News and Notes from the MGA Foundation
By Jackson Roberts
The MGA Foundation’s cornerstone program, GOLFWORKS, wrapped up another successful summer, with a total of 273 young men and women working at 59 clubs and courses across the Met Area.
“The 32nd season of the GOLFWORKS program has seen its greatest growth, with a record number of young men and women placed in life changing internships,” Lou Cutolo, manager of foundation programs, says. “All of this year’s achievements have been made possible by the support of our member clubs, individual golfers in our community, and our longtime partner, MetLife.”
Since 1994, GOLFWORKS has placed high school students in internships at MGA member clubs and facilities where they spend the summer working in various areas of the club industry.
Interns learn from industry professionals and may spend time working in the golf shop, food and beverage, grounds staff, or clubhouse operations. For many interns, this their first job and provides professional and life lessons that help them succeed with their future education plans and careers.
A few GOLFWORKS interns shared their experiences and the value of the work they did, including first-year intern at Mosholu Golf Course in the Bronx, Keira Daly, working her first summer job. After spending years playing at Mosholu and participating in First Tee programs, she worked the past few months as a coach.
“Everyone says, ‘That was you at some point,’” Daly says. “It was kind of sweet to see it from the other perspective and build relationships with the kids.”
Her daily responsibilities included setting up practice areas, providing individual and group instruction, as well as taking the kids out on the course for a round. At the end of the day, she’d help clean everything up and organize all equipment and accessories for the next day. By the summer’s end, Daly realized it was a full-circle moment working at a place that was central to her golf journey.
“I’m really grateful that I was given the opportunity to work here at Mosholu this summer,” she adds. “It has been so much fun, and it has really opened me up to new experiences.”
Maya Dhiman was home from Lehigh University for the summer and worked as a youth camp instructor at Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, N.Y. She helped kids learn the basics of the game on the range, short game area, and the course.
“It’s amazing,” Dhiman says. “All of the staff are great. It’s honestly exciting to come to work. I’ve been able to grow as a person.”
Dhiman hopes to pursue a career in the game, ideally on the business side as she’s majoring in finance.
Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, two young men also completed their first summer jobs. Luke Renoff and Slater DiMaggio worked on the Mountain Ridge Country Club outside operations team, where they were responsible for maintaining and cleaning the practice areas and carts along with assisting in the bag room. It was both kids’ first experience working at the club, which has been a longtime supporter of the GOLFWORKS intern program.
“It teaches a lot, and you have to follow through with the commitments you make,” Renoff notes. “There are people relying on me, and it has an impact on the whole club.”
Adds DiMaggio: “It’s the best summer job I’ve had. I think I’m going to keep coming back here. It’s a great place, great environment, and the people here are amazing. GOLFWORKS, it’s just amazing.”
Both plan to pursue careers in finance and quickly realized the benefits of networking with club members. Renoff notes how he was able to connect with some who had attended his school, Indiana University; while DiMaggio met an industry professional one day while caddieing that he hopes to intern for down the line.
Luke O’Brien worked at Essex County Country Club in outside operations.
“You learn how hard it is to make money,” O’Brien says. “It kind of immerses you into the real world.”
His internship intersected with the 111th Met Open Championship last month, allowing him to play a pivotal role in helping the club run smoothly during a demanding week. O’Brien spent most of the time collecting and cleaning the golf balls on the range, organizing carts, and directing traffic in and out of the club.
He did all that work under Outside Operations Manager Ryan Mack, who got his start at the club as a GOLFWORKS intern.
“It shows a true bond,” O’Brien says. “He’s a good boss, and I felt like he introduced me to the workplace really well.
I realized how good of a program GOLFWORKS is, and I’m thankful for it.”
To learn more about GOLFWORKS and how to sponsor an intern for the 2027 season, visit mgagolf.org/foundation or contact Lou Cutolo at lcutolo@mgagolf.org.