WGA drives growth in youth caddie programs nationwide

Creating college opportunities for record number of students

GLENVIEW, IL – The Western Golf Association (WGA) is driving growth in the number of high school students across the country who are beginning to caddie, a job that’s resulting in life-changing opportunities for record numbers of young people.

In the last five years, WGA leaders have invested heavily in helping golf and country clubs launch or grow youth caddie programs, particularly in areas that have not traditionally had youth caddies. The success of these efforts can be seen in growing numbers of young people beginning to caddie and earn the Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college scholarship for caddies.

Leaders are actively supporting more than 300 clubs nationwide in their youth caddie efforts, including 100 clubs with new and/or reinvigorated programs. In addition, the WGA has seen record numbers for each of the last 13 years in several key categories: number of caddies nationwide applying for the Evans Scholarship, number of Evans Scholarships awarded and number of Evans Scholars in school.

The WGA oversees the Evans Scholars Program, one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies. As the Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF), which was just named the Scholarship Provider of the Year by the National Scholarship Providers Association, nears its 100^th anniversary in 2030, leaders are striving to reach organizational goals that include growing both the number of Scholars in school and youth caddie opportunities nationwide.

“The growth of youth caddie programs in the last five years has been unprecedented, and we’re inspired by the excitement and momentum we see from our partners across the country,” said John Kaczkowski, President and CEO of the WGA and ESF. “We believe caddying is the best seasonal job a young person can have, as it teaches life skills that provide a foundation for future success. We’re thrilled to see our efforts pay off as more students enter the caddie yard and ultimately receive the life-changing opportunity to go to college.”

Currently, 1,190 students – who caddied at more than 200 clubs nationwide – are enrolled as Evans Scholars at 24 universities across the country. This fall, a New Scholar class of 360 students, who were just awarded the Evans Scholarship, will begin college at 26 leading universities, including the ESF’s two newest universities, the University of South Carolina and the University of Delaware.

More than 12,285 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930. Since then, leaders have invested nearly $600 million in all-time program costs, including tuition and housing, Scholar support and caddie services, with a goal to invest $1 billion by 2030.

Evans Scholars have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a 98 percent graduation rate. An estimated 40 percent are first-generation college students, and 95 percent are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating. In recent years, the Program has expanded its efforts to more fully support students along their journey from caddie, to college, to career, providing a full continuum of services including career guidance, mentorship and networking.  

The number of youth caddies across the country has grown by more than 15 percent since 2018, according to data from a recent study done by the National Golf Foundation that evaluated the caddie market. The study also indicates that 90 percent of golf facility operators and core golfers believe that caddies elevate the golf experience, and that 65 percent of core golfers believe more facilities should offer caddie programs.

“It is quite clear that a youth caddie renaissance is underway across the nation,” said Bill Kingore, the WGA’s Executive Vice President. “The state of youth caddying is alive and well - and in a very strong place. Not only are more young men and women applying for the Evans Scholarship, but more schools, organizations, clubs and partners are purposefully working together to find new students to caddie, mentor and prepare for the Evans Scholarship. It is gratifying to see the continued growth of awareness and support of our efforts among the greater golf community to send deserving caddies to college.”

In addition to working with clubs, high schools and community organizations, including the First Tee, the WGA oversees two of its own programs to introduce young people to caddying.

The WGA Caddie Academy program will enter its 14^th summer this year, with more than 150 high school students from across the country invited to take part. Students – who lack access to a nearby golf course – live together for seven weeks at one of seven chapters nationwide, caddying each day and taking part in leadership and recreational activities. Since the program began in 2012, more than 175 Caddie Academy graduates have gone on to earn the Evans Scholarship.

The WGA also oversees Caddie Scholar Prep, in which leaders work with local schools and organizations to specifically find students who have financial need and good grades and place them at local clubs to begin caddying. These students are identified early on as potential candidates for the Evans Scholarship. In the last two years, this effort has seen more than 550 students placed at nearly 150 partner clubs nationwide.

The WGA also helps fund and manage seven youth caddie programs at public courses, including Charleston Municipal Golf Course (South Carolina), Langston Golf Course (Washington, D.C.), Ed Oliver Golf Club (Delaware), Papago Golf Club (Arizona) and the University of Maryland Golf Course, as well as Jackson Park Golf Course and The Evans at Canal Shores in the Chicago area, presenting an opportunity to reach new youth and golfers outside of the traditional club market. Golfers at these sites are invited to take a caddie, with WGA covering the base loop fee.

The WGA is leading efforts in states including Arizona and South Carolina, where youth caddying is a newer concept. In the last few years, more than 100 new students have begun caddying at sites such as Desert Forest Golf Club and Tucson Country Club in Arizona and Old Barnwell, Secession Golf Club and Kiawah Island Resort in South Carolina, among others.

In 2025, top clubs including Los Angeles Country Club and The Quarry at La Quinta (California), Old Barnwell (South Carolina), Cherokee Town and Country Club (Georgia), and Deepdale Golf Club and The Golf Club of Purchase (New York), all saw caddies earn Evans Scholarships for the very first time.

In the Midwest, students from newly re-launched youth caddie programs at places like Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club (Oklahoma) and Omaha Country Club (Nebraska) earned an Evans Scholarship for the first time in decades. Clubs in states that have had more traditional longtime youth caddie programs also continue to grow, including in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Youth caddie efforts are beginning at premiere clubs across the country, including Cypress Point Club (California), Shooting Star Golf Club (Wyoming), Whisper Rock Golf Club (Arizona), Colonial Country Club and BraeBurn Country Club (Texas) and Liberty National Golf Club (New Jersey).

Additional premiere clubs and resorts with youth caddie initiatives that have already produced Evans Scholars include Seminole Golf Club (Florida), Ekwanok Country Club (Vermont), Baltimore Country Club (Maryland), Memphis Country Club (Tennessee), Baltusrol Golf Club (New Jersey), Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Oregon), Sand Valley (Wisconsin), Merion Golf Club (Pennsylvania) and Winged Foot Golf Club and Quaker Ridge Golf Club (New York).

In addition, the WGA supports many youth caddie initiatives that are led by clubs and organizations – such as Aspire Higher in Detroit, the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy in Denver, the EAGLE program in Portland, LifeCamp in New Jersey, Kentucky Golf Foundation’s youth caddie program in Louisville, and Sankaty Head Golf Club’s caddie program in Nantucket, Mass.

The WGA partners with several leading organizations to co-sponsor caddie scholarships, including the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund (Massachusetts), the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust (Pennsylvania), New Jersey Golf’s Caddie Scholarship Foundation and the Metropolitan Golf Association (New York).

“Our partners have played a critical role in our growth, and working with like-minded groups in support of youth caddying has resulted in more opportunities than ever to change the lives of young students across the country,” said Brian Bianchi, the WGA’s Vice President of Caddie Development.