Saturday lived up to its nickname as moving day at the 108th PGA Championship, with fans crowding Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, for the third round and chasing the best sight lines they could find.

The weekend surge filled viewing areas and fan zones across the course as the championship worked through what organizers estimated would be a week of about 200,000 spectators. The scene was part golf, part festival: complimentary food and beverages in fan experience areas, and a merchandise store so large it covered 50,000 square feet.

For the Garlic family of Woodstown, New Jersey, it was a full-day outing built around golf and a birthday. Alan Garlic said his father, Alvin, was turning 80 on Sunday, and the family made a point of coming together for the occasion. “It’s a family affair,” Garlic said, adding, “We’re posted up on the 18th, the grandstands of the 18th.” He said, “Beautiful day, my dad is 80 tomorrow,” and said he was especially looking forward to seeing Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.

Other spectators had made similar trips for the event. Rick Wild came from Raleigh, and his son Tanner traveled from Pittsburgh to join him. Wild said, “The setup has been fantastic, and it’s really the test of golf that they want to have here,” while Tanner said it was striking to hear players talk after their rounds about the difficulty of the pin placements. “It’s pretty interesting listening to all these guys after their round talking about how tough these pin locations are playing, so it’s cool to watch them on TV, but even cooler to see them come take on this course in person,” he said.

The crowds were not only on the fairways. Joe Bendinelli of West Chester said he spent most of his time in the merchandise tent, a place that turned into a destination of its own during the championship. “I’m enjoying myself so far. I have to get out to the course. I haven’t seen one golfer so far. I spent most of my time in the merchandise tent,” he said.

Joanna Coe said the size and energy of the turnout mattered beyond the tournament itself. “Everyone takes for granted that you take these classic old golf courses that are short in yardage and they’re struggling,” she said. “It’s great to see the golf community show up, support this event, but also to put golf in the spotlight for Philadelphia.” The final round is set for Sunday, when the championship closes at Aronimink.