, especially when the unexpected happens. For instance, just hours before the opening ceremony (where Arnold Palmer was scheduled to speak), we received a bomb threat. We didn’t panic. We had procedures in place. Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm, but a year after the Oklahoma City bombing, it was deeply unsettling. Preparation made all the difference.
Still, preparation alone isn’t enough. You have to reach out to others, build relationships, and invite ideas. UTC understood that a 24-year-old newcomer couldn’t pull this off alone. They assembled a team from the local golf community to help guide both the event and me. One of those people was Sam Woolwine, a longtime Chattanoogan and former Sports Editor at the Chattanooga Free Press. Sam knew everyone, locally and beyond, and over those 13 months, he mentored me, brought me into his network, and helped me grow in ways that still impact my career today.
At the end of the day, the goal is the same whether you’re organizing a championship or a community festival: get your team and community rowing in the same direction. That’s true for any project, but especially for events where deadlines are fixed and the pressure is on. With more than 500 volunteers, support from the NCAA, USGA, the Honors Course, and the Chattanooga community, we made that golf championship happen … together.
And that’s what happened this weekend at Pints on Preston. There some things to improve upon, but all of the craft beverage makers, hosts, and volunteers worked together to pull off another successful event.
Pints on Preston, May 31 2025
