Grace Na, AJGA Player Representative to the Board of Directors, sat down with AJGA operations staff Greg Sanfilippo and Andrew Parr at the ANNIKA Invitational and asked a few questions about what it’s like to be an AJGA staff member.
Q. What time did you get the golf course and how cold was it?
Andrew Parr: 6:45 a.m. It was approximately 38 with a wind chill of 28. Not that I remember or anything.
Greg Sanfilippo: I had to go buy a hat and gloves this morning.
Q. How many layers did you have on today?
Andrew: Five layers
Greg: Two layers, but I’m the guy from Buffalo.
Q. What has to be done that we (the players) never know about? What do you do before the tournament starts?
Greg: We were on the golf course by 7 a.m. Some of us were setting hole locations, some painted stencils.
Andrew: I was on top of the roof setting up an antenna for our radios. Take a look on the top of the condos as you pass through No. 14. We met a guy from the engineering department that drove us out and helped us climb the ladder to the roof and set it up.
Greg: Some of the operations staff put up 25 banners.
Q. Did you guys even eat today?
Andrew: I think so.
Q. What’s your motivation to do this job?
Greg: A lot of little things, the overall product of when the tournament is said and done. I love seeing the players play a tournament golf course that we’ve set up. That’s cool. We set up golf courses for the greatest juniors in the world. From the yardages to the hole locations, we put a lot of thought into it.
Andrew: I’d say seeing all the families and people we know through junior golf. It’s nice to get to catch up at tournaments.
Q. What’s your favorite 6 a.m. breakfast?
Greg and Andrew together: Cracker Barrel
Greg: I usually have the Old Timer’s breakfast with two eggs over easy, strips of bacon and hashbrown casserole. And I usually upcharge for a second order of hashbrown casserole.
Andrew: My normal order is the eggs and meat breakfast. It’s in the low carb section. I’m not on a diet, but the casserole really fills you up. I have the eggs scrambled with cheese and sausage patties. And it has tomatos.
Q. What are your favorite, or most memorable AJGA tournament moments?
Greg: I really like seeing the practice round day when everyone is on the putting green or driving range. It feels like the event has officially started. Everyone is here, signage is up, and it’s go time.
Andrew: There are two best times. At night when no one else is here and the golf course is peaceful and calm and everything is set up. The second, after the awards ceremony is over, we still have a lot to do, but everyone is happy and there is a great sense of accomplishment.
Q. What is your favorite and least favorite operations task?
Andrew: My favorite is putting up the repeater, because I like climbing roofs. My least favorite is putting up banners.
Greg: Least favorite is… I wouldn’t say that I have a least favorite….
<Jonah Beck chimes in: Worst answer ever. Everyone has a least favorite>
Greg: However… I dislike putting out trash can frames. I always have to do it because I’m in charge of that equipment. My favorite is setting tees and checking the golf course.
Andrew: Oh my gosh, that is the best. Morning set up, with a fresh cup of coffee.