Day 12: Posted up in HQ

Through the green on No. 15

We got to sleep in today! We didn't have to leave the hotel until 9 a.m. Then we got a text saying to leave at 9:30, so it was a really relaxing morning! When we got to the course, we prepared more of the documents for the qualifier and tournament. I went out and rode the course again to take more photos for the Facebook. It was really nice to be outside and to be able to see the layout of the course again so that I will actually know where I am for the tournament.

I did some more laundry throughout the day, but I got a golf cart today instead of driving the truck back and forth from the Pro Shop.  It was much faster! I also set up the tournament for the Junior-Am tournament, which is where companies can sponsor a round of golf for four of their employers who are then paired with a junior golfer. It was nice to be able to get working on something.

For dinner, we went to Cracker Barrell. Greenie somehow got Golden Tickets, which are pretty much coupons for free meals, so we all ate for free. Greenie was super excited and he starting singing the golden ticket song from Willie Wanka. It was hilarious!

Greenie was super excited about the Cracker
Barrell Golden Tickets!

This is our HQ room in the clubhouse.

Day 11: Laundry day

I feel like today was my first official day as an AJGA Intern. We woke up later than we will this summer, but we began working on all of the tournament documents for the upcoming week. It felt great to finally execute the tasks that we have been simulating and talking about for over a week!

We jumped right in this morning by making cart signs and stuffing volunteer packets while the ops crew was marking the qualifier course. I also snuck out and did come course photography, which I posted on the tournament website. We set up HQ yesterday in the Steelwood clubhouse and it is spectacular  It sits to the right of the 18th green and overlooks the lake. There is an outdoor covered patio with tied white curtains between every pillar. It is southern charm at its finest!

The Steelwood clubhouse where we set-up HQ.

It was also laundry day today. Since the hotel doesn't have guest laundry, we took our laundry to the golf course and used the machines that they normally wash the club towels in. After I switched the guy's shorts loud into the dryer--well, half of their load went in the dryer, because the goobers didn't want some of their shorts dried. Divas!--I threw my laundry into the washer. With 30 minutes before we left for the day, I went to throw my stuff in the dryer. Well the washer had backed up and wouldn't drain, so the head pro had to come and help me. Although we got the water to drain out of the washer, I still had to wring out my clothes before putting them in the dryer. The washer malfunction put me behind schedule, so my clothes didn't have time to dry all the way. Therefore all of my laundry is draped around my hotel room! Never a dull moment! :)

We got a little time off before dinner and we all headed to Ross. I had wanted to get a sleeveless polo for set-up days, but I somehow ended up finding and buying a blue and white striped polo. I actually really like it. All of these preppy clothes were throwing me off and now I'm starting to like them! What?! I think that part of it is that I don't have to think about what to wear the next day... the answer for the next two months will always be a polo and long shorts or a skort. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

While we were able to take care of some house keeping tasks, tomorrow will be the big task day as we dive head first into the tournament pairings and logistics. I'm so excited!

Day 10: On the road!

Tschida got his breakfast to-go at the
hotel this morning.

We finally got on the road today and started this crazy adventure! We drove to Loxley, Alabama in a little over six hours and just two stops. There was a decent amount of sleeping and singing in the car, but we also just talked and got to know each other more. We had a history lessen on MLK (don't ask me how that came up), conspiracies and the Illuminati. It was a fun car ride and passed really quickly.

When we got to Steelwood Country Club, we were greeted by the view in the picture below... Just wow! It is absolutely beautiful! To enter, you drive through a gate and over a levy and are greeted by the 15th green, with the 18th hole in the distance. We set up headquarters (HQ) in the club house there and drove around the course to get aquatinted with it. There are so many hazards on the course and it's a very windy course, but it's an amazing place!

Next, we went to TimerCreek, which is the course where the Qualifier round will be played on Sunday. Then it was dinner at Mellow Mushroom and now it's bed time! Getting ready for a great couple of days, even if we are in Bama... Go dawgs!

Steelwood Country Club

Day 9: Packing up

Bridget and Landon packing up the trailer.

Today was our last day at HQ! We packed up the trailer and miraculously still had room to spar! I never thought we could fit all of our equipment in our 16 foot trailer, but we did! It took us about 3 hours to account for all of it and load it, but we are now ready to go! All of the equipment we will need this summer, including rope, banners, golf bags and tools are all in that trailer.

My parents came to see me! 

After lunch, we went through a CPR certification class that was a good refresher for me. Afterwards, we had about an hour and a half left before dinner so we took the car and trailer out to practice driving with the trailer completely full! When we practiced driving last week, the trailer was empty. The truck drove so differently with the trailer packed up! We took the car and trailer on a loop around Braselton with one of the roads being a small two-lane road and the highway. The highway was a breeze! The small road was so scary! There was probably a few inches on either side of the trailer when we were driving. We passed an 18-wheeler and I about had a panic attack! I slowed down like crazy, but we made it though!

After dinner and repacking my suitcase, my parents drove up to Braselton to bring me a few things that I forgot and to take somethings that I didn't need... and to see me of course! We talked for about an hour and it was so good to see them! It was weird just sitting in the hotel lobby catching up, but I loved being able to tell them all about my experience so far in person!

