Written by Megan Arnold, Communications Intern Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the BillardFactory.com Junior Championship is a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72 tournament course at The Woodlands Country Club. The event features 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from six states and three countries. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6,986 yards while the Girls Division is playing the course at 6,103 yards. Bringing scores to life Matt Johnson is more than just a pro on the course; he's a pro when it comes to calligraphy as well. Johnson, one of the... Continue reading

Written By: Tim Hamilton Day at the Beach- Ohio is nowhere near a coastline, but Red Tail Golf Club makes up for it with an abundance of sand on the course. The par-72 track has 113 bunkers around the grounds. The bunkers come big and small, and hitting a sand shot on this course is a near guarantee. No. 8 has a small beach on the right side of the green, which juniors will try to avoid with right side hole locations. Juniors will aim for fairways and greens, but more than likely the 56 degree wedge will be one... Continue reading

By Debbie Lee and Chris Hummer Communications Interns Communications Intern Communications Intern FJ Invitational News & Notes The 12th annual FJ Invitational was played at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC., where 84 competitors from 27 states and four countries (China, Mexico, Japan, and Singapore) were invited to participate in this renowned AJGA event. The History… Sedgefield Country Club is an historic venue, having hosted one of the PGA Tour’s longest running events, the Wyndham Championship, hosted as early as 1938. A decorated brick wall sits behind the ninth green displays every past champions name. Sedgefield is where Sam Snead... Continue reading

Written by: Leah Flanagan and Tim Hamilton AJGA Communications 30th Anniversary- 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior. NRP has been the title sponsor for the past 10 years. This tournament is one of the longest running events on the AJGA schedule. Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, Ky., serves as the host once again this week. The NRP event means so much to this community, and the volunteer support is always admirable in Ashland. A lot can change in 30 years, but one thing the people of Ashland can always count on is a golf... Continue reading

Moving into the final rounds of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and FJ Invitational, there are still opportunities for golfers to make the East and West Teams of the Wyndham Cup. Let’s take a look at the priority lists after the second week of the summer season. East Team At No. 10 on the East Team boys’ priority list, Max Greyserman will compete for a high finish at the FJ Invitational this week. The recent high school graduate will play at Duke next fall and will look to compete in his first Wyndham Cup at 26.35 points. Right behind Greyserman... Continue reading

Written by Michael Baliker, AJGA Communications Intern Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Junior All-Star at Gray Plantation is a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72 Gray Course at Gray Plantation Golf Club. The event features 63 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-18, from 15 states, China and Mexico. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6,608 yards while the Girls Division is playing the course at 5,910 yards. First-timers Gray Plantation Golf Club in Lake Charles, La., opens its doors to the AJGA for the first time in 2013. The Gray was ranked by... Continue reading

By Tim Jackman: AJGA Communications Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Junior at Quad Cities was a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72 course at Short Hills Country Club. The event featured 96 boys and 36 girls, ages 12-18, from 26 states and three countries. The Boys Division played the course at 6,637 yards while the Girls Division played the course at 6,007 yards. Giant frogs take the city The city of East Moline, Ill., was originally just a train depot surrounded by frog ponds. When the city’s 100th anniversary came around, they decided to... Continue reading

By Megan Arnold, Communications Intern Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Junior at Steelwood presented by AT&T was a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72 Steelwood Country Club. The event featured 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 13 states, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Japan. The Boys Division played the course at 7,005 yards while the Girls Division played the course at 5,941 yards. Sudden-death playoffs no longer the norm For the past four years, the Girls Division champion has been decided via a sudden-death playoff. Aliea Clark of Carlsbad, Calif. won the... Continue reading

By Jenni Gallimore, AJGA Intern Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the PING Phoenix Junior at ASU Karsten is a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-70 ASU Karsten Golf Course. The event features 57 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-18, from 16 states and two countries. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6,858 yards, while the Girls Division is playing the course at 5,927 yards. AJGA’s return to ASU Karsten Marking its 16th year at Arizona State University’s golf course, the PING Phoenix Junior at ASU Karsten is in its 23rd year on the AJGA... Continue reading

By Chris Hummer, Communications Intern Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Preseason Junior at Nemacolin was a 36-hole stroke play competition played on the Links Course at Nemacolin Woodland Resort. The event featured 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 12 states and four countries. The Boys Division played the course at par-70 6,295 yards while the Girls Division played the course at par-71 5,458 yards. Lions, tigers and bears oh my The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort features an abundance of activities including off-road vehicle training, ski instruction and an airport for landing private planes. But it’s the... Continue reading

By Chris Ceman, AJGA Communications First Ever The AJGA Kansas Junior at Buffalo Dunes is a first-time event held in Garden City, Kan., which is located on the western side of the state. Buffalo Dunes opened up its fairways to the public in 1976 by using land donated to Garden City by Brookover Feedyards. Since being selected to host the first AJGA event held in western Kansas, Tournament Chairman and Head Professional at Buffalo Dunes Cole Wasinger has embraced the AJGA atmosphere that has come to Garden City. “It’s been absolutely tremendous,” he said. “It’s been exactly what I expected,... Continue reading

Welcome to the first edition of the Wyndham Watch! Throughout the next few weeks, I will be profiling the prospective team members who will face off in the annual east-versus-west team match play tournament called Wyndham Cup. The teams are chosen based on Polo Golf Rankings, which reward top finishes in national junior golf events. The 2013 Wyndham Cup will be played July 15-18, at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe for the first time. Who will get the opportunity to play at this prestigious course and prove their ground as they represent the red or blue? Follow along as... Continue reading

Written by Tim Hamilton, AJGA Communications Border War WindStone Golf Club is a unique track that claims two home states. Both Tennessee and Georgia are represented throughout the golf course. The address for the golf course is technically in Ringgold, Ga., but competitors will also strike the golf ball in the bordering town of Ooltewah, Tenn. On No.1, players will tee-off in Georgia and putt in Tennessee. WindStone is not just unique for its narrow fairways. When juniors play No. 1 they will experience both Georgia and Tenneesse. Award Winning Last year the Evitt Foundation RTC Junior All-Star received the... Continue reading

HARD WORK PAYS OFF The Preseason Junior at Chateau Elan served as a training ground for the 48 summer interns that will be hitting the road for the AJGA. This event was unique because there was over 70 AJGA staff members working the event compared to the usual 10 or 12. Summer interns are broken up into six teams, and the typical summer tournament will include one intern team comprised of eight interns. AJGA summer intern team two poses for the camera at Players Registration on Saturday. FIRST TIME IS A CHARM Blake Smith of Knoxville, Tenn., shot a final-round... Continue reading

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. Back for more 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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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?... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

“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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

In 2009, AJGA staff across all departments went behind the camera and made videos to share some of the things that make the AJGA such a great place to work. As we continue to celebrate the AJGA being named to the AJC's Top 100 list, enjoy taking a look at this blast from the (not so distant) past. Are you featured in one of these videos? Give us a shout on Twitter and tell us about some of your favorite AJGA memories (be sure to use the hashtag #AJCTop100). Complete list of AJC Top 100 Series interviews Until next time... Continue reading