Read and Destroy, please. Feature:

Lanier and Jodie Smith love golf. There is no denying the couple's love for the game. Throughout their home, displays of mementos from various golf tournaments can be found.

The television set is tuned to the Golf Channel at any point in the day and Jodie is likely trying to watch, hoping to find a way to improve her game.

Three years ago, however, the Smith's decided watching the pros on TV was not good enough.

That's when Jodie found a way to get up close and personal with the best golfers in the world – volunteering at the U.S. Open.

Of course, the Open wasn't the couple's first choice. That was the Master's, but as one might think, the tournament was booked up on volunteers with a waiting list five years long.

The next best thing, though, was the biggest open golf tournament in the country.

"We both play golf and we love to watch golf on TV. We wanted to be as close as we could to the action," said Jodie Smith. Her husband was up for the idea as well. "We thought we'd give it a try and see what it took to start doing it."

Jodie perfectly stated it was the "only way to get the chance to be there. We knew we couldn't afford to go and watch it every day. We thought it would be a good way to see the tournament and get to go on vacation at the same time.

"What better way to get inside the ropes?"

Once they'd applied and were accepted as volunteers, they began to get excited. Their vacation would become a golf fan's dream. They would travel to the U.S. Open wearing official gear from the United States Golf Association and watch the PGA Tour legends play golf.

One thing the couple was not prepared for, however, was the price tag.

After being accepted, Jodie Smith saw the volunteers had to actually pay to be a part of the event. The price was $160 each then, now it is $165. But those costs were minimal compared to other purchases the couple would need to make.

She began looking for hotels in the area near Pebble Beach. "Rooms were almost $400 per night," she said. "We couldn't afford that."

She then started calling around to the local Chamber of Commerce looking for any tips, she found a small town about an hour drive from the course called Gilroy.

Gilroy, Calif., is the self proclaimed, "Garlic Capital of the World."

"When you wake up you would smell garlic," said Jodie Smith.

"Their landscaping, all of it, was done in garlic," said her husband.

From there, the couple decided it was not just a golf trip, but a vacation.

"Once we sight-see and drive the countryside and all that, then we go to work. We have a job and get to see some great golf," said Jodie Smith.

The couple loves their job, too. Whatever the USGA asks of them, the Smith's are more than happy to help.

They've worked as Marshal's, helping keep fans in line in the grandstands to selling merchandise in a tent.

But the six-hour shift for three days is no big deal to the Smith's.

"We like getting out there and doing what they need us to do," Lanier Smith said.

Standing in the grandstands and selling merchandise isn't the ultimate goal for Jodie, however. She says her goal is to become a walking scorer, someone who follows a group of four players on the course the entire day.

"I want to walk 18 with a golf group," she said. "I feel like I've paid my dues the past few years. I want to request to do that now."

Lanier has his sights set a little lower, though.

"The grandstand is fun. I'd have no problem if that's the only place they ever put me. She's got the wish to be down there, but everything we've done we enjoyed it."

The first trip to Pebble Beach was the hook, line and sinker for this golfing couple.

"The first year we did Pebble Beach and after that, we knew we wanted to keep doing it. It was the most fun thing we've ever done," said Lanier Smith. "Once we got a taste of it, we knew we liked it."

His wife agreed, "We thought Pebble Beach might be the only one. We didn't even know where the next one was. But after working Pebble Beach we knew we wanted to do it every year."

Now every year, the couple enjoys the sights in parts of the country they've never seen.

"We started because we wanted to see the country," said Lanier Smith.

"Just like next year in Pennsylvania, we've never been there. This gives us an opportunity to see things we've never seen."

It's a big perk to be able to travel the area and get to see the best golfers in the world compete. Vacation wasn't always that way for the couple.

Jodie Smith wasn't always a fan of the sport.

"Years ago when we'd go on vacation, Lanier would want to go play golf, and I'd say no. I want to see the sights or whatever," she said. "Now, I want to go play golf.

"Our clubs are always in the car because we never know when we might get out and play."

While not actually getting to play on the same course as the tournament, golf is a major part of the vacation. Locals will point them in the direction of other fine courses to play, and the couple loves that part just as much as anything.

"We love to play golf," said Lanier Smith. "We like to do it together."

Over the years the couple has met many stars of the tour and other volunteers who make their trips that much more enjoyable.

