Now if you told me as a teenager that caddying would lead me to free college, I would never have believed you. But it did, and let me tell you how.
In the summer of 2014, I would fly out to Chicago from Los Angeles and stay in a boarding school with other high school girls. In the beginning, I was confused on why I was there and what I would be doing but it would end up being the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
I worked Tuesday to Sunday at this gorgeous golf course called the Indian Hill Country Club. But despite how beautiful the setting was, my job was far from glamorous. Now you might think that because I was working in a fancy place, I had a fancy job, but nope that wasn't the case.
I was required to wear this large ugly green bib that was way too oversized for my 5'2, 90 lbs body and carried a 30-40 lb golf bag for 2-6 hours a day. And whether it was humid hot or pouring down rain, I would be out on the course hustling and carrying golf bags.
You might be asking why I did it? Well, let me tell you why it was all worth it.
In summary, I paid $0 out of my own pocket towards my college tuition.
Mind blowing I know — just keep reading.
During my high school summers, I was a participant of the Western Golf Association (WGA), Caddie Academy.
Caddie Programs
The Caddie Academy program is a scholarship program designed to provide young men and women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with an opportunity to learn valuable life skills and gain work experience by working as caddies at top golf courses.
This is a 7 week program offered by the WGA in partnership with several participating golf clubs across the United States. Here are 8 tips to expect from this caddie program:
1.Based on your location, you can be placed in any of the following 6 Caddie Academy locations:
Seattle, WA
Minneapolis, MN
Columbus, OH
State College, PA
Evanston, IL
Lake Forest, IL
2. Apply to the Caddie Academy Program on time.
The Caddie Academy programs tend to be quite competitive and have many applicants who wants to join. Recommendation is to submit application as early as possible. (See website for application due date.)
3. Be prepared to be away from family and meet new people.
Being part of the program means a lot of your time will be dedicated to working on the golf course and potentially moving away for 7 weeks. You may get homesick but you meet so many girls/boys in the same boat as you and hang on to those friends in times of need. Your families are also welcome to visit you.
4. Be prepared to work hard! You will most likely be working Monday through Saturday hustling for loops.
Being a caddie is not an easy job. You will have hard days and easy days. You have to think about your ultimate goal, whether it be making money or applying for the scholarship!
5. To receive the WGA Chick Evans Scholarship, the route to free college, you will need to have 2 years of caddying or attend all 3 summers of the Caddie Academy program.
The Chick Evans Scholarship is a full-tuition and housing college scholarship for golf caddies, which is awarded to deserving young men and women who have a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need, and outstanding character.
This scholarship allowed me to not worry about loans and tuition. I literally got free college through the most unique job out there, caddying.
This caddie program is an experience I'll never forget and more teens should know about it. This program most definitely played a positive affect in my life and I'm hoping it can help other high schoolers who have never heard of it.
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