For more than 100 years, AZ GOLF has served as the governing body of golf in Arizona, helping grow and protect the game through hosting amateur championships, administering golf course ratings and providing our members with a Handicap Index.
But none of that happens alone.
Behind every tournament, every ruling and every course rating is a group of people who give their time because they love the game. They are the volunteers who make it possible for AZ GOLF to do what it does.
The opportunities to get involved run year-round and span all corners of the game. Volunteers can help at tournaments, serve as starters, become Rules Officials, rate golf courses and take on many other roles.
And you don't have to be an expert to get started.
Just ask Nicki Underwood.
Underwood has been playing golf for about a decade, but she began taking the game more seriously three years ago. She also works for a bank where promoting volunteerism is one of the company's pillars.
So she decided it was time to practice what she preached.
Underwood began looking for volunteer opportunities that connected with something she already loved. It didn't take long for her to find AZ GOLF.
Like many new volunteers, Underwood started by getting her feet wet at tournaments. She helped with player registration and spent time on the course handing out water to players.
AZ GOLF volunteer, Lindy Kueny, speaks with players during a tournament.
Then, as her comfort grew, so did her responsibilities.
She eventually stepped into the starter role, helping keep tee times organized and announcing players as they began their rounds.
For Underwood, volunteering has become another way to stay connected with golf.
She also hopes other golfers, particularly women, will give it a try.
“A lot of my girlfriends think what I do is so cool and want to get involved, but are intimidated to do it because they don’t know golf that well or think it is a guy’s game,” Underwood said. “But AZ GOLF treats their volunteers very well, don’t be intimidated.”
Underwood only began volunteering with AZ GOLF this year, but she's already found her place. Now she's looking ahead to what could be next, including potentially becoming a Rules Official.
Her experience is a reminder that volunteering doesn't have to begin with knowing everything. Sometimes, you just have to show up.
For Jeannee Yermakoff, showing up sprouted from curiosity.
While living in England, Yermakoff became a serious golfer. As she learned more about the game, she became fascinated by how many Rules of Golf she didn't know.
That fascination turned into a goal of learning the rules well enough to become a certified Rules Official.
“I wanted to get my rules certification,” Yermakoff said. “It was a way for me to get out on the golf course and be in an environment I love with people I liked and to watch the game I love.”
Today, Yermakoff has been an AZ GOLF Rules Official for two seasons.
The role requires training, studying and certification, and Yermakoff quickly learned that the exam was more challenging than she expected.
A retired scientist accustomed to taking exams, she figured she'd pass on her first attempt.
She didn't.
“When I went to take the exam for the Rules of Golf, I was pretty confident I would pass the first time,” Yermakoff said with a laugh. “I was completely intimidated, it was very difficult the first time around. It takes time and a lot of studying to get everything you need to know to pass that exam. It’s very doable if you put the work in and it’s really satisfying when you get there.”
That satisfaction extends to the golf course.
A day as a Rules Official can look very different depending on the tournament and the players. With more experienced golfers, officials may primarily provide support, confirming a player's understanding of a particular rule or helping keep play moving.
Junior events and tournaments featuring less-experienced players can require more interaction. Players are still learning the game, and Rules Officials are there to answer questions and help them navigate situations on the course.
For Yermakoff, those questions are part of what makes the job rewarding, and they keep her own Rules of Golf knowledge sharp.
Just as important, she has learned that she is never really doing it alone.
At her first AZ GOLF event, Yermakoff faced a difficult situation. A ruling required her to assess a two-stroke penalty during a championship event where the outcome meant a great deal to the players.
She was nervous.
But she knew the other Rules Officials were there to support her.
That gave her the confidence to make the correct ruling.
“That support is always there,” Yermakoff said. “You are always connected to the other rules officials who are out doing the same event with you and you can rely on them.”
Some volunteers work directly with players. Others have an impact that golfers may never see.
Have you ever looked at your scorecard and wondered where the course and slope ratings came from?
AZ GOLF's Course Rating volunteers help provide the answer.
Course Rating materials lying on the golf course.
Course Rating is an essential part of the World Handicap System. AZ GOLF is authorized and licensed by the USGA to rate golf courses throughout Arizona, with teams made up of AZ GOLF staff and volunteers.
Course and Slope Ratings are fundamental to the Handicap Index formula, helping ensure that handicaps can be used fairly from one golf course to another. It is detailed, analytical work.
And behind those numbers are people like Judi Lorenzen.
Lorenzen has volunteered with AZ GOLF for nearly 25 years, including 20 years as a Course Rater. Her dedication recently earned her the 2026 Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year Award.
As AZ GOLF's Course Rating leader in Southern Arizona, Lorenzen doesn't just rate courses, she helps teach the next generation of raters.
When training someone new, she takes them onto a course and works with them one-on-one, rating three holes together so they can learn how to look at the course and properly use the rating materials.
For Lorenzen, volunteering is about staying active, giving back and continuing to learn.
“I am not an idle person so I always have to be busy,” Lorenzen said. “This is a way for me to give back to golf and I have already learned so much from the game that I figured why not keep it going and learn more and pass on that knowledge to others.”
Underwood, Yermakoff and Lorenzen have each found different ways to contribute to AZ GOLF.
Their paths are different, but their motivation is similar. They love golf and want to give something back to the game.
That's what makes AZ GOLF's volunteers so important.
They help tournaments run smoothly. They help players understand the rules. They help establish the ratings behind the Handicap Index. They welcome new golfers, support their fellow volunteers and pass their knowledge on to others.
If you've ever thought about volunteering with AZ GOLF, act on that itch. You don't have to know everything. You don't have to start in the most demanding role. And you don't have to figure it out alone.
The 2026 tournament season is coming to an end, so the AZ GOLF volunteer applicant pipeline is currently closed. Applications will open again in early January 2027 in preparation for the 2027 tournament and course rating seasons.
In the meantime, prospective volunteers can reach out to Volunteer Manager Peg Tanner at peg@azgolf.org with questions.
The game has given all of us something. Volunteering is a way to give something back.