Time Flies When You’re a Boatwright: A Reflection on the Past Three Months
Written by Aidan Lavin - 2026 Communications P.J. Boatwright Intern
Moments and appreciation. Finishing my three months as a P.J. Boatwright Intern with New Jersey Golf, those are the two words that best capture the experience. What began with welcoming people from throughout the country to my home state of New Jersey for the Boatwright Summit ended with endless stories, newfound knowledge and countless relationships that would not have been possible without the Boatwright Program.
I knew I was in a good place when, even before the internship started, Daniel Magan kindly took the initiative to place me in a hotel room for the Summit, eliminating the need to drive back and forth from my house. I often told my parents, “this doesn’t seem real” or “this is a joke,” insinuating that the program was too good to be true.
It was real while also probably being too good.
As a Boatwright intern, I quickly lived out what this country stands for within the first three days. 90 motivated individuals from every region in America came together in one building at the USGA Headquarters in Liberty Corner. I immediately felt a sense of community and motivation upon arriving at the Summit.
Sporting one of the many sweet NJ Golf Dunning polos brought many questions from those who had touched down in New Jersey for the first time, which was a lot. One of the best questions I got was about a small town near me called Dover. I asked, puzzled, “how does a guy from Tennessee know anything about Dover?” Elliot informed me that he’d seen it on an Impractical Jokers episode.
I asked my peers a lot of questions as well during the three days at the Boatwright Summit. I utilized whatever basic knowledge of different states I had to create conversation with as many people as possible. But through these questions, I learned a lot.
Rooming with Grant from Nevada Golf allowed me to learn about Mormon culture; I heard more about corn detasseling from Nebraska Boatwrights in two days than I probably will for the rest of my life; Kansas City barbecue apparently does live up to the hype and what the current state of Creole is in Louisiana.
Admittedly, my golf experience prior to the internship was very low. I grew up playing basketball and baseball and never got a formal introduction to golf.
While that would quickly change, I did feel lost at times during the Summit.
There was so much golf jargon I knew nothing about, but I tried to absorb as much as possible, whether it was learning about the nuances of the game on the Watchung Valley Golf Club course or in the amphitheater, where many who became colleagues but were strangers at the time talked about their experiences in golf.
After each day of activities, the interns gathered around a hotel lobby as the hockey and basketball playoffs went on. Never would I have thought I could watch a Western Conference Finals game in New Jersey with actual San Antonio Spurs fans from Texas who lived and died with every shot Victor Wembanyama took during a double-overtime thriller against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Those little moments were provided to me because of P.J. Boatwright, a pioneer and trailblazer in golf administration, and the Boatwright family, whom we were fortunate to hear from during the Summit. Being able to thank Cindy Boatwright, P.J.’s daughter, for helping carry forward this opportunity was a special moment. As I conclude my three months as an intern, I feel as though a simple thank you wasn’t enough given how special the entire experience was.
As a P.J. Boatwright intern, you become fully immersed in the golf industry. It has been truly humbling to be at the roots of what allows the USGA to flourish. I can confidently say now that if I were to do the summit all over again, I would run circles around my past self in terms of golf knowledge. I have gained a tremendous amount of appreciation for the game of golf and its history.
The moments came from all the state championship events, member golf days, qualifiers and parent-child events that created elation and joy for so many players.
Watching Mike Stamberger win a Senior Open championship during my first event at Suburban Golf Club was my first time at any golf championship ever. So, when I was tasked with driving around the golf course and capturing photos of each player, I did whatever I thought made sense without much reason behind it.
I came back into the clubhouse after my first round of photos and our digital media manager, Nick Santoriello, asked me to ride with him for more photos. I remember pulling up to a tee to set up to get photos of a group. As the first player set up for his shot, he turned his head towards the pin, “click,” brought his attention back to the ball, swung, “click,” and held a follow-through, “click.”
Each of those clicks on my camera to take a shot almost in unison with Nick’s camera. “That was great. Exactly what you want to do,” Nick said. The support and camaraderie between Nick, Rebecca Corzo, Isabella Cautero, Asher Gross and me from the communications department throughout the summer allowed us to do some really special and creative things that led to significant social growth. I am very appreciative to have been part of that.
With each event, I became more confident and experimental, trying to capture shots from different angles, ask probing questions and find unique moments throughout the day. So many fist bumps, heartfelt quotes and smiles were shared on the golf course and I owned the responsibility for writing or photographing all of it so those moments would live on.
Watching incredible golf throughout the summer was a privilege, as was experiencing the many different private clubs where these events were held, most notably at Baltusrol Golf Club, where we powered through monsoon-like conditions and three straight 12-hour days. The conversations about favorite movies, foods and songs among our staff, despite much disagreement and plenty of strong opinions, aided us through the New Jersey Golf summer.
The summer when a guy who never thought he could do it secured a championship; a 13-year-old dominated a field with competitors much older than she was; two juniors went toe-to-toe in an 18-hole showdown; an Amateur went wire-to-wire on his home course with supporters walking behind him; a soon-to-be mother championing her way through 50 holes of golf in three days; a Texas boy became a New Jersey man and a playoff to crown a queen.
What I enjoyed most were the embraces after all of these moments. Players finding their families to celebrate their accomplishments and finally letting themselves breathe after long days of competition. That was special. Those are the memories I’ll remember and the things I am appreciative of being a part of as a P.J. Boatwright Intern.
Thank you to the USGA, the generous supporters of the Boatwright program, the NJ Golf volunteers I met along the way, and the NJ Golf interns, Abby, Asher, Evan, Jake and Ryan. While it’s not ink, laughter, hard work and experiences will be something we’ll always share.
A big thank you to all of the New Jersey Golf Staff for being so welcoming to us this summer and for opening my eyes to the possibilities that golf creates.
All of this in just three months as a P.J. Boatwright Intern. I will remember and appreciate it all.
NJ Golf Social Media
For the latest updates and news, visit njgolf.org or follow New Jersey Golf on Facebook, X and Instagram at @njgolf1900.
