CASTLE PINES, Colo. — Fifty top golfers have made their way to Castle Pines to tee off for the BMW Championship tournament.
The five-day tournament is the largest sporting event in Douglas County. The tournament will bring in about 30,000 people per day, which means more deputies out on the road, traffic impacts, plus road closures.
“The scale of this event is going to be much larger than anything that we have seen in the past,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly.
Happy Canyon Road, from roundabout to roundabout, will be closed to through traffic from 5 a.m.-7 p.m. during the event. There is no public/general parking in the immediate vicinity of Castle Pines Golf Club. All vehicles on Happy Canyon Road must have the proper credentials.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has prepared for this sporting event for more than a year. 80 deputies will be on site per day, plus those deputies who will be working their regular shifts around the county and jail.
“An 18-hole golf course has a lot of area to cover, and we want to make sure that there’s a safe event and everyone has a great time out there. We’re doing our job, so people don’t have to worry about security. We’re going to be visible out there, both people in uniform and in plain clothes, making sure that folks are safe,” said Weekly.
The sheriff’s office has emergency preparedness plans in place for things like possible active shooter situation or weather emergencies with evacuation routes mapped out. Those plans include help from South Metro Fire, Colorado State Patrol, and other police departments within Douglas County.
If you’re attending the BMW Championship, here’s some important parking information:
- You must pre-register to access parking lots with shuttle service. Pay close attention to the dates.
- G-LOT: Located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Santa Fe Drive (US-85) and North Daniels Park Road (map), this lot is available Tuesday, Aug. 20-Sunday, Aug. 25.
- J-LOT: Located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds (map), this lot is available Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23.
- L-LOT: Located at Castle View High School (map), this lot is available Saturday, Aug. 24 and Sunday, Aug. 25.
Those attending will have to be shuttled in simply because Douglas County doesn’t have the parking infrastructure to hold everyone.
Sheriff Weekly wants to remind drivers to lock your vehicles and don’t leave valuables inside, report suspicious activity and give yourself extra time to get around especially near the event.
If you see more deputies on the road, the sheriff’s office is asking you not call 911 or the non-emergency number for information about parking or alternative routes.
You can find more information on the PGA BMW Championship Tournament's website.