Leanne Corbishley. Mum of three, Nurse…not a golfer!

While I may not be a golfer myself, I am fascinated by the people, stories and experiences behind the sport. With a natural curiosity and a down-to-earth approach, I write from the perspective of an outsider looking in, discovering that there is much more to golf than simply what happens on the course.

This is why, three years ago I applied to be a member of the Event Information Team at The British Masters; three years and 6 tournaments later I am still volunteering; and here’s why…

Application submitted. Shifts accepted. Uniform collected. It’s time to prepare for my third-year volunteering at The British Masters, and this one is set to be the wettest of them all.

There is always a sense of anticipation as I make my way across the car park towards the accreditation office. This year, the bright blue polo shirt proudly displays the new sponsor, accompanied by a navy baseball cap and, thankfully, a waterproof jacket. With the British weather promising its usual unpredictability, the raincoat is to be one of the most important items in the bag! Badge in place, it’s time to get to work.

I am part of the Event Information Team, a small group of volunteers whose role is to help spectators navigate their day. We have a base in the event village, giving us immediate access to tee times, course maps, and all the general information visitors might need.

This year, the morning starts particularly soggy. Our tent quickly becomes a refuge from the downpour, with the television standing tall in the corner providing live coverage and a useful reminder of why everyone has come. As the rain eases, spectators head back out, off to follow their favourite player, find a vantage point at one of the tougher holes, or make a quick dash to the on-site shop for a much-needed poncho or umbrella.

And this is one of my favourite parts of the shift: watching the event come to life.

There’s something special about the gradual arrival of spectators, full of anticipation for the day ahead. Some faces are familiar from previous years. For them, stopping by our tent for a morning hello has become something of a tradition.

A quick conversation about the weather, a catch on the ups and downs of life, perhaps a sweet from the counter, and then they’re off to enjoy the golf.

For others, it’s their first visit. They arrive with questions, looking for advice on where to go, who to watch and how best to plan their day. Being able to help someone make the most of their experience is one of the simplest but most rewarding parts of volunteering.

The event village is already buzzing. The smell of breakfast and freshly brewed coffee fills the air, while the grass is occasionally taken over by some very impressive four-legged visitors. The Guide Dogs charity team are out in force, showcasing the incredible skill, loyalty and affection of their dogs. I can never resist a hello.

Before long, it is time to head out onto the course. As I walk, I capture a few moments for my father-in-law, whose enthusiasm for golf is impossible to miss, and has been passed on to the next generation with my husband standing as marshal on hole 15 getting significantly wetter than me!  

I walk the layout, familiarising myself with the location of toilets, catering facilities, crossing points and accessible routes. My gilet carries the Event Information logo and QR code, making it obvious that I am someone to approach with a question.

And I love that.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about being able to help someone in the moment- whether that means pointing them towards the right tee, explaining how to reach a particular part of the course, finding an accessible route with ease or simply helping them make sense of their surroundings.

One of the unexpected pleasures of returning year after year is recognising the people who make the event happen behind the scenes. I catch up with security staff, police officers and cleaners I’ve met in previous years, and there’s a shared excitement as we talk about the tournament ahead.

Volunteering gives you a very different perspective of professional golf. You’re not simply watching the action; you become part of the enormous team that allows thousands of people to enjoy it.

My professional background is in nursing, so I’m naturally drawn to fast-paced environments where you never quite know what the next few minutes will bring. Volunteering with the Event Information team gives me that same sense of unpredictability, but with some added benefits: fresh air, an ‘inside the ropes’ perspective on professional golf, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the management and, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to improve someone’s day.

And then there are the people.

Golf has a remarkable ability to bring people together who might otherwise never cross paths. Over the three years, I’ve met people I would almost certainly never have encountered in everyday life, and some have become firm friends.

There are the characters who bring their own stories to every shift, the colleagues who somehow keep the kettle full, the volunteer whose tradition is to sit with a scoop of ice cream and marvel at how well her knees are doing this year, and the buggy drivers who navigate the hills, crowds and course with ease- allowing me to embrace my role as passenger princess!

We arrive at The British Masters as a group of volunteers; we leave as a team.

And somewhere between the early starts, endless questions, unpredictable weather, cups of tea, buggy rides and conversations with complete strangers, friendships are formed that extend well beyond the tournament itself.

That, for me, is the real magic of volunteering at The British Masters.

Yes, there’s golf. There’s the excitement of professional players competing at the highest level, the atmosphere around the first tee and the privilege of seeing the action from a perspective most spectators never experience.

But volunteering is about so much more than watching golf.

It’s about being part of something.

It’s about helping a first-time visitor find their way around the course, sharing a joke with a returning spectator, sheltering from the rain together and knowing that, in some small way, you’ve helped create someone’s experience of the tournament.

Three years in, I’m still turning up with the same sense of excitement.

The uniform may change, the sponsors may change, and the weather may, eventually, improve, but the magic of volunteering remains the same and that is the reason I’ll keep coming back.