AJGA Blog

News and Notes: Thunderbird International Junior

by Samantha Glover, AJGA Communications

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Thunderbird International Junior is a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club. The event features 48 boys and 30 girls, ages 12-18, from 17 states and 14 countries. The Boys Division is playing the course at 7,112 yards while the Girls Division is playing the course at 6,342 yards.

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Karen Chung of Livingston, N.J., and Brad Dalke of McKinney, Texas, will look to earn their second Thunderbird International Junior titles. Chung, a five-time AJGA champion and three-time first-team Rolex Junior All-American, will compete in the event for the last time before heading to the University of Southern California in the fall. Dalke, whose 2011 victory made him the AJGA’s youngest boys Invitational champion at 13 years, 9 months and 11 days, will seek his third AJGA victory.

Big Shoes to Fill

Since the creation of the Thunderbird International Junior in 2000, many champions have continued their careers at the collegiate and professional levels.

The first Girls Division champion, Virada Narapathpongporn of Bangkok, Thailand, went on to  play collegiate golf at Duke and win the women’s NCAA Championship in 2002 before winning the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur. After winning the event in 2004, Belen Mozo of Cadiz, Spain, played for the University of Southern California where she was a four-time NCAA All-American. She then played on the Symetra Tour, and is now in her second year on the LPGA Tour.

Current PGA TOUR player and reigning champion of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Ryan Moore won the Boys Division in 2001. He continued his career at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas before turning professional in 2005. After being named the 2001 Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Casey Wittenberg won the 2002 Thunderbird International Junior. He was recently named the 2012 Web.com Tour Player of the Year.

Close to Home

Several local competitors are among the top-ranked field. Christopher Petefish of Scottsdale will compete in his first Thunderbird International Junior. Krystal Quihuis and George Cunningham, both of Tucson, Ariz., hope to earn their second AJGA victories of 2013 at Grayhawk Golf Club. For Quihuis, victory at the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club in March, was her first AJGA champion title. Cunningham collected his second AJGA title at the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook hosted by Sean O'Hair.

Prestigious Past

Grayhawk Golf Club features two 18-hole courses - the Raptor Course and the Talon Course. This week juniors will play on the Raptor Course. The par-72 course, designed by Tom Fazio, has played host to a number of golf events since its completion in 1995 including the 2007-2009 Frys.com Open.

Named Eights & Aces, the par 3, 174 yard No. 8 is one of many picturesque holes on the Raptor Course that includes views of the McDowell Mountains.

AJC Top 100: Staff Retreat

At the conclusion of the busy summer tournament season, AJGA headquarters closes for three days in October. During these three days, all staff members, from the newest of new to the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer travel to the Georgia mountains for a staff retreat.

Staff retreat is a time to get away from the office, to talk about the year behind and plan for the year ahead. While there is a lot of work that gets done, the retreat is also a time for AJGA staff to have fun together and enjoy each other’s company. Whether it’s a friendly, yet certainly competitive, softball game, or preparing s’mores around a campfire, there’s plenty of fun time for the staff to get to know one another and have time together outside of the normal work atmosphere.

Director of Player Services Chandler Sweat, an AJGA staff member since 2004, has attended nine staff retreats.

“The benefits of having a staff retreat are team building, future productivity and feeling valued,” Sweat said. “It gives us a chance to say what we really think.”

 

Chandler Sweat participates in the final challenge of 'Minute to Win It' at staff retreat.

 

In my personal opinion, one of the coolest things about staff retreat is the invitation that is extended to attend to “new hires,” future employees who do not start work at headquarters until January.

Kellen Clawson, who worked as an intern in 2011 and 2012, attended his first staff retreat in October and shared his experience.

Enjoy!

Q: As a new hire, what was your first thought about the AJGA flying down all of the new hires to participate in staff retreat?

I thought it was a great gesture to make me instantly feel included in the organization. It was another gesture that showed me I was making the right move, moving states away from my family to start a new adventure. I had an organization that supported me and wanted me involved as soon as possible.

Q: What were your first impressions?

I liked how easy it was to jump in and have fun with both the staff that I knew previously from my internships, as well as the staff that I had never met before. The people I met for the first time all welcomed me and mentioned how they were excited to work with me. I could tell the staff gets excited each year to meet the new hires and welcome them.

Q: What does it mean to work for an organization that offers this kind of event for its employees?

I am very proud to be part of an organization that does this. I know that no matter what struggles I face at work, I will always have the support of my coworkers. I am proud to be part of an organization that empowers me even when I am fresh out of school and prone to mistakes. They encourage me to grow and learn which makes me want to perform better.

