'Swampers' make Louisville a temporary home to help get Valhalla Golf Club ready for the PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Preparations continue at Valhalla Golf Club for the 2024 PGA Championship, set to keep Louisville in the national spotlight just a couple of weeks after the 150th Kentucky Derby.

The PGA of America relies on workers from Louisville and beyond to make things happen, including a group of mostly college students — or recent college graduates — from all around the country, affectionately known as "swampers."

There are 27 of them who live in Louisville for more than three months, helping both pre- and post-tournament with whatever needs to be done.

They seem to think the name is accurate.

"When I first heard it I was like 'ehhh.' But it fits," said Aaron Cosner, a second-year swamper. "It fits what we do. We get dirty, and I think the majority of us enjoy it. It's dirty work, but we all have a great time."

"I was not aware of the term 'swamper' until I got here," said Molly Heidt, the lone female in the group. "But I quickly learned what that term entailed. We're moving mats in foot-deep water and wind-screening, just all the behind-the-scenes things that you wouldn't think of in a golf tournament that we do."

"Our main jobs are to construct and deconstruct PGA Championships," Cosner said. "Getting vendors on site, getting them loaded in the trailers, getting carts assigned, wind screen, deck screen. A lot of things behind the scenes preparing for everyone to get on course."

Heidt, Cosner and most of the other swampers are eventually hoping to parlay this experience into a full-time job in the golf industry.

"I think this is a great opportunity the PGA has given me, to do a lot of tasks and add resume points, work a major championship," Cosner said.

Things should slow down quite a bit during the actual week of the PGA Championship.

"I think tournament week will be a lot more calm," Heidt said. "We get to see everything come together, show it off for our friends and families that come into town and just see all those long hours of work that were put in which is very exciting."

The swampers will stay in Louisville until mid-June, helping with the teardown after the event. PGA Championship week begins Monday, May 13, with the tournament running from May 16-19.

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