My Summer Job!

I am the beer cart girl (or as my mom wants me to say, “beverage cart girl”), cocktail waitress, and occasional bartender at the semi-private Emerald Hills Golf Course in Okoboji, IA. And my goodness do I love my job. Here are 10 reasons why!

1. My Cart.

An extraordinary amount of my time at work is spent with my lovely beer cart stocked full of liquor, water, and Gatorade, which I am now considering naming. I don’t always consider her a friend, but she is very loyal to myself (and our sweet customers). 95% of the time, my cart is a complete mess from all the liquor being poured on it’s surface and the weather (mud) making itself known all over it, but she is still beautiful in her own clown car kind of way.

Its cushy seat is perfect for all the bouncing I do over each little bump on my paths through the trees, the striped topper is a true showstopper each time I make my way toward another dedicated golfer, and last but not least, the wheels branded with the Emerald Hills logo make me feel ever so classy.

2. Alone Time.

I spend my days driving, driving, driving.  I make my route around the course and continue to go round and round smiling and saying things like, “You guys still doing okay?” “How’s that 6-pack treating ya?” and “Rough day, huh? Well, I do have an entire cart full of alcohol that could help with that!” My days are eventful, but there is a lot of downtime both between holes and when business is slow. SO, to pass the time I am constantly thinking, dreaming, and singing.

This time is both a blessing and a curse for many reasons. The number one reason being that I have an unbelievable amount of time to both overanalyze and plan my life. So, whatever has been said to me in the last few days has time to be fully processed, blown up, and then filed away in the storage cabinet of my mind (oops).

One advantage is that I come up with some very ambitious goals, dreams, and lives for myself while scanning each hole for customers. Example: After serving a group of men from Texas, I made the executive decision that myself and my closest sorority sister will be moving to Texas after graduation to be classy Southern women. Ambitious? Yes. Realistic? Absolutely.

Lastly, I get some quality quiet time, which is always a killer in my busy mind. To solve this problem, I take it upon myself to both hum and sing to myself whatever comes into my head, which is often times the theme song for “Green Acres,” ironically. I have become my own little iPod shuffle! Practice makes perfect I suppose, so watch out Adele!

3. Wildlife.

Many a times have I whined about the geese at Emerald, but this year they have really outdone themselves. Last year’s 4-5 families of geese that were very evil and protective have definitely grown in numbers. I swear that each baby must have started their own family this year, because those little devils are EVERYWHERE. And so, as a challenge to myself, I pretend to steer at them and take it upon myself to hiss and wave my arms violently before they get the chance to come at me like a dance mom on competition day. It’s becoming quite the exciting battle…1 Anna vs. 60,000,000 Geese. I’ll win, don’t worry.

As for other animals, the giant turtle is back and looking healthy/scary as ever! I for one was happy to see that he had a good winter and is still going strong. I also have seen giant crows, flocks of tiny squirrels, a pretty Emerald-headed Mallard duck, pairs of bunnies, heard an obnoxiously loud frog, and watched an unusual bird with babies the size of bouncy balls running behind it scamper away from my cart. Hello Nature. Nice to meet you.

4. Athletic People in Nice Threads.

I just recently played my first round of golf, but I have always admired those who play the lifelong sport. Each person I quietly watch drive the ball toward the green is like a mini superhero in my eyes (if they hit it in the right direction). The ease of their swings, the speed they play at, the diligence they take to practice on the range (some daily) is so impressive to me. Athletic people are always surrounding me! And the best part is…? Their outfits.

I truly enjoy seeing the ensembles golfers come up with for their days on the course. Some are extremely casual, while others seem to own the entire pro shop’s selection of trendy golf attire. Those who deviate from the norm always stand out to me for their creativity and definitely catch my attention with their often bright and bold patterned shorts! And I’m proud to say that the ladies come up with some very sporty chic ensembles as well. Makes me so proud (and jealous).