"You get to meet new people and work with some of the nicest volunteers," said Jodie Smith. "Everyone out there is wonderful.

"We're usually the only ones from the South and when we leave they want us to say, 'y'all' again."

Scrapbooks and mementos galore, the Smith's look forward to this event each year.

"We've already been accepted for 2014 and we're on the waiting list for next year. We think we'll get it, though," said Jodie Smith.

This vacation is certainly a unique one for any family, and it comes with many perks, including watching the 18th green on Sunday, seeing the players finish their day and not having to pay to get in.

The best part though, is not watching from the grandstands according to Lanier Smith.

No.

"The best part is getting to feel like you're a part of it. Getting inside the ropes of the U.S. Open."

 

If what appears online is the same as is in print, you need people to proofread you work.

I see several basic capitalization and punctuation errors. It helps to spell the Masters correctly or pluralize a last name.

 

I have not destroyed your piece, but I've made a few suggestions between the ***** and could have made much more, but I don't have time. Grammar, usage, and attention to detail are more primary tools to master than using a computer to send a piece to an editor or publisher. Not having those tools is like a golfer having no sense of touch or movement of the green when he goes to putt. Another skill which might help you to keep a piece moving is using legitimate forms of the same word (noun, verb, and adjective) so that the concept that you are trying to convey is in a place that flows within the sentence. You used one such word in "deny." [other forms -- denial (noun), deny (verb), and deniable (adjective)] -- Sharp

*************
Lanier and Jodie Smith love golf. There is [re-word/combine]no denying the couple's love for the game. ["There is" and other indefinite pronouns plus verbs of being are stutter steps. When you find yourself using the indefinite pronoun plus a linking verb, 19 out of 20 times you probably need to make it better.]

Throughout their home, displays of mementos from various golf tournaments can be found. [You've ventured into passive voice to tell what someone would find if they walked through the house. Writing is more effective if you describe the place that you are in and not create a hypothetical third-person whom you describe walking through the place.]

The television set is tuned to the Golf Channel at any point in the day and Jodie is likely trying to watch, hoping to find a way to improve her game. [Here's a potential re-write of the above... Lanier and Jodie Smith have an undeniable love and passion for the game of golf. The couple's home is outlined with a gallery of golf tournament mementos from across the country while the sights and sounds of the Golf Channel play in the den at any point in the day. When not on the course, Jodie stops and watches for advice which she hopes will give her an extra edge as she improves her game.]

Three years ago, however, the Smith's [What are the Smiths possessing here?]decided [that] watching the pros on TV was not good enough.

That's when Jodie found a way to get up close and personal with the best golfers in the world – volunteering at the U.S. Open. [Suggestion -- They wanted to be up close and personal with the best golfers in the world when Jodie discovered a way to do just that -- volunteering at the U.S. Open.]

Of course, the Open wasn't the couple's first choice. That was [indefinite pronoun plus linking verb] the Master's, [spelling -- http://www.masters.com/en_US/news/articles/2012-04-10/201204171334676956864.html] but as one might think, the tournament was booked up on volunteers with a waiting list five years long.

The next best thing, though, was the biggest open golf tournament in the country.

"We both play golf and we love to watch golf on TV. We wanted to be as close as we could to the action," said Jodie Smith. Her husband was up for the idea as well. "We thought we'd give it a try and see what it took to start doing it."

Jodie perfectly stated it was [indefinite pronoun plus linking verb] the "only way to get the chance to be there. We knew we couldn't afford to go and watch it every day. We thought it would be a good way to see the tournament and get to go on vacation at the same time.

"What better way to get inside the ropes?"

Once they'd [Contractions are usually avoided unless part of a quote, but the contracted "had" is unneeded here.], applied and were accepted as volunteers, they began to get excited. Their vacation would become a golf fan's dream. ["golf fans' dreams" for consistency in number] They would travel to the U.S. Open wearing official gear from the United States Golf Association and watch the PGA Tour legends [the word choice of "legends" can be momentarily confusing because there is a "Legends" tour] play golf.

One thing the couple was not prepared for, however, was the price tag. [However, nothing prepared the couple for the price tag of their volunteer efforts.]

After being accepted, [The story has them going already so the lead-in phrase is superfluous.] Jodie Smith saw ["found" maybe? What is she seeing that she "saw"?] the volunteers had to actually pay to be a part of the event. The price was $160 each then, now it is $165. But those costs were minimal compared to other purchases the couple would need to make.

