Internship Stories
Adam Laird, Junior

Summer 2009
This past summer, I interned in the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. Tucked between the soaring mountains of China’s Tibetan region and the vast landscapes of India, Bhutan is one of the most remote and fascinating places in the world. While in Bhutan, I served as an assistant program coordinator for the Bhutan Youth Golf Association. Started in 2002 by Sports Illustrated golf writer Rick Lispey, this unique organization aims to share golf with the youth of Bhutan, and through the game teach Bhutan's children to express friendship, honesty, integrity, morality and self-motivation. I attempted to integrate and teach all of these characteristics this past summer by assisting with junior lessons, clinics, and tournaments for over 125 children. I also volunteered as a school teacher to a local school of over 200 children. This was perhaps the most rewarding aspect of my internship as it allowed me to really interact with children of an entirely different culture on a day to day basis. I taught math and English along with recreational sports such as basketball and volleyball.

In short, my summer spent in Bhutan completely changed my life. I lived, for three months, in a place where the average man earn an annual wage of $1,200 and the golden arches of McDonalds are replaced with the rugged arches of some of the world’s highest mountain peaks. Bhutan is an amazing country where the national slogan is Gross Domestic Happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product. In addition to improving my skills within the golf industry, I also improved many life skills. I find myself to be a more understanding and humble person, and it is all thanks to the great internship program our Professional Golf Management Program has here at CalU. Our program goes above and beyond in helping students who want to be highly successful in the golf industry, and I am always finding new reasons why my choice to enroll in this PGM program was the perfect decision for me.

Summer 2008
CALIFORNIA, PA (October 13, 2008)…Plenty of people love golf, but Adam Laird intends to turn his passion for the game into a solid career. Laird is a sophomore in Cal U’s the Professional Golf Management (PGM) program. At age 19, he’s been golfing since two family friends introduced him to the links 11 years ago. “I could not be happier with my decision to enroll in Cal U's Professional Golf Management program,” said Laird, a graduate of South Williamsport Area High School. “I am very confident that I made the right decision in coming to Cal, and I know that I am on the right track in achieving both my short- and long-term goals.” “Adam is one of those students who takes advantage of both inside and outside opportunities,” said Justin Barroner, director of the PGM program. “He is in the top 2 percent of his class, he goes above and beyond what is asked of him, and he even volunteered to be on the executive board of the Professional Golf Management Student Society as the secretary.” As a PGM student, Laird is required to complete 16 months of internship experience at five different establishments. He started with Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev. Since it opened in 2000, Wolf Creek has been catching the eyes of golf enthusiasts. Affluent magazine dubbed it “The Most Visually Stunning New Golf Course in North America.”

Wolf Creek was ranked No. 25 among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 2007-8,” No. 58 in Golf magazine’s “Top 100 Courses You Can Play 2006,” and No. 31 in Golf Digest’s “2007 America’s 50 Toughest Golf Courses.” Accolades like these that attracted Laird to the course. “I was looking to intern somewhere that really stuck out, somewhere world-class that showed my determination in wanting to succeed,” he said. “I wanted my first-year internship to be a great stepping stone that would allow me to take on bigger and better things in the future. Wolf Creek will definitely allow me to do this.”

At Wolf Creek, where he served as an outside and player services staff member, Laird said his most important job was to make sure each customer was happy. “This is a very enjoyable part of my job,” he said. “Most of our customers are Las Vegas tourists from all over the world, so I get to meet a lot of interesting people.” Laird also assisted with the planning, setup and operation of tournaments and other events. When time allowed, he simply took in the beauty of his surroundings. “Wolf Creek's golf course is unlike any that I have even seen,” Laird said. “The course is set out in the middle of the desert in the brutal summer heat, yet it stays a lush green all year ’round. The holes twist and turn through massive canyons … serving as a backdrop. The course is so well maintained that it is literally difficult to find a blade of grass out of place. “Simply put, I had the best summer of my life. This experience has been all I could ever imagine and much more.” Laird already has started making plans for his second internship, which he hopes will be at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. Barroner said he envisions Laird working at a private, upscale golf resort before moving on to become a professional golf instructor teaching some of the best players in the world.