We take a look behind the scenes of the Sky Sports golf team as they prepare for the US Open.
We take a look behind the scenes of the Sky Sports golf team at the US Open
Think it's a relatively easy process to bring the US Open to your screens? Think again! We went behind the scenes with the Sky Sports golf team at Congressional to show you exactly just how much work goes into such a broadcast.
I've been lucky enough to head out to Washington DC for the 111th US Open, which will be brought to you back home live on Sky Sports in glorious HD.
It is far from just turning up and planting a few cameras down in front of the golf though - the production for this tournament started way back in October last year when the top team visited Congressional for their initial reccy of the site.
Production manager Dave Culmer is the man charged with the task of bringing all the months of planning together by ensuring all the technical and operational needs are met for everyone.
With satellite and fibre optics to deal with, 68 crew to house, organise and transport to and from the UK and their hotel base near Washington, Dave needs all of his 15 years at Sky in experience along with the months of planning and preparation to pull it all together.
Glamour
Not as glamorous as many would think, the base for our commentators is in a hut in the huge bustling TV compound in between the sixth and 18th holes at the Blue Course at Congressional.
"I'm the oil between the wheels, I spend most of my time putting out fires, as you'd put it," Dave told me as we took the tour around the production truck and the studio that you will all see on TV this week.
"The metal base for the studio itself stays in America," Dave added of the studio. "It gets packed away in storage in Florida until we need it again - the same goes for all of our office stuff like desks, chairs etc."
Much work is done between Sky and the American networks to share feeds of the action, whilst some American workers are now regulars on the Sky Sports golf team, but it is director Mike Allen's job to garner all the pictures and tailor it for the Sky Sports audience.
"We have a small pocket of freelancers who work for us a lot, the same people do the same job so we get to know them as part of our work family and we now they can do the job well.
"Mike uses all the host network's feeds, plus our seven cameras to take in all the action, which will probably have an American focus over here, and tailor it for our more European audience."
Tough task
As these pictures show monitoring all those feeds is not an easy task, nor is it in the edit suite where top brains Emma and Robbie put together packages and opening and closing titles, many of which can result in working through the night just so they're just right and topical after a day's play.
The studio has been kitted out in double quick time and it is superbly placed over the 10th and 18th greens, and I was even allowed to take a seat in the presenter's chair!
Final check day on Wednesday saw a few problems with the team's radios, which resulted in some comical chat over the airwaves! But that is but a minor glitch for the team faced with what needs to be done over the coming days.
All of the planning work put in will ensure everything runs smoothly, even the back-up plans are in place should the weather stop play at Congressional over the weekend.
While these guys really kick it up a gear, all the hard work should ensure that you at home can sit back, relax and take in the US Open in all it's glory...
