By Mame Croze
AJGA Spring Communications Intern

There are no words that could fully explain the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to become an intern for the world's premiere junior golf organization. However, there are simple numbers to help:

500+ 2007 intern applications the American Junior Golf Association received. Hundreds of young men and women who are interested in entering the golf industry's top training program applied to have the chance to represent the AJGA as a communications or tournament operations intern. I sent my application in months ago with a rush of excitement as I mailed the envelope.

100+ Hours the AJGA staff put into fine tuning Intern Recruiting Weekend (IRW). From travel plans and airport pick-ups to great food and activity transitions–the organization and professionalism was outstanding! Nothing was overlooked! Throughout the weekend, I was continually impressed by how well everything was implemented and how each intern candidate was made to feel like they belonged.

Interns and staff members mingle over IRW

81 Applicants invited to travel to the AJGA National Headquarters in Braselton, Ga. You might say, "We made it to Hollywood!" It was a great opportunity to mingle with a diverse group of people, many of whom have incredible accomplishments and similar goals.

66 Schools represented by the IRW Class of 2007! From the West Coast to East Coast and many towns in between, potential candidates came from all over! I met candidates from all over the U.S. and took advantage of the networking opportunity.

56 Enthusiastic, dedicated and excited AJGA staff members that pitched in to make IRW the best it could be. They helped wherever they could, joined in on activities and answered endless questions. You were appreciated by every candidate in attendance–THANK YOU!

44 Intern positions available during the 2007 season. Who will become one of the 12 communications interns? Who will get the chance to be one of 30 operations interns?

39 Full-time staff that have been in our shoes. Whether just one year ago or 10, they've been there, done that! Learning about the experiences of past interns and hearing their stories prepared me for the hard work that the adventure ahead would bring.

14 Groups. We traveled from station to station to take tests, make commercials and participate in team activities. Complete strangers in each of these groups became a team...and for some of us, we even became friends.

6 Intern teams. These teams will hit the road in May to stage the 76 tournaments on the AJGA schedule. It's interesting to look around at total strangers and to know that in a few months, I might identify some as teammates and friends.

4 Amazing and talented guest speakers to share the weekend. Gayle Champagne, president of the AJGA Board of Directors and sales manager for Golf for Women Magazine, kept us on our toes with her witty comments, funny stories and useful advice. Mike Cooney, director of human resources for the PGA TOUR, gave us tips on how to succeed in the golf industry and to network to the best of our potential. Former AJGA interns and staff members, Ben Kimball of the United States Golf Association and Ryan Carter of Nike shared their AJGA stories and experiences with us and offered their best advice in succeeding in the golf industry. More than listening to these speakers, I enjoyed the chance to talk with a couple of them.

3 Days of Intern Recruiting Weekend. Although long, they were worth every minute and every hour. Three days to learn about the AJGA, their players, staff, mission and passion of helping up-and-coming golfers achieve their goals of receiving college golf scholarships. The days flew by and before I knew it, Sunday lunch was over and we all said our goodbyes before going our separate ways.

1 Will I be one of the Intern Recruiting Weekend candidates that will hit the road to represent the AJGA? Could it be? I guess I will have to wait and see...

Find out who the lucky Spring Interns will be in 2007...(Summer Interns coming soon!)