In case you’ve missed something, be sure to check out our full AJC Top 100 interview series. 

This is the last installment of our AJC Top 100 series on the blog. It’s been such a pleasure sharing with you stories of our past employees, as well as giving you a small glimpse into what makes the AJGA such a great place to work. If you’re interested in a career at the AJGA, be sure to check out our careers page online and follow @AJGACareers on Twitter.

Did you have a favorite part of the AJC Top 100 blog series? Do you have ideas of something you’d like to hear more about on the blog in the future? Give me a shout on Twitter, I’d love to talk to you about it.

Until next time,

Alexis (@AJGAWitman)

 

AJC Top 100: Todd Corum

Todd Corum

Tour Representative

Bridgestone Golf

Q: What was your time at the AJGA like? 

My time at the AJGA was unbelievable.  I interned in 1999 and was a Tournament Director from 2000 – 2004. My last two years with the AJGA, I ran all of the Association’s major championships.  The players that were playing and winning those events are now winning events on the PGA and LPGA Tours.  [It’s] very cool to see these players continue to have success as they move through each level of golf. 

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the AJGA? 

I have so many great memories from my time at the AJGA.  The friendships you make with the AJGA staff last a lifetime.  Also, I had the opportunity to meet some of the greatest players to ever play the game which included Phil Mickelson, Sam Snead and Justin Leonard, but meeting Arnold Palmer at the first HP Boys Championship at Bay Hill is my favorite memory from my time at the AJGA.

Q: How did the AJGA help prepare you for your current role at Bridgestone? 

The AJGA prepared me to do things the right way.  All the little details make an event special for all those involved.  Also, many of the contacts I had at the AJGA are still contacts I see regularly on TOUR now that I am with Bridgestone Golf.  The AJGA has such a great fraternity of people in the golf industry and many doors open for you just because of your association with the AJGA.

Q: What about the Association makes Bridgestone want to be involved? 

The AJGA is not only the best junior golf organization in the world but also one of the best associations in all of golf.  We want to be associated with the best players in the world and being a partner with the AJGA allows us to do that.  We currently sponsor an event, the Bridgestone Golf / Brandt Snedeker Music City Junior, as well as sponsor the low first round award at each event.  This allows us to stay involved with golf’s next generation of superstars.

 

 

In June, Brandt Snedeker will partner with his sponsor, Bridgestone, to host the Bridgestone Golf / Brandt Snedeker Music City Junior presented by Toyota. Snedeker, AJGA alum and current PGA TOUR professional, is devoted to giving back to the community, and along with various children’s charities he supports, he believes in the importance of giving back to junior golf.  Snedeker posted three top-20 AJGA finishes and received Rolex Junior All-America honorable mention honors in 1998. Snedeker went on to attend Vanderbilt University where he was named SEC Male Golfer of the Year during his senior season.  Snedeker was named PGA TOUR “Rookie of the Year” in 2007 and won the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in 2012.

 

In case you’ve missed something, be sure to check out our full AJC Top 100 interview series. 

AJC Top 100: Sara Wagoner

            In 2010, Sara Wagoner made the transition from Braselton to Atlanta, golf slacks to scrubs, 56 co-workers to 6,830. But one thing remained the same as she left the AJGA for a job with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: she was leaving one AJC Top 100 Workplace for another.

(Sara Wagoner, front row, second from left, during her time with the AJGA.)

            “I was lucky to start my professional career at the AJGA,” Sara said. “I don't believe it's possible to understand how special the AJGA is unless you've worked there. The AJGA is a family through and through.”

            During her four years at the AJGA, Sara built a foundation for her career working for nonprofits. She covered the spectrum of responsibilities as the AJGA Director of Media Relations, including managing the video department, serving as editor of The Insider, coordinating the communications internship program, and overseeing the media relations plan.

            “I've never worked harder in my career or had as much responsibility handed to me, especially at such a young age,” Sara said. “I learned how to handle myself in a professional manner, no matter the circumstance, and I really learned how to be team player.”

            She is now a Senior Program Coordinator working with the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which checked in as the No. 10 large company in the AJC’s 2013 survey of top workplaces.

            While many AJGA employees graduate to high-level jobs in the golf and sports industries, Sara had always aspired to work for a children’s hospital. And like many others before her, Sara’s goals were realized thanks to the support of the AJGA family.

            "Working at the AJGA taught me many things. It was working there that made me realize where I wanted to go with my professional future,” she said. “The AJGA would have prepared me well for any profession, but especially one in nonprofit."

-Chris Richards (@AJGARichards) 

In case you’ve missed something, be sure to check out our full AJC Top 100 interview series. 

