Golf
Jamie Wright standing on the 18th tee with the Lexus Champions Charity trophy
Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world, Pebble Beach Golf Links hugs the rugged Californian coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
The PGA Tour and Champions Tour play annual events at Pebble Beach and it has hosted six major championships - five US Opens and a PGA Championship.
So, how come Jamie Wright, a boy from just outside London, would get to hone his skills on such a stunning course?
dream became a reality for me, and I want to tell you why, in this article. Breaking into the industry, maybe at an older than average age of 23, back in 2012, I first learnt the trade at Lambourne Golf Club in Burnham, Buckinghamshire. Whilst spending just shy of a year under the management team of Jim Howard, Matt Weatherstone and Dave Marshall, I also completed my NVQ level 2 at Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA). It was then that I decided I wanted to
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search for a new challenge and it was Dave Marshall, a former student of the Ohio State University (OSU) Internship Program himself, who recommended that I should apply. Dave and I spent many mornings at
hen I was ten years old, if you’d told me I’d finish up training at the famed Pebble Beach I would have said you were dreaming, but that
Pebble Beach
Far away in time!
Lambourne talking about the programme and, one day, finally I made the move to get in touch with Mike O’Keeffe, the OSU Program Manager. After an exchange of a few emails, Mike sold me the idea by relating the opportunity which may come from this experience and what past students had gone on to achieve. He stressed that the whole experience would be challenging but, with the right attitude, the results could be significant. One night back at home my phone rang and the voice of Mike O’Keeffe began to speak. We had a general conversation before we spoke about what may be in store for my future. I will never forget what he said next “Jamie, have you heard of a golf course in California named Pebble Beach?” I laughed and said “well, yes, of course”, just expecting Mike to say “well, you will be placed at a golf course not too far away from there” but, in fact, he replied, “I am looking to send you to
Pebble Beach dependant on a background check.” I was honestly shocked, immediately excited and overwhelmed, all at the same moment. After counting down the days until mid-
March, the day finally arrived and I flew over to America and spent a couple of days in Ohio to complete orientation and to meet Mike. After orientation, we were shown around the campus; it is an incredible facility. A few days later, I made the next journey
from Ohio to Monterey, California. Monterey is such a beautiful part of the world and home to many spectacular golf courses including Cypress Point, Spyglass Hill and, of course, Pebble Beach. I remember driving down 17 Mile Drive for the first time and seeing some of the best views I had ever seen. I was in total awe of the place. On my first day, I met the new crew I
would be teamed up with before we were all
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