David Niblett's canvas is 29 steps above the green grass of Augusta National Golf Club.
He works the scoreboard at the 15th hole, slipping metal numbers into magnetic holders.
``We are working for the crowd, our patrons, to keep them as informed as possible,'' said Niblett, a Suwanee, Ga.-resident who spends the other 51 weeks a year working for BellSouth. ``It's pretty special to have that responsibility.''
The board at the 15th hole is one of 10 scoreboards that always show the top 10 at various points on the course. There are also smaller boards, called Standards, at each hole that show the current score of the players on that hole. And then there's the main scoreboard along the first fairway.
There are 260 volunteers who handle the scorekeeping for the Masters Tournament. Some are responsible for posting the scores on the various boards around the course. Others work each hole, using hand-held computers to send scores back to the main scoring center on the second floor of the press building.
``They don't get in the way of fans,'' said Charles H. Morris, chairman of the scoring committee. ``They are totally outside of the ropes.''
Once the scores are sent to the scoring center, they are posted on the scoreboards throughout the course. Years ago, Augusta National developed a color-based scoring system to help fans easily see how a player is doing. For example, a birdie shows up as a red number on a white background. A bogey is a green number on a white background.
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A scoreboard worker changes scores near the 2 green.Michael Holahan/Chronicle Staff
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``It's a very simple system, I think, for people to read,'' Morris said.
``It stands out for people to see,'' said Carleton Vaughn, who's in charge of the main scoreboard on the first hole and the boards in the press area.
His crews for the two boards include 30 volunteers. Lee Muns, who has worked at the tournament for 22 years, is a supervisor at the main scoreboard.
``My dad worked up here,'' he said. ``You have a lot more contact with people, and you get to keep up with the entire field. Some people will just come out here and sit and watch the board. They don't ever go on the course.''
On a typical tournament day, workers at the main scoreboard will post more than 1,700 scores.
``During the day, it can get hectic,'' Muns said. ``You have to hustle it.''
But it's the time long before the hectic moments hit that thrills Niblett. He has to be at the course before 7 a.m. each day.
``Walking out to the board when no one else is here is special,'' he said.
And spending part of the tournament two stories up isn't a bad thing, either.
``This is the best seat in the house,'' he said.
Scoring colors
Augusta National Golf Club uses placards with a certain color background and number combination to represent a score:
Eagle: red number on a yellow background
Birdie: red number on a white background
Par: black number on a white background
Bogey: green number on a white background
Double-bogey or higher: green number on a yellow background
Total score: blue number on a white background
Volunteers keep fans informed
