Johnson, Evan - Caddying Program

Property: The First Tee of Greater Seattle

Location: King County, WA. Participating facilities: Glendale CC

Property Type: Daily Fee, Public (Non-profit Organization)

Program Contact: Evan Johnsen, Program Director, The First Tee of Greater Seattle / Jack Kelly, Assistant Golf Professional, Glendale CC

Contact Phone/Email: Evan Johnsen: 425-503-4851, evan@thefirstteeseattle.org

Name of PD Program: Caddying Program

Type of PD Program: other

Dates of Program: March - November

Results of Program

Glendale CC hosts a caddie program so that members can have assistance on the course, and so that young people can gain employment, income, leadership experience, and a chance to qualify for the WGA Evans Scholarship.

Revenue Generated: The caddie program generates just enough revenue to pay the