Organizers of the U.S. Kids Golf championships are accustomed to appealing for more volunteers in June for the tournaments, which begin in late July.

They're just not used to needing quite as many as they do this year.

Organizers say they still need about 150 more volunteers to staff the championships, which run July 28 to Aug 7.

"This is the furthest we've ever been behind this close to the event," said Peter Stilwell, of Tarheel Communication Solutions.

He said likely the most significant factor for the shortage of volunteers is fears about the weather.

"Temperatures here have already been in the 90s, and I think people are seeing the writing on the wall that it's going to be another hot summer," he said. "We hope that that won't deter people from volunteering."

He anticipates needing about 700 volunteers for this year's event.

"We are going to make one last push for volunteers, and then we will adjust things from there," Stilwell said.

This will be the sixth year the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships have been held in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines area.

Last year, the U.S. Kids Golf Teen and Kids World Championships attracted more than 1,700 players from more than 36 countries.

Volunteers are responsible for a variety of tasks, including player registration, scoring, pace of play, on-course shuttling and supply - such as making sure there is adequate water for the players on the course.

U.S. Kids has developed an online registration program for volunteers, making it a lot easier to sign up. Paper applications are still available for those who do not have computer access. Organizers have said the online registration streamlines and simplifies the registration process.

Prospective volunteers can obtain a paper registration form by calling (910) 235-8490.

A volunteer meeting will be held at 4 p.m. July 12 at the Carolina Hotel. The meeting will last about two hours and will feature an overview of the tournament rules, guideline and general and specific training for volunteers.

The Kids' World Championship will feature about 1,300 competitors, while the Teen World Championship will have about 500 participants.

This year's opening ceremony, which features the parade of nations, will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 2 in downtown Pinehurst.

The schedule of events is:

n Kids Golf Teen World Championship, July 28-30.

n Kids Golf Teen World Cup, July 31

n Kids Golf World Parent Child, Aug. 1

n Kids Golf World Championship, Aug. 4-6

n Kids Golf World Cup, Aug. 7

Stilwell anticipates that about 5,000 visitors will come to the village for the tournament. Organizers estimate that last year's championships events generated an estimated $6 million in revenue for the local economy.

"It is a very good event, it's very good for the local area and the golfers are fun to watch," said Richard Lawson, volunteer chairman for the event.

Contact Tom Embrey at tembrey@thepilot.com.