By Darrin Greaves II
As a returning fellow, I expected my experience this summer to be similar to last year, but it was even better.
This year we played a more pivotal role in the golf shop and became familiar with the advanced technology around the course.
My days usually started around 8 o’clock. We prepared bags for the early tee times and greeted the members as they arrived. After meeting and having conversations with so many members, I started to feel welcome in the Quaker Ridge community. Many remembered me from last year, and it was nice to catch up with the people who first welcomed me last summer.
From 9-11am, we worked on keeping the golf shop in shape and simple tasks around the building. This was the most important part of my work day. We swept, cleaned golf carts, helped members with bags, organized the bag room and cleaned windows.
“A simple ‘hello’ and a clean building can make a member’s day just a little bit better,” said Richie, one of my co-workers.
From 11-11:30am, we ate lunches prepared by the great kitchen staff, and then I would take a quick trip around the course to the tennis shop and the kitchen to check on the new fellows. I know it can be hard to settle into this new environment, and I wanted to make their transition a little bit easier.
After these quick visits, I would return to the golf shop and do some general work, helping members with their golf simulator sessions and talking with waiting members. This was my favorite part of the day because I enjoyed speaking with the members. Many of them have been playing here for longer than I’ve been alive!
One of the best parts of the summer was working with the impressive machinery and technology at the club. The simulators, the automatic ball cleaners, the weather system, and the GPS system show that the club is really keeping up with the times.
Sometimes we also cleaned the creeks, a job I really enjoyed because I love marine biology and nature. It was great to observe the beavers, fish, hawks, canaries, blue jays and many species of frogs that make their home on the course.
My two summers at Quaker Ridge have been great. I wish I had another year to spend as a fellow!
Darrin interned with Head Golf Professional Mario Guerra.