5. Popportunities.

Yes, you read that correctly. The word I created is defined as the opportunity to collect pop tabs. As you can imagine, these times come often as I am passing by cart after cart of beer drinking men. The sound of pop tab’s clink as it snaps off the can is one that is very familiar to my ears lately and the glistening of a lost can sends an exhilarating chill up my spine. My job is a great place to get excited about homecoming in GreekLand!!

[If you are reading, PLEASE collect for myself and Chi Omega!! J]

6. The Danger Factor.

People can die from a golf ball hitting them in the head. Google it, it’s real. And so this simple fact makes my job a constant game of “How To Stay Alive.” Rounding corners, coming up on hills, and being in extremely open areas are obstacles I make sure to pay close attention to. Hiding behind trees is the usual for my cart and I, although we have been hit on the front of the cart (sticking out from the tree) and on the canopy above me a few times. It’s the adrenaline rush and constant fear that makes the job so exciting, I suppose! My priorities are to keep people hydrated, satisfied, and in good spirits and to survive. And because I recently scorched my hand on a crockpot of Boji Boys and welted/bruised my face on the ice machine door, I would say you can never be too careful anywhere.

7.  Carley/Anna Debates.

My coworker/other beer cart girl/friend, Carley, is beautiful, has dark wavy hair, and pretty blue eyes. I also have blue eyes and dark wavy hair, BUT I am not as tall, skinny, tan, bohemian, etc. as her. Our coworker claims he sees nothing in common between the two of us except for our hair and eyes. Surprisingly, he is nearly the only one who thinks that.

Apparently we are a package deal for many people around the course and my goodness do they struggle to differentiate between the two of us. It is so entertaining! Carley got to the course weeks after myself and when she arrived I was immediately questioned about my name, boyfriend (she has one), and if we were at least sisters. I’d sure take her as my sister, and I don’t mind being compared to someone so awesome, but my name is Anna. J And you’re making me laugh.

8. Snow Globe in Summer.

Hole #2 is wonderful in it’s own special way because of its very seasonal feature...it’s snow globe green. At a certain point in the summer, the trees near the hole explode with little cottony pieces of joy and rain down on the golfers trying to putt. From my angle, it looks as though the golfers are underdressed for some type of gentle snowstorm hitting them. It always makes me smile to watch the trees release their little cotton balls and to see the golfers so in awe by the quantity they can produce. It just looks so beautiful!

9. Creative Time.

My boss has recently caught on to the fact that I very much enjoy doodling, writing, and drawing and is now asking me to make more signs than ever for the clubhouse and tournaments. I AM THRILLED.  I love being paid to come up with cute signs and use Sharpies! I have gotten to make quite a few so far and can’t wait for whatever other projects he decides to let me work on!

As for when I’m on the beer cart, I am often faced with times that I need to stay still and quiet to allow the golfers time to hit without being distracted. There are also times that I need to hide in order to survive. These are the times that my little sheet of paper I use to log my sales becomes either a garden of flowers, a swarm of butterflies, or a park full of cotton ball trees. These times are great ones and they come more often than you’d think. Waiting/timing is another key part of my job.

10. THE PEOPLE.

The people I work alongside are awesome, but the people I get to serve and cater to each day are incredible. I feel so privileged to have so many wonderful members at Emerald. They are so sweet, genuine, and caring to me and I have nothing but good thoughts toward them. I love stopping at certain holes to chat with those sitting outside their houses and getting quick updates while pouring their drinks on the course. These people have become so near and dear to my heart, truly.

One of my VERY favorite Emerald couples, the adorable Bob and Judy!

On my last night last summer, the couples in league were so sweet with their advice for college and offers to do my laundry. They made me so sad to leave them all.

We are also lucky to have a semi-private course, so we get to see our regulars and we have fresh faces coming in all the time as well. It’s so exciting to hear each person’s story and how they made it to Emerald. People are just incredible and I have such a wonderful time doing my job and listening to their life stories.

If you haven’t figured it out by now,

I love my job and all parts of it.

I’m so happy to be a part of such a wonderful business and to have the opportunity to meet so many amazing people. I feel so blessed to have found a summer job that I actually enjoy!

Come visit us! We’d be thrilled to have you! Click here to check us out. :)