An L-shaped structure offers more than a view of golf

The site for the Wanamaker Club at the 2012 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C., didn’t require a curved tent, but it was an outstanding location for Classic Tents, a division of Classic Party Rentals, to install a custom L-shaped structure.

“One section of the L shape, which was 160 feet long, sat on the edge of the sand dune/ocean, and the views were outstanding,” says Jim Sala, vice president of national accounts for Classic Party Rentals, Torrance, Calif. “The other section, which was also 160 feet long, overlooked the driving range. The client had seen photos of this tent and felt this was the perfect opportunity to use it for their Wanamaker Club.”

The structure is actually two clearspan tents connected by a custom 90-degree curved section. It’s available in 60- , 80- , and 100-foot widths and could be wider if necessary.

“Inside the structure the curved ceiling is a visual focal point,” Sala says. “The beams gradually move across the top, turning the corner, then moving down the length.”

The installation of the structure is similar to a typical clearspan, although the entire job of installing 300,000 square feet of tenting, plus carpeting and furniture, required a crew of 30 on site for nearly two months before the event and one month for removal.
“The key element is the installation of the curved portion, the exact placement of the baseplates for the curve and the installation of the fabric for the curved portion,” Sala says. “The vinyl panels for the curve are pie-shaped and need to be fed in with the wide portion first, so that takes some time and experience.”

Strong winds on the island and heavy afternoon showers during installation provided challenges in addition to the location itself.

“The Kiawah course is at the end of the island, which is about 15 minutes from where you first enter the island,” Sala says. “It is also about 80 minutes from Charleston, which is where most of your services like Home Depot, fuel, supplies and hotels are located. So moving the crews was challenging.”

In the end, the structure provided the setting for guests to enjoy more than a great vantage point for championship golf.

“The Wanamaker Club was crowded every day and provided all their guests with great food and beverage options, as well as some amazing views,” Sala says.