Dating back to the early 90s, the AJGA Operations Department has participated in "rules school," a training seminar to educate the staff in the Rules of Golf. Achieve a score higher than a 75 and you receive certification, but receive a 90 or higher and you earn expert honors, and bragging rights.
In previous years, the charge for the department learning included anywhere from 20-28 full-time staff members and three to six Tournament Assistants. This year for the 2022 season, the AJGA had 23 full-time staff members and five Tournament Assistants complete the process.
Learning Schedule
Starting in early November, the AJGA Operations Department would meet every morning at 8 a.m. to study a Rule each day. The following day, the participants would take a quiz over the Rules and definitions that were covered the day before, as well as study the next Rule of the day. This process would continue every day until late January or early February when the tournament schedule begins. Throughout the process, the staff takes at least three 100-question exams to gauge their progress and identify areas of the Rules that need more focus.
Tournament Assistants
Tournament Assistants are Operations Interns that are returning for another AJGA internship at a more advanced level.
"We feel that it is valuable for our Tournament Assistants to prepare for the spring and summer seasons in a similar manner as our Tournament Directors."
The goal being to immerse them in as much information to better prepare them to handle rulings and any other golf course related item that may come up during their internship.
Average Score
The average score tends to vary year to year depending on the experience of the staff. This year’s group averaged 82.13 on the exam. Of the 23 staff members that participated, 16 were taking the Rules of Golf exam for the first time.
Staff Success
So here comes the million-dollar question. Has anyone at the AJGA ever gotten a perfect score? The answer is yes. Since the initial push to have the operations staff take the test, there have been eight staff members who have conquered the test. Out of the eight below, two are still current AJGA staff members.
- Andrew Greenfield, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Jacob Erisman, 2018
- Tyler Sumner, 2016
- Jeremy Freyman, 2011, 2014, 2016
- Chris White, 2014
- Jonah Beck, 2013
- Annie Giangrosso, 2011, 2013
- Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, 2012
The efforts made by the AJGA regarding the Rules of Golf test have been beneficial for staff even after they leave the AJGA. The AJGA prides itself on being a training organization, with the goal of not only contributing to the overall growth and development of junior golfers but also to the staff. Below are a few of the former AJGA Operations staff members that have moved on and furthered their career in the golf industry.
- ·Jonah Beck, Director of Operations, Sanderson Farms Championship
- Rob Doone, Assistant Director, Championships United States Golf Association
- Jeremy Freyman, Director, Junior Golf, Georgia State Golf Association
- Scott Geary, Executive Director, Georgia PGA
- Annie Giangrosso, Director, Rules & Competitions, LPGA
- Ben Kimball, Director, Competitions, United States Golf Association
- Rob Ockenfuss, Senior Manager, United States Golf Association
- Bobby Powell, Tournament Director, Wyndham Championship
- Rachel Graves Sadowski, Championship Director, United States Golf Association
- Greg Sanfilippo, Director, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur Championships, United States Golf Association
- Jordan Schneider, Executive Director, Palm Beach County Golf Association
- Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, Senior Director, Championships, United States Golf Association