By Mark Collins, Special to Lone Star Golf
As I look back on what has been a whirlwind eight months, one recurring theme keeps popping up: Joy. Not just my joy for having the opportunity to live one of the best experiences of my life, but the joy I witnessed from the players I met throughout my USGA Boatwright Internship with the TGA. To me, this is exactly what golf should be: pure, unfettered happiness.
I knew when I accepted the position that it was going to be a lot of work. It also was a step in the right direction for my career. I was ready for long hours and the chance to live my dream of working in sports. I wasn’t quite ready, however, for the profound impact it would have on me from a personal standpoint. This entire experience was more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.
To witness firsthand the impact we have on all the men, women and juniors who play in TGA Championships is something I will never forget. To some people this job may seem like a lot of work just to host amateur golf tournaments, but it was so much more than that. I actually felt like I was making a difference to each golfer who played in our events.
Every time I was out on the course, no matter what event I was working, I had someone come up to me and tell me how much they appreciated the work our entire staff put in to make them feel special.
One tournament did stand out above the rest in that regard, though.
As a newcomer to the TGA, I had no idea what to expect when the Texas Father-Son Championship rolled around. I knew it was the most popular TGA event of the year, and that was very evident as the field filled up within seven minutes of registration opening. This means 80 teams got on and registered in a span of seven minutes! It definitely lived up to its reputation as our most popular event.
The other thing I knew to expect was very long days of work. That also lived up to the hype. All weekend it was at least 12 hours of work per day. With 80 teams playing in two waves, it makes perfect sense that this would take a while. With temperatures consistently in the upper-90s it made for a long weekend, but every hour was worth it.
So as I look back fondly on this life-changing experience, I can honestly say I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not only has this internship shown me how many great career opportunities the game of golf offers, but also it taught me how to be a better person.
The Father-Son is certainly competitive, make no mistake about that, but my biggest surprise was the sheer joy and appreciation I witnessed from every player in the field. This isn’t just another golf event for them. It’s the opportunity to get together and to spend quality time on the golf course as a family. As a starter each afternoon of the tournament, I can’t tell you how many times a team thanked us for being there and running this event for them.
There was one team that has played in the Father-Son for 26 consecutive years and another who has played in 28 of the last 30. Neither of those teams treated this as just another year. They were as excited to play this year as if it was their first one. Not to mention, they were already talking about signing up again next year.
Another team that was playing in the fifth Father-Son told me they broke par for the first time this year. These gentlemen were beaming as they told me this fact. They didn’t care about winning their flight. Their excitement about their first round under par together reminded me why we do this.
Golf is supposed to be fun, a notion often forgotten when the competitive juices start flowing or when things aren’t going your way. But the Father-Son is a great reminder of what the game can offer. The ability to share that weekend with a loved one, to relax and reconnect, meant so much to our players. It was great to hear how much they appreciated it, but to see it up close was something else altogether.
I want to extend my deepest and most sincere gratitude to the entire TGA staff for being so welcoming and such a joy to work with. You have all taught me so much and have prepared me for whatever life has in store for me. I also want to send out a huge “Thank You” to all of our TGA Members and players. You are what made this experience so rewarding for me. You all made me feel so welcome at our events and you have shown me what the game of golf is all about.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who made this experience possible. I will never forget my time with the TGA.