AJC Top 100: Professional Development

“It means a lot to me to work for an organization that not only allows, but encourages, this type of personal and professional development. I truly believe that if you’re not getting better and continuing to learn, you’re getting worse.”

         -Stephanie Dittmer, AJGA Communications Coordinator

One of benefits of working for the AJGA is the opportunity the organization gives employees to go beyond 1980 Sports Club Drive and work and learn with other people. Not only do these opportunities give AJGA employees the chance to shine, but it allows AJGA staff to continue learning and bring their new knowledge back to the organization.

"If you don't get goose bumps when you walk into this place, you don't have a pulse."

            -Don Sutton. Baseball Hall of Famer, on the Masters

For the last two years, Hal Tift, Manager of Information Technology, has worked as part of the Masters.com editorial team editing stories and captioning photos, something he says he never would have had the opportunity to do without the AJGA’s connections.

One of Tift’s duties with the AJGA is overseeing live scoring. With an upcoming Web.com Tour event in nearby Athens, Tift pitched an idea that would have him attend the event to learn about how a professional tour runs live scoring. Visiting the Web.com Tour event not only allowed Tift to interact with Web.com Tour staff members and teach them about the AJGA, but also gave him plenty of ideas and knowledge to improve the AJGA’s live-scoring in the future.

"Based on a shared love and respect for golf, we preserve its past, foster its future, and champion its best interests for everyone who enjoys the game."

            -USGA Mission

The AJGA offers the opportunity to operations staff to work at USGA Junior Championships. This allows staff members to see how other organizations run events and bring back ideas to the AJGA, and also provides staff members to interact with industry professionals.

“We are given the opportunity to expand our networks,” said Julie Greenfield, Senior Tournament Director. “Courses and committees value how well-rounded we are, and the experience we gain is applicable to all areas of our lives now, and in the future.”

Through the AJGA and personal connections she made as a result of those experiences, Greenfield has had the opportunity to work as a rules official at the U.S. Girls’ Junior, the U.S. Women’s Amateur, an NCAA Division I Regional, and she currently serves on the Rules Committee for the NCAA Division I Women’s National Championships.

One of Greenfield’s favorite things about the professional development opportunities she has had comes back to the AJGA.

“At the NCAA level, many of the players are AJGA alumni. I get to see our mission and purposes fulfilled and keep in contact with them,” Greenfield said.

"Big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details." 

        -John Wooden, 10-time National Championship basketball coach at UCLA

(Stephanie Dittmer (on right) with Dick Vitale, famed basketball sportscaster.)

Last year, Stephanie Dittmer, Communications Coordinator, worked the NCAA Men’s Basketball South Regional in Atlanta, and this year, as the National Championship came to town, she once again had the opportunity to volunteer on the media relations team.

As she worked attending press conferences, transcribing quotes and distributing material to national media, Dittmer not only gained valuable professional experience, but also had the opportunity to share the mission of the AJGA.

“I wore AJGA shirts each day and that provided a great opportunity to start conversation,” said Dittmer. “I told a lot of people from volunteers, to national media personnel about the AJGA, what our mission is, what we do, and what we stand for. It was a great opportunity to network and spread the word about our great organization.”

 

 

In case you’ve missed something, be sure to check out our full AJC Top 100 interview series. 

AJC Top 100: Kevin Floyd

Kevin Floyd: Prestige Staffing

Tell me about your time with the AJGA:

 I graduated college in May of 1998 and did the communications internship on the East Coast. I think I literally came to training the day or two after graduation. I was a communications intern, one of two, and Tonya Oskarson was my partner. We traveled through the summer with four operations interns and ran events. At the end, I felt like there could be a full time opportunity for me, but I wasn’t sure when I left. A while later I got a call from Joel Schuchman (currently Director of Communications for the PGA TOUR) and he offered me a full time job in communications. I was all about it – I said I’m all in.  There were only four or five people at that point and we had this little corner of the building back when the AJGA was headquartered at Horseshoe Bend. A year later I got an opportunity a year later to start a staffing company in Atlanta and I couldn’t pass it up. 

What did you learn during your time at the AJGA?

I learned time management and how to work in a kind of organized chaos - getting the course set up on the front end and then post tournament with deadlines and getting the releases out. Most certainly teamwork. I’m in a leadership position now at Prestige and one of our core values is teamwork. I think the elements of teamwork that I learned while working with a team that summer and full time at the AJGA was invaluable. No one person is going to get the job done by themselves. It’s an absolute requirement that you work together and cater to each other’s strengths. Living that 24/7 during that intern summer and year afterwards was critical and I definitely carried that over to my current business.

 What was your favorite memory from your time at the AJGA?

