Nearly a decade ago, the Western Golf Association (WGA) recognized a need for more young women on the golf course.
That led to the launch of the Caddie Academy, a program that enables high school-aged girls to experience the benefits of being a golf caddie while learning life lessons about how to become successful adults.
“As ambassadors of caddying, we realized two of the biggest caddie barriers are geography and gender,” said Mike Maher, who oversees the Program. “We wanted to address these obstacles by creating a program designed specifically for young women who may not have access to golf courses to learn about caddying.”
The Caddie Academy started as a pilot program in 2012 with 12 girls from the Chicago area who had never been exposed to golf. Now in its seventh summer, the program has grown to include more than 90 young women from across the nation, the largest group since the program’s inception.
Although the Caddie Academy has expanded from its humble beginnings, the learning, discipline and solid structure of the program remain. For seven weeks, participants have a chance to learn the game of golf by caddying at some of the finest clubs along Chicago’s the North Shore. Six days a week, the girls wake up at 6 a.m. and are shuttled to one of 14 different clubs where they caddie. The program is fully funded for the students, who get to keep earnings made from caddie rounds.
But the program offers more than just early morning loops. Besides learning the ins and outs of golf and caddying, the Caddie Academy provides summer programming and weekly guest speakers, including alumni of the program who return to share their success stories. It also provides exposure to a positive work environment.
Most notably, participants who complete the three-year program become eligible to apply for the Evans Scholarship, a full, four-year tuition and housing grant to leading universities across the country. The Evans Scholarship, supported by the WGA, is awarded to caddies who demonstrate financial need and outstanding character as well as strong caddie and academic records. This year, 12 Caddie Academy participants were awarded the Evans Scholarship and will begin college this fall.
Since participants come from economically under-resourced backgrounds, and more than 90 percent are minorities, the Caddie Academy can be a life-changing experience that turns dreams of going to college into a reality.
This is especially true for Noella Bamigbola and Morayo Ayodele, who are finishing up their fourth year at the Caddie Academy. Both received the Evans Scholarship and will attend college in the fall.
Bamigbola will study business at the University of Illinois, a goal that would have been impossible without the Evans Scholarship. The Evans Scholarship is providing Ayodele the opportunity to become the first member of her family to graduate from college. Ayodele, who will attend Penn State University in the fall, plans to study hospital management.
After their experience, both Bamigbola and Ayodele have evolved into advocates for getting more young women into the program. They believe the opportunity is one-of-a-kind and hope young women who enter the program learn life lessons, create solid friendships and take advantage of the opportunities the Caddie Academy offers.
“It’s important for young women to also get involved because I believe it’s predominantly men on the golf course, so it would be good for us to be in the environment,” said Bamigbola. “If you stick with it, you’ll see the benefits and rewards in the future.”
“I would suggest that young women try new things, take the risk and get out of your comfort zone,” said Ayodele. “Getting out of your comfort zone provides great opportunities that you probably wouldn’t know existed if you never tried.”
As the Caddie Academy wraps up its seventh season, the WGA is looking forward to expanding the program even further to break down additional barriers in golf as well as provide life-changing opportunities for more young women everywhere.
