Launch marks summer program's fourth chapter nationwide

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Five high school students from the Seattle area will take part in a new youth summer caddie program beginning June 21, providing them the opportunity to caddie daily at Seattle Golf Club.

The Western Golf Association’s Seattle Caddie Academy is launching its first season this summer, with a small group of promising students selected to take part, while living for seven weeks at the University of Washington Evans Scholarship House.

This unique program offers participants, who are chosen during their freshman year of high school, a chance to experience the benefits of being a golf caddie, from earning money, learning life lessons and being around successful adults and role models. They are selected based on showing promising academics, demonstrated financial need and leadership.

After successfully completing three summers, they become eligible to apply for the Evans Scholarship, a full tuition and housing college scholarship program that is overseen by the WGA.

The WGA launched the first Caddie Academy chapter in Chicago in 2012, serving young women. In 2017, a Caddie Academy chapter for boys opened, with participants staying at the Northwestern Evans Scholarship House. The next year, the Eastern Caddie Academy, the Philadelphia area chapter, was established.

Participants come from economically under-resourced backgrounds, and more than 90 percent are minorities. To date, more than 90 graduates across the Caddie Academy program have earned Evans Scholarships.

“The Caddie Academy provides a unique opportunity for hardworking young women and men to be introduced to the game of golf through caddying. Along the way, they learn plenty of important life lessons, including perseverance, dedication and communication and money management skills,” says WGA Chairman Kevin Buggy. “The ultimate reward is a chance to earn a full housing and tuition Evans Scholarship to college.”

In addition to caddying, students take part in team-building activities such as leadership development, standardized test prep, health and wellness activities and social outings. In-house female counselors will drive the girls to and from Seattle Golf Club. 

“We are thrilled about our newest chapter of the Caddie Academy in Seattle. Seattle Golf Club has a storied history as a strong supporter of caddies and the WGA/ESF. It is the number one producer of Evans Scholars in the state of Washington, and we look forward to further increasing that pipeline through the efforts of the WGA Caddie Academy,” said Sarahi Ortiz, Manager, Caddie Academy and Education. “Seattle Golf Club’s WGA Directors, Bruce Richards and Paul Meyer, as well as Director of Golf Doug Doxie, have all been instrumental in helping us launch this new chapter.”

For more information on the WGA Caddie Academy, please visit www.wgacaddieacademy.org.