The first tournament I worked, we played at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, Ky. That week Hunter Mahan qualified into the event. I remember Hunter Mahan just sitting at tournament headquarters while the scores were coming in just dying to get in to the event. I believe it was one of his first AJGA events, and he ended up just blowing everyone away and finishing in second place.  I tell that story now and considering where he is, it’s pretty cool to have been there.  

What would you tell someone about the AJGA if asked?

[The AJGA] is a phenomenal organization. It is the most competitive training in junior golf, extremely well run with efficient tournament events and a great experience and what I saw was it became a home away from home for a lot of these players. Some traveled and played as many as possible and some just stepped in for a few events, but the AJGA was very intentional in giving positive experience for everyone and training in life values. You saw this in the pace of play policy, code of conduct and making players take their hats off inside. These were sound principles that [Executive Director Stephen] Hamblin and the other guys set up front. I saw kids come to these events and there was this standard they had to live by that was consistent throughout the organization. There was no tolerance for people who didn’t play by the rules. A lot of parents appreciated the code of conduct and realized how these values were beneficial to their kids at the next step.

I always recommend the internship to everyone. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see places and do things; it’s just phenomenal. I still talk to those guys I traveled and worked with all the time. The relationships are the essence of the AJGA. The relationships I built have been some of the most fruitful and beneficial I have had in my career. As you live and work together for several months, the AJGA is great at forming a family structure among its employees.  

 

Complete list of AJC Top 100 Series interviews

One of my favorite things about being involved in interviewing past staff members for our AJC Top 100 series has been hearing stories and history about the organization that I've never heard before. While preparing this blog and reading over Kevin's Q&A, it was awesome to read his answer to the question about his "favorite AJGA memory." I've worked the tournament at Bellefonte for two years now and had never heard the story of Hunter Mahan qualifying into the event... Very cool to hear. 

Do you have a great AJGA memory or story you'd like to share? Find me on Twitter and tell me about it. 

Until next time -

Alexis (@AJGAWitman)

AJC Top 100: In case you missed it

It's been one week since the AJGA was named one of the Top 100 Workplaces in Metro Atlanta by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Over the last week, we've run some great content across our different outlets and we have more great content for you in the week ahead. 

In case you missed out on some of the stuff we shared last week, here's a wrap up of what you missed: 

Our awesome Multimedia Production Manager Greg created a video celebrating the AJGA's place as a Top 100 Workplace. Watch the video and hear from past and present AJGA staff as they talk about why they loved working for the AJGA and what makes it such a special place to work. 

 

“Whether it is a full-time career or a stopping point, it’s a great opportunity to learn what it’s like to have a job and be responsible.” – Jim Heard

(Read more from Jim’s interview here.)

“AJGA staff members are very hard workers. They are the type of people who can work a long day and still laugh at the end. It is very rare to find people who can work 15 hour days, getting up at 4:30 a.m. in the morning and working until 9 p.m., who can still laugh after. Everyone really cares about each other. It starts from the top, Stephen [Hamblin] cares about developing staff members personally and professionally.” – Kristi Bradley

(Read more from Kristi’s interview here.)

Last Thursday, we did a quick throwback to 2009 when the AJGA hosted a “Film Festival,” and staff members from all departments mades videos explaining why the AJGA was such a great place to work. The following video won “Best Picture,” but you can check out all the entries here.

 

This week on the blog, you can look forward to more interviews from AJGA staff alum that have gone on to other jobs in the Atlanta area, as well as hearing from current AJGA staff members about opportunities they have had as a result of their employment here.

Have you worked for the AJGA in the past as a full-time staff member or an intern? Be sure to connect with us on Twitter and tell us about some of your favorite memories.

 

Until next time,

Alexis (@AJGAWitman)

 

 

News and Notes: AJGA Junior at River Ridge

By Caitlin Davis and Allison Cottrell, AJGA Communications

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Junior at River Ridge is a 36-hole stroke play competition played on the Victoria Lakes Course at River Ridge Golf Club. The event features 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 10 states, Canada and Ecuador. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6,881 yards while the Girls Division is playing the course at 6,082 yards.

0 – 3,500 miles

This weekend’s field features 77 golfers who hail from California, including three players – Kristin Diep, Patrick Holden and Kyle McLay – who live right here in Oxnard. The furthest distance will be traveled by Andrés Arango of Guayaquil, Ecuador, which is more than 3,500 miles from Oxnard.

Return of the champions

The Girls Division will feature two players who were victorious already this season. Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., captured her first AJGA title at the AJGA Junior at Diablo Grande on April 21. Muni He of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., picked up her second career AJGA win and first of this year at the AJGA Junior All-Star at Cypress Ridge last week.