She began looking [tense shift from past to progressive] for hotels in the area near Pebble Beach. "Rooms were almost $400 per night," she said. "We couldn't afford that."

She then started calling [progressive tense] around to the local Chamber of Commerce looking for any tips, [comma splice] she found a small town about an hour drive from the course called Gilroy.

Gilroy, Calif., is the self proclaimed, [A comma would set off an appositive identifier. Here you don't have an appositive and the comma is unnecessary. Also, "self-proclaimed" is a hyphenated adjective phrase.] "Garlic Capital of the World."

"When you wake up you would smell garlic," said Jodie Smith.

"Their landscaping, all of it, was done in garlic," said her husband.

From there, the couple decided it was [indefinite pronoun plus linking verb] not just a golf trip, but a vacation.

"Once we sight-see and drive the countryside and all that, then we go to work. We have a job and get to see some great golf," said Jodie Smith.

The couple loves their job, too. [jobs?] Whatever the USGA asks of them, the Smith's [What are the Smiths possessing here?] are more than happy to help.

They've [contraction] worked as Marshal's [What are they possessing as marshals? Next, "marshal" is not a proper name. http://golf.about.com/cs/golfterms/g/bldef_marshall.htm] helping keep [helping keep? More stutter steps... "keeping" maybe? or "helping to keep" if they are not entirely successful.] fans in line in the grandstands to selling merchandise in a tent. [or at times they sold merchandise in a tent.]

***********

But the six-hour shift for three days is no big deal to the Smith's.

"We like getting out there and doing what they need us to do," Lanier Smith said.

Standing in the grandstands and selling merchandise isn't the ultimate goal for Jodie, however. She says her goal is to become a walking scorer, someone who follows a group of four players on the course the entire day.

"I want to walk 18 with a golf group," she said. "I feel like I've paid my dues the past few years. I want to request to do that now."

Lanier has his sights set a little lower, though.

"The grandstand is fun. I'd have no problem if that's the only place they ever put me. She's got the wish to be down there, but everything we've done we enjoyed it."

The first trip to Pebble Beach was the hook, line and sinker for this golfing couple.

"The first year we did Pebble Beach and after that, we knew we wanted to keep doing it. It was the most fun thing we've ever done," said Lanier Smith. "Once we got a taste of it, we knew we liked it."

His wife agreed, "We thought Pebble Beach might be the only one. We didn't even know where the next one was. But after working Pebble Beach we knew we wanted to do it every year."

Now every year, the couple enjoys the sights in parts of the country they've never seen.

"We started because we wanted to see the country," said Lanier Smith.

"Just like next year in Pennsylvania, we've never been there. This gives us an opportunity to see things we've never seen."

It's a big perk to be able to travel the area and get to see the best golfers in the world compete. Vacation wasn't always that way for the couple.

Jodie Smith wasn't always a fan of the sport.

"Years ago when we'd go on vacation, Lanier would want to go play golf, and I'd say no. I want to see the sights or whatever," she said. "Now, I want to go play golf.

"Our clubs are always in the car because we never know when we might get out and play."

While not actually getting to play on the same course as the tournament, golf is a major part of the vacation. Locals will point them in the direction of other fine courses to play, and the couple loves that part just as much as anything.

"We love to play golf," said Lanier Smith. "We like to do it together."

Over the years the couple has met many stars of the tour and other volunteers who make their trips that much more enjoyable.

"You get to meet new people and work with some of the nicest volunteers," said Jodie Smith. "Everyone out there is wonderful.

"We're usually the only ones from the South and when we leave they want us to say, 'y'all' again."

Scrapbooks and mementos galore, the Smith's look forward to this event each year.

"We've already been accepted for 2014 and we're on the waiting list for next year. We think we'll get it, though," said Jodie Smith.

This vacation is certainly a unique one for any family, and it comes with many perks, including watching the 18th green on Sunday, seeing the players finish their day and not having to pay to get in.

The best part though, is not watching from the grandstands according to Lanier Smith.

No.

"The best part is getting to feel like you're a part of it. Getting inside the ropes of the U.S. Open."

 

That'd be nice... Funny story is some of the errors are actually proofed into the piece. After seeing some of the stuff, I went back thinking there's no way I did that...and I hadn't. I'm glad I keep my own copy of stuff. "Marshal's" is something I would've never done. Neither is "Master's"...