July 25 is National Intern Day. At the IGA, we are fortunate to have four P.J. Boatwright Interns working with us this summer. Our interns are a part of the larger community of 201 Boatwright Interns that serve 57 Allied Golf Associations across the country. The Boatwright community is large, but each intern’s experience is unique. For National Intern Day our four interns would like to share their experiences thus far as Boatwrights.

Molly Baker – Championship Administration Intern (pictured right)

“Working as a Boatwright Intern has been an amazing experience. I have had the opportunity to try new things, network, and meet people, all while gaining valuable experience for my future career. This summer has gone by so quickly and I cannot wait to learn more. Some of the best days have been the longest days but they go by so quickly when you are working with great people and enjoying what you are working on. All the tournaments, course markings, and office work have given me a deep looking into what goes into championships and has given me an appreciation for them. I feel incredibly fortunate to have this internship and have thoroughly enjoyed learning and working with the staff at the IGA!”

Charlie Gaer – Marketing & Communications Intern (pictured left)

“Being able to call myself a P.J. Boatwright Intern for the Iowa Golf Association is pretty special. Throughout the summer so far I have gotten to showcase my skills behind the drone, camera, and written articles all while growing at the same time. Working with this staff has produced memories that will last a lifetime from prepping for tournaments to days in the office. There is never a dull moment at Golf House Iowa. Since the start of my internship I never knew how much work actually goes into amateur golf tournaments across the State of Iowa. In the future I will have a greater appreciation for what the IGA tournament has to offer. I am very excited to see where this internship experience takes me in the future.”

Paige Hoffman – Golf House Iowa Intern (pictured right)

“It is difficult to summarize the profound impact the Boatwright Internship has had on my life. Through this internship I have learned job-specific skills such as operating GHIN, managing a tournament in Golf Genius, rating a golf course, and organizing a tournament. However, the biggest lesson I have learned from the IGA staff is how to truly care for the members and clubs we serve at the IGA. I find an abundance of joy in serving the Iowa golf community because I get to give back to the community that, in a way, raised me. The highlight of my Boatwright Internship this season is the 100th Iowa Women’s Amateur. I got to serve on a committee for months leading up to the event, participate in the 100 competitive holes fundraiser, write some feature articles, and really see what it takes to run a high-level championship. After being a Boatwright Intern for the last two summers, I know that I want to pursue a career in golf administration when I graduate in May and I could not be more excited for the future.”

Max Naumann – Handicapping & Course Rating (pictured left)

“The experience has been amazing so far. My entire life I have worked in the golf industry so being able to learn the tournament side and course rating/handicapping side has been a blessing. I never really understood how much goes into each and every tournament. A notable moment for me is the IGA Match Play Championship. This was the first large event I helped work and it was very interesting seeing such a large event from the other side of the table.The three days I was at the match play event our shortest day was around 12 hours. This event helped me realize that the preparation we do in the office is very important in making the tournament days run very smoothly. The part that makes this internship great is the people. The IGA staff are some of the best people I have been able to work with. They are very patient and want us to learn all the little parts of running golf events. The IGA staff is also very caring. They ask us about our weekends and make sure that we are doing good on a personal level. It makes coming into work easy when you work with such kind people.”

Happy National Intern Day to Molly, Charlie, Paige, and Max! We are glad you are a part of the IGA team this summer.