The countdown to the Travelers Tournament has begun with a little less than two weeks before some big-name golfers take to the green.
The sounds of preparation can be heard throughout TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. Construction crews are hard at work putting together stands and structures around the golf course.
The difference between last year's Travelers Championship and this year's tournament is the return of fans cheering and enjoying one of Connecticut's most anticipated sports events.
"So for a year, we just have been waiting for next week you know, to be able to say people are coming back," said Tournament Director Nathan Grube. "In order to put something together on this scale, you have to make sure you think of everything to create an exciting experience for fans."
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Grube and his team have been working for the last three months to ensure everything is good to go and the demand from fans to get back to the sidelines has already led to some sold-out days.
"People jumping online buying tickets, getting excited," said Grube.
Tournament organizers tell NBC Connecticut while they're excited to welcome fans back to the course, they're still looking to keep players and visitors safe.
"If you're vaccinated you don't have to wear a mask, but if you're not, we're asking that you wear a mask no matter where on the property," said Grube. "We're also reminding people that they may want to take a step back and wear a mask no matter what because there is going to be a lot of people here."
Local
While the final touches are being made at the course, nearby businesses are hoping to see a resurgence of Travelers fans stopping by their restaurants.
"It's going to be really busy here considering that we are really close," said Maddie Olander, who works at the Tall Man's Homemade Ice Cream.
Both "Tall Man's Homemade Ice Cream" and "The Well" tell NBC Connecticut they're looking to bounce back from last year when there wasn't as much foot traffic coming through their doors.
"It's going to be hot so after a long hot day watching golf, we're expecting everyone to come over," said Hannah Conneely, who also works at Tall Man's Homemade Ice Cream. "It increases business and I get a lot of travelers people that park in the lot next to us here and they come in after the tournament."
The Travelers Championship will be open to the public beginning Wednesday, June 23 through Sunday June 27.
