PLUM, Pa. — Call it a makeshift business district of sorts: some neighbors in Plum have turned their yards and driveways into parking lots. They live less than a mile from the Oakmont Country Club, the site of the 125th U.S. Open, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend.
“It’s cool to have this big national event in our backyard,” said Shawn McGregor, who has lived in his house on Hulton Road for five years.
With the U.S. Open came an opportunity for McGregor and other homeowners who live in his neighborhood. Many of them are selling driveway and yard space for golf fans to park their cars, offering daily rates the week leading up to the championship rounds.
“Not everybody has a 250,000-person event in their backyard, so we saw it as an opportunity to do something entrepreneurial as a family,” McGregor said.
He’s referring to his 6-year-old son, Max, a businessman in the making who is embracing this week to the fullest. He opened up his own temporary pro shop, selling bubble gum, rain ponchos, candy, sunscreen and more.
“We’re not sure what to expect our first time around, but it’s been fun,” McGregor said. “As the week goes on, it gets busier and busier. We’re all going to run out of space.”
In the meantime, Max is doing his best to cash in: the perfect summer job before heading off to first grade.
“I want to keep this up for maybe a lemonade stand or something like this – that, if it’s really hot. Something like that,” Max said.
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