By Chad Crunk
Communications Intern

The turning of the calendar from March to April signifies the beginning of spring and the beginning of the AJGA golf season. Birds chirping, flowers blooming and sun shining are typically some of the things you associate with April. This year, Mother Nature did not receive the message. This Easter Weekend, birds, flowers and sun were replaced by frost, sleet and cold. Let’s recap the wacky weather at each of the tournament sites.

Can you tell what event Miles Hutchins played over Easter Weekend?

Mizuno Junior at Chateau Elan: The best word to sum up the week at the Chateau Elan Resort might be “brrrrrrr.” Sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s started off the tournament week, but by the end of the week, temperatures had dropped 40 degrees. Saturday morning saw temps in the low 20s, with wind chills in the teens. In fact, the temperatures that morning were the coldest in the area since the late 1800’s. Now I have no problem being a part of history, but this is one record-breaker I could have done without.

Combine those temperatures with wind gusts over 30 mph and it was a pretty miserable day. If that wasn’t enough, snow flakes were seen flying in the Atlanta area overnight Friday. The weather forced the Girls Division to play the back nine twice Saturday and the Boys Division to play a shortened nine-hole round on the front nine. Cold temperatures plagued the event Sunday as well as frost delays (yes, frost delays) caused tee times to be pushed back to 11 a.m. and the round shortened to nine holes. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the AJGA bought out the entire supply of hand and feet warmers in the area that weekend.

PING Junior at The Woodlands: Chateau Elan was not the only place to experience wintry conditions. Cold wind and rain forced their way into The Woodlands, Texas, just outside of Houston. The weather was described on more than one occasion as "the worst weather can get without actually cancelling a round." The winds and rain caused rough conditions, but we were still able to crank out some top-notch victors!

We know where Trent Sanders was found during the first weekend of AJGA events!

Medicus Preseason Junior at Tapatio Springs: Just up the road from The Woodlands in San Antonio, it was more of the same. Only worse. Juniors who were teeing it up for their first time in an AJGA event were ready to brave just about anything that was thrown their way. It was when their parents started sliding down the fairways on ice and rules officials couldn't feel their hands (a feeling that lasted for days after the event) that it was decided to forgo the first round. Rain and wind continued through the night, but let up enough in order to allow play Sunday. Mark Mumford of Rye, N.Y., won the event due to the fact that this is the weather he is used to playing in eight months out of the year.

ReBath Heather Farr Classic : Our friends in Mesa, Ariz., were the weather winners of Easter Weekend. The event saw warm temperatures and beautiful, sunny skies. Needless to say, the staff members that worked Heather Farr were the envy of the AJGA office the week after Easter. Most tried to keep a low profile while at the office. However, the suntanned faces and the sock tan lines easily gave them away.

This Easter Weekend was one that the AJGA will not soon forget. The cold, wind and rain made for tough conditions not only for workers but also for the players. Let’s just hope the weather the rest of the spring and summer will be a little warmer and a little drier.