Chris Helmick has been offered to come back to both locations after graduation though he is in the process of further expanding his knowledge with even more challenging job position.
The PGM program requires 1600 hours of internship. Students have had internship positions where they have been able to implement what they learned in class and further their knowledge at the internship site. The internship location tends to get better and more prestigious as the student increases his/her understanding and knowledge of the golf business. An excellent example of that is Chris Helmick who started out his freshman year doing his internship at Glen Oaks Country Club as a pool manager. The following year Chris worked with the Kentucky Golf Association as Junior Tour Tournaments Director. Chris says:
| “Both [internships] have helped me learn so much about the "real world" and these internships allow me to use what I have learned from my PGM classes and put it into action. The one thing that I feel has benefited me the most is the necessity for good communication. As a Junior Tour Tournament Director, you had to have effective communication with all co-workers to make the golf tournament a success for the kids. Without effective communication, the tournaments would have been a disaster.”
Chris Helmick has been offered to come back to both locations after graduation though he is in the process of further expanding his knowledge with even more challenging job position. |
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Whistling Down the stream
Another great story is the one of Andrew Serketich. After interning at Whistling Straits his freshman year he was invited to come back and develop his skills the following year.
| Andrew says that he “learned a lot about customer service and making the customers feel important and special. It was awesome to work at a prestigious, top-notch facility. Working at the 2004 PGA Championship and the 2005 Palmer Cup were added incentives. Internships are a great way to temporarily work a certain job to decide if it is something that you would consider doing in the future…internships in different fields help narrow down which job positions a person is interested in. By getting an opportunity to work as an intern, you can get a feel for what it is like to work day in day out in that environment. [It is important] you find internships that are going to mock what you want to do after school to see if you like that job.” |  |
Warga hits the Target
Interning at a prestigious club as Whistling Straits is definitively a great treat. However, experiences from other internship locations have proved to be just as valuable. Ray Warga is a great example of how the PGM program and skills from his undergraduate degree has joint value as Ray has interned and worked at Targeted Golf.
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"I have been able to participate and learn about the experience-based marketing and event marketing in a practical and hands on way. Not only have I been involved in the set-up and preparations for on-site events, but I have also had the opportunity to travel all around the country for corporate events. Actually being out in the field experiencing the marketing world has been a dream come true and quite frankly, is something a traditional classroom setting simply cannot provide. |
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Iain Hall returned home for his first PGM internship at the prestigious K-Club outside of Dublin Ireland. For Iain it was a homecoming but it turned out to be an entirely different world! “I was given a position in the pro-shop for the summer at the K-Club. I did many of the usual things like stocking, folding, tidying up. By the end of the summer I was surprised at the number of responsibilities they had given me. I had responsibility for opening and closing which included cashing up correctly. With the entire property getting ready for the Ryder Cup, I was able to meet many of the top players in the world including Monty and Tiger. I also got a brief introduction and wave from Bill Clinton. One of the highlights was being able to meet Gary Player and speak with him briefly. I learned so much from my summer at the K-Club. I learned that setting goals and following-up with hard work can make opportunities like the K-Club become reality. This was a great experience at one of the top properties in the world; I know this is a great beginning to my career in golf.” Iain remained in the U.S. this summer to work with Ballantyne Resort where he focused on KMX fitness and teaching with the Dana Rydar Golf Academy. |
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Charlotte, NC 28274
Phone: 704 337-2200
Fax: 704 337-2403
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