Home Local Sports ‘Coach GG’: Anderson jumpstarts education career as golf camp intern

‘Coach GG’: Anderson jumpstarts education career as golf camp intern

Georgia Grace Anderson takes a selfie with campers during her summer internship at First Tee Sandhills. (Contributed photo)

PINEHURST — A college volleyball player, Georgia Grace Anderson has also always enjoyed playing golf, something she became more involved with during the pandemic.

And this summer, the former Richmond Senior High School multi-sport athlete shared her passion for the game with the up-and-coming golfers of the Sandhills.

Anderson spent her summer break as an intern at First Tee Sandhills, a camp designed to “enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges,” according to its website.

By integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee says “we create learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids carry to everything they do.”

A sophomore middle hitter at William Peace University, Anderson got the chance to play golf her senior year at Richmond when the golf season was played in the spring during the modified COVID sports year.

As a kid, she also attended First Tee camps, so her return as a camp counselor saw her journey come full circle.

“I went to First Tee camps as a kid and I saw this (internship) as a good opportunity,” Anderson said. “At some point in the future, I want to be a coach. So I thought why not start now.

“The summer camps are more about having a lot of fun,” she continued. “The kids got to work on their golf fundamentals like putting, chipping and driving. But we also had a lot of other activities that made each week really fun.”

Anderson worked with two other interns and a couple of lead instructors. The weeklong camps ran for four hours a day, and Anderson usually worked with groups of 15-20 campers.

Held at a handful of courses around the region, Anderson instructed golfers at Pinehurst No. 9, Bayonet at Puppy Creek, Campbell House, Gates 4, Whispering Woods and 7 Lakes.

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An aspiring elementary school educator, Anderson said her summer spent working with the campers was a big benefit in helping her prepare for her future career.

“I had my own station and there were a lot of similarities to running it that I’ll have to do as a teacher,” Anderson explained. “I had to get to know each kid and build a relationship with them. 

“Golf is a tough sport that can go wrong quickly, so I tried to keep the kids disciplined and safe, which is what I’ll have to do as a teacher.”

While her summer was filled with golf swings and smiles, Anderson said there were two things that really made her internship a satisfying experience.

“Towards the end of each week, watching the kids start to get it and get excited about golf was really cool to see,” she said. “They’d worked hard all week and as they did little things like hit the ball clean, it showed they got better.

“One of the most rewarding things was being called ‘Coach GG,’” she added. “It’s amazing to see how these kids look up to you and watch your every move.”

Anderson has already moved in to William Peace for the new school year, and will serve as a resident assistant. Practices for the upcoming Pacers volleyball season are set to begin Aug. 15.

“Everyone is returning this year since we didn’t have any seniors last year,” Anderson said. “I know we’re all super excited because we’re a super solid team.

 “Our team is really close, and we have a lot of fun,” she closed. “But we also compete really hard every day, and I think we’ll have a successful season.”



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.