Are you ready for some footgolf?

Footgolf is a new and upcoming sport that originated from the Netherlands and is a mix of soccer and golf. Instead of using golf balls or golf clubs, players use a soccer ball and kick the ball to a 21-inch hole. The player with the fewest kicks in 9 or 18 holes wins. River Ridge is the only golf course in California that has a course for the sport and will host their first footgolf tournament May 18-19. Junior golfers at this weekend’s event will get to play footgolf for their social activity after the first round.

Double trouble

River Ridge Golf Course has two taxing courses, the Vineyard Course and the Victoria Lakes Course. The Vineyard Course boasts panoramic ocean views and has the signature “Island hole” on No. 18. The Victoria Lakes Course will host the AJGA this weekend, and it’s notorious for its “Amen Corner”, which starts on the par-five, No. 12 and ends on the par-five No. 14. Hole No. 13 is the most challenging on the course. It is a 425-yard, double dogleg with lakes on both sides and the wind in your in face all the way to the green.

No. 13 is one of the most difficult holes on River Ridge's Victoria Lakes Course.

California dreamin’

In addition to hosting the AJGA Junior at River Ridge, Oxnard, Calif., is home to many exciting places and faces. In the summer, the Dallas Cowboys regularly travel to the city for training camp. In fact, the field they use to train is just next to No. 13 on River Ridge Golf Club’s Vineyard Course. Oxnard is also home to many beaches, with more than 20 miles of land on the coast. Actor Charlie Chaplin, Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak and singers Cher and Sonny Bono all have made the 60-mile journey north from Los Angeles to escape to beach homes in Oxnard. In addition, professional golfer Corey Pavin and AJGA alumnus Paul Stankowski are both from the city.

#AJGAJr

Join in on the AJGA Junior at River Ridge conversation on Twitter by following @AJGAGolf and using #AJGAJr. In addition, be sure to “like” the AJGA on Instagram and Facebook to check out photos from the event!

News and Notes: Preseason Junior at Fieldstone

Back at Fieldstone:

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Preseason Junior at Fieldstone is a 36-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72 course at the Fieldstone Golf Club of Auburn Hills. The event features 63 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-18, from 11 states and Canada. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6639 yards while the Girls Division is playing the course at 5768 yards.

The course record is a 9-under-par 63, shot at the Buick Open Qualifier in 2009, an event held regularly at Fieldstone Golf Club of Auburn Hills.

The Background:

Fieldstone Golf Club of Auburn Hills was designed by University of Michigan alum and golf course designer Arthur Hills. The course, which opened in 1998, is routinely ranked in the top 10 of nearly 200 courses in the Detroit area.

There are no signature holes, they’re all challenging, says Fieldstone’s Golf Professional Gordon Marmion. The bent-grass course has fairways lined with native bent-grass, over 11 hazards, small greens and plenty of difficult approach shots.

Long, native grass line the No.10 hole at Fieldstone Golf Club of Auburn Hills. Click here for more photos.

It’s All About the Kids:

The first multi-day event held at Fieldstone was an AJGA event, the Junior All-Star at Fieldstone held in April of 2012. Karen Arimoto of Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., won the Girls Division with a tournament total of 1-over-par 145 in the 36-hole tournament. Daniel Martinez of Austin, Texas, shot a final round 3-under-par 69 to win the Boys Division with a 4-under-par 140 two-day total.

Fieldstone plans to host seven junior events this year, including the Optimist Junior World Championship, Golf Association of Michigan Amateur Championship Qualifier and the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Regional Tournament.

“I think it’s important to support juniors,” Marmion said. “We want to keep promoting the game, and it’s the best opportunity to do so.”

News and Notes: Preseason Junior at Blue Heron Hills

By: Ian Yelton - AJGA Communications

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Preseason Junior at Blue Heron Hills is a 36-hole stroke play competition played on the par-71 course at Blue Heron Hills Golf Club. The event features 63 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-18, from 16 states, Washington D.C., Canada and Mexico. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6,538 yards while the Girls Division is playing the course at 5,958 yards.

For more info on this IMG Academy Preseason Series Event click here.

New York, New York: There will be 25 players from New York competing in the Preseason Junior at Blue Heron Hills.

Family First: Brothers Mark and Matthew Lesinski of Getzville, N.Y., and twin sisters Chloe and Sophie DiPetrillo of Dover Mass., will compete at the Preseason Junior at Blue Heron Hills.

There's A First Time For Everything: Blue Heron Hills Golf Club in Macedon, N.Y., will play host for an AJGA event for the first time from May 3 - May 5.

To view photos from the event, click here.