Students from Holland College?s second year Golf Management program spent an enjoyable and informative week in Florida in March, volunteering at the PODS Championship and touring and playing some of the state's finest golf courses.

Over the past several years, students from the program have volunteered at The Players Championship, located in Ponte Vedra, Florida. This year, due to scheduling changes on the PGA tour, the 18 students were afforded the opportunity to volunteer at the PODS Championship, at the Innisbrook Golf Resort in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Chris Irwin, CPGA instructor of Holland College, said the tournament provided invaluable experience to the students.

"The relationship Holland College has formed with the PODS championship will open the doors for future Golf Management students to volunteer at this PGA Tour event. It was a tremendous experience for the students, as they saw first hand how a PGA Tour event is organized and what it takes to make an event successful."

As volunteers, the students spent their first day caddying in the Pro-am, where they were assigned to groups of players consisting of one PGA professional and three corporate members. One student was fortunate enough to be selected as a sign bearer for the afternoon. Students thoroughly enjoyed the caddying experience, and said that walking with the players and observing their mannerisms was an experience to be remembered.

The second day included operation of the ShotLink technology and scoreboard duties. ShotLink technology consists of GPS systems that measure and calculate distances of players' balls from the green, tee, and around the green. The students were assigned to either a greenside station or a fairway station. The greenside station tower would measure the distance from the ball to the cup, while the fairway station would measure distance to the green and from the tee. Holland College instructors Paul Murnaghan, Chris Irwin and Blair MacPhail were assigned the task of recording current scores and players on the manual scoreboard at the 18th green. Several students also had the opportunity to do this interesting and demanding job.

After the PODS Championship, students enjoyed playing several outstanding courses around the Tampa and Jacksonville areas, including TPC Sawgrass; Grand Cypress Golf Resort, where they played the new St. Andrews replica; World Woods-Pine Barron?s; Fox Hollow GC; and the King and Bear at the World Golf Village.

Second year student Amy Hillier said the study tour was well worth the effort it took students and instructors to fund raise and plan.

"This is an experience that I will never forget. We had the opportunity to visit and play some of the best facilities in the world, and a fantastic volunteer experience. Two years of anticipation paid off the second we stepped off the plane and onto the first tee. I think that this year?s study tour was one for the books."

Blair MacPhail, CPGA instructor of Holland College, said the study tour is a great experience for the future golf industry employees.

"Our Golf Management program educational study tour was a phenomenal success once again. The experience our students received at the PODS Championship on the PGA Tour will be with them forever. Truly the trip of a lifetime when you consider the volunteer work, the different properties visited and, of course, playing Sawgrass."

In this picture: (L-R) Chris Irwin, CPGA Instructor; Blair MacPhail, CPGA Instructor; students Wesley Procunier and Daniel Mott; Professional Golfer Jerry Kelly; and students Fletcher Hicks and Steven MacDonald.