AMERICAN JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION INTERNSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Communications

The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.  The association is the largest organization of its kind with a membership of more than 5,000 juniors from 49 states and 25 foreign countries.  In 2009, the AJGA plans to conduct more than 80 tournaments across the United States.  The purpose of the AJGA is to provide positive life experiences for junior golfers by giving them the opportunity to develop and showcase their competitive skills while setting high standards to preserve the integrity and traditions of the game.  By remaining committed to this purpose, the AJGA has built a reputation of providing the best exposure vehicle for college golf scholarships.

The AJGA internship requires extensive travel, is difficult and demanding, but at the same time is very rewarding.  No other internship will better prepare you for a career in the golf industry. The internship will help one mature and prepare for one’s future.  The AJGA’s staff is respected and viewed with great admiration by parents, players, sponsors and the golf industry. The following information should help you get a better understanding of the duties, responsibilities and rewards of completing the internship. 

SPRING INTERNSHIP DATES:  
March-May

SUMMER INTERNSHIP DATES:
May-September    (end dates vary by team)

DESCRIPTION:

The AJGA is looking for qualified applicants to serve as tournament communications interns. The interns will travel extensively throughout the United States during the internship and will help conduct national junior golf tournaments.  In the spring, two teams of six interns each will be hired, with each intern team being comprised of Operations and Communications. In the summer, six teams of seven interns will be hired and travel with a specific travel itinerary. Tournament communications interns are responsible for performing all on-site communications and media relations duties.

TYPICAL HOURS: 

Most days will begin between 5-6 a.m. and end between 8-10 p.m. every day of the week, including weekends.  Average hours worked per week is around 85 hours with very little time off.  If you are not a morning person, require 8 hours of sleep nightly, or have difficulty being away from your family or friends for extended periods of time, this internship is not for you.

DUTIES/JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Interns will learn everything that is involved with conducting a golf tournament.  Some of the duties and responsibilities include:

       
            • Post-round results and news releases
            • Prepare each tournament’s printed materials
            • Tournament photography
            • Distribute results to local and national media
            • Update the AJGA’s Web site, ajga.org
            • Media and public relations
            • Monitoring equipment inventory, maintenance and replenishment
            • Public speaking
            • On-course rules officiating
            • General tournament set-up and preparation
            • Golf course set-up and preparation
            • Starting and scoring of players

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

            • Excellent communication and public relations skills
            • Experience in sports information, media relations or with a newspaper
            • Excellent news writing and editing skills, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
            • Working knowledge of PC computers (Microsoft Word, Access, Dreamweaver experience preferred)
            • Ability to work and communicate in a team atmosphere
            • Photography experience a plus
            • Published media clips
            • Highly motivated
            • Willingness to work long hours in hot/cold weather and endure physical situations such as heavy lifting
            • Ability to drive and operate company vans & trailers
            • Clean driving record
            • Basic golf knowledge (Rules of Golf experience a plus)
            • Willingness to take active leadership role
           

NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS: 

Summer intern teams will work approximately 10-12 tournaments during the summer months while the spring intern teams will work approximately 5-6 tournaments during the spring. Most of the tournaments will also have an 18-hole Qualifier and a Junior-Am Tournament preceding the event.

INTERNSHIP TEAMS: 

Each intern team will consist of five (5) operations interns and two (2) communications interns.  The team will travel as a group to various tournaments around the country.  Interns spend a great deal of time together striving to achieve common objectives and must be willing to work in a team atmosphere and learn how to effectively solve problems and difficult situations.  It is the interns’ responsibility to overcome personal differences and grow as a team throughout the internship.  If you are not a team player and find it challenging to meet the stated expectations, this internship is not an appropriate fit for you.

TOURNAMENT TRAVEL: 

All intern teams travel via the AJGA's corporate vans.  These vans are customized conversion vans and make for a smoother and safer travel than most vehicles.  Occasionally, when large distances need to be covered in short time periods, interns will travel via airplane, but the large majority of all travel is done in the vans.  Most van trips average between 5-10 hours every week.

CAREER ENRICHMENT:

There are countless benefits to participating in the AJGA Internship. You will meet and interact with many people. You will get to know the future players of the PGA and LPGA Tours. You will be around influential and successful sponsors, and work closely with golf professionals, directors of golf and course superintendents.  In addition to the contacts made, the internship also serves as a training ground for full-time employment with the AJGA.  Of the current 54 full-time employees, 44 completed the internship.

EXPENSES:    

            The following expenses will be paid by the AJGA:
            • All travel between sites, to Atlanta for training week and back home at the end of the internship
            • All meals
            • Hotel accommodations
            • Laundry

            The following expenses will NOT be paid by the AJGA:

            • Travel expenses incurred during free time
            • Personal phone calls
            • Night life/Alcohol consumption
            • Personal purchases
            • Dry cleaning or other hotel amenities

STAFF UNIFORMS: 

Polo Golf Ralph Lauren is the official sportswear of the AJGA.  Each intern will receive an assortment of shirts and shorts.  Each intern is given two pairs of New Balance shoes. Uniforms will be worn on all tournament days.  You will wear your own golf clothing on set-up days and travel days.

SALARY/COLLEGE CREDIT: 

$200 per week (All tournament-related expenses paid by Association). The AJGA internship may also be used for college credit.

TO APPLY: 

Click here for application information.