BOLTON, Mass. — With thousands of people expected to visit Bolton and The International Golf complex Labor Day Weekend for the Saudi-based LIV Golf tournament, the Bolton Select Board gave its approval at the board’s June 16 meeting.
Acting under a bylaw that would allow the event unless the board found it was detrimental to the town, LIV Golf won the board’s OK, contingent on any other approvals it needed.
Par 5 Group, which is running the event, and a representative of the International detailed efforts being made to keep operations from disrupting residents.
From security and meeting requirements for water, wastewater and other regulations, to ensuring traffic was controlled, project managers detailed the plans.
Kelly Durfee Cardoza, a regulatory consultant for The International, and Mike Goggin, of Par 5 Group and tournament director, went through all the pieces.
Parking would include limited sites around the golf club as well as parking and shuttles from the Lancaster Fairgrounds.
Security would include scanning, and tickets would be chipped to control access.
Residents in the neighborhood will have special passes to ensure they can pass through to their homes since the roads would be closed to regular traffic.
The special event district was created in 1997 when a new golf course was built, Cardoza said. That governed the hearing and approval process.
The event is part of an eight-event international series, Cardoza said. It kicked off in London recently.
Held over three days during the Labr Day weekend, the Bolton LIV tournament will be preceded by a pro-am event on September 1 before the LIV tournament starts on September 2.
There will be substantial preparation for the 48 golfers who will play with a shotgun start, with all starting play at the same time, limiting the length of tournament play.
Evening events will include a music stage and activities that Cardoza said should mean not all the people and traffic leave at once.
There will be a daily attendance cap of 6,500 people, including staff, volunteers, vendors, spectators, players, and public safety personnel.
There will also be an “area for those who wish to exercise their first amendment rights during the event,” Cardoza said. The location and details of those areas will be coordinated with state and local police.
The event has garnered criticism since it is sponsored by Saudi Arabia and human rights protestors could be expected. In addition, participants in LIV events are…
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