The University of Michigan Golf Course and Ann Arbor Golf and Outing course were both ready for golfers by 10 a.m. Sunday after the Michigan-Notre Dame game.
Kyle Feldscher | AnnArbor.com
The first tailgaters arrived at the University of Michigan Golf Course at noon Saturday. Some weren’t off the course until 1 a.m. Sunday following Michigan’s win.
Even with all the trash that accumulated during those 13 hours, golfers were still out on the course as of 10 a.m. Sunday, officials said.
U-M Golf Course employee John Phillips said the first tee time was at 10 a.m. Sunday and the clean-up crews were completely off the course by noon. The crews start by picking up trash at the first hole and go through the entire course, he said.
“If you get someone who has done it before and can organize it, it can go pretty quick,” Phillips said.
It was a similar story at Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club, where pro shop employees said all the clean up was done by 10 a.m. Golfers were out enjoying their Sunday morning round, officials said.
Phillips said there’s a large group made up of Saline High School hockey team members and their families that clean the Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club course — one that he used to work with when his son played for the team. Local high schoolers also help clean up the U-M course, he said.
Officials at Ann Arbor Golf and Outing Club said their crew of Saline hockey players and their families is usually between 50 and 60 people.
Clean-up work was continuing at Pioneer High School, another major tailgate spot across the street from The Big House, just before 1 p.m. Sunday.
It will take most of Sunday for crews to clean up Pioneer High School's parking lot from Saturday's tailgates.
Kyle Feldscher | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor Public Schools spokeswoman Liz Margolis said the district uses a contractor to clean up the school's parking lot the day after the game. The work will continue throughout Sunday but the lot will be ready by the time school starts Monday morning.
"The contractor's clean up crew began last night and will continue throughout the day," she said. "They estimate (the crew will need) in excess of 224 man hours for the clean up. This includes the use of street sweepers and field vacuums."
While crews worked on breaking down stages and tidying up Pioneer Sunday afternoon, the scene across South Main Street on the golf courses was positively idyllic.
A Michigan Stadium-record crowd of 115,109 took in the game and good portion of those fans enjoyed the pregame festivities on the two golf courses. Tailgates stretched as far as the eye could see Saturday afternoon.
Of course, with a large amount of people usually comes a large amount of trash. The rolling hills and the lush grass in the roughs of the two courses had more than their fair share of bottles, cans and the ever-present red Solo cups scattered among the pregame parties.
“The bigger the rivalry, the more garbage,” Phillips said with a laugh. “With Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan State, there’s stuff everywhere. Some of these other games, there’s not as much.”
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.