Day 8: First Rulings

The sunrise over the golf course this morning before we
took the carts out for the round.

Today was the second day of the tournament at Chateau Elan. It was a shotgun style round, so all of the golfers started on different holes at 8 a.m. My group today was so sweet, but we did have a couple rulings, which I had to handle. Besides calling a ground under repair a water hazard and almost giving the wrong ruling, it was a pretty successful day. I got to talk with all of the parents of the girls in my group which was wonderful as well!

I also worked on the tournament story that would normally be posted to the tournament website. The story I wrote today was just for practice, but I needed to work on my golf lingo and writing style  Michael and I were the first comms team done again today, which was exciting! Hopefully we can keep getting our work done quickly and getting off at a decent hour. Once our comms work was completed, we went ahead and packed our equipment into two large birds, or tubes, in preparation for our departure on Wednesday.

Before we left HQ, Katie, the Tournament Director, did a small trivia game and the people who got the questions correct got a golf club towel from the tournament today. She had four towels to give away and all four towels went to my team! Looks like we can expect great things from Team 3 this summer! We also got to go to dinner on our own as a team tonight. We went to O'Charley's and had a great time. I laughed so hard that I cried at one point, which seems to be becoming a trend with my group! We were still in our uniforms when we went to dinner and got more than one strange look from others. We also went to Target to get a few things before we leave and then headed to a small bar to hang out with some of the other interns. It was a nice and relaxing way to end the day and get to know some of the other interns that are not in my group!

Tori and Brett with Ox, one of our trucks.

Pat, Tschida and Brett walking into Target in our uniforms.

Day 7: First tournament

Today was the first day of the preseason tournament at Chateau Elan, which is where the AJGA headquarters is located. Today was also the earliest that we had to report to HQ: 6 a.m.! We got to HQ this morning and went straight into morning assignments. Michael and I were with two other intern teams and we set up the a-frames on the first tee. All interns acted as walking rules officials today, so Michael and I started the 7:50 a.m. group and walked all 18 holes with them. Today was my first time walking a course and I am exhausted! I didn't even have a golf bag to carry! I didn't have to give any rulings, which I'm a little disappointed about since I am still uncomfortable with that aspect. However, I did get a bad time warning, so I at least got to go through the motions of talking to the players.

After my group finished, I went to 18 green and took some action photos, which came out really well! I also took photos of the BBQ and Care for the Course party, edited all of those photos and uploaded one to the website and one to Twitter. There were a few other little tasks that I completed and we finished the day with a meeting. Comm interns had to stay after (which will be the norm for the summer) for an additional meeting. From the time I got to HQ this morning to the time I left, I worked a 15 hour day. That's just a small taste of what will be a regular day this summer! Now, time for bed... It's 10:15 p.m., which is now considered late! Night!

The sun rising over the Pro Shop this morning (left) and the
sun setting as I left HQ tonight (right). It was a long day!

Day 6: Cross Training

I had to snap a picture on No. 12 green. It
was too pretty to resist!

Today was all about learning what the operations interns have done this week and will do for a normal tournament. There is a preseason tournament this weekend at Chateau Elan that we will be working, so all of the work we did today actually went towards the tournament preparations. Since today was the practice round for that tournament, ops were in charge of checking hole locations. So, I went out on the course with the ops on my team and watched them check the holes and mark the teeing grounds. It was really cool to be out on the course and see how the paperwork/computer work that I have done all week coincides with the work done on the course.

We then moved to another area of the course and walked through many different rulings. We went step-by-step through each ruling while using the walkie talkie. It was so helpful! I think I am most nervous about giving a ruling, so it was good to go over all of those again.

Brittany finally hit her limit!

After lunch, it was back to comm stuff. We set up the headquarters for the tournament this weekend and went through many different steps, programs and procedures for what we would normally do during a practice round. It was so nice to be able to get on the computers and play around with the programs again! They are starting to make sense, which feels really good! I was going to take a picture of HQ, but then I saw Brittany and had to take a picture... I think it explains how we are all feeling this week: tired, overwhelmed and ready to work a tournament. We have learned so much, so now I think that we are all antsy to get to a course and start working. During our break in HQ, I got to practice starting a group of players from the first tee, which I hadn't done yet so that was really helpful as well.

During dinner we had a team meeting and went over assignments for the first round of the tournament tomorrow. We then headed over to the Parents and Players Meetings where we completed player registration and got to sit in on the Players Meeting. It was nice to hear the Tournament Directors talk to the players about Pace of Play and certain course markings. I doubt the players were actually paying attention, but they were given the same information that the interns have been working on all week. Hopefully, with they information, they will get in some great rounds of golf tomorrow!

On the way back to the hotel, I asked my car to stop by Publix because I wanted krokies for the tournament tomorrow and the rest of the summer. We were searching for awhile and just dying laughing the whole time. Our version of "fun" is walking around Publix... do what you got to do! I don't think anything was actually funny; we were all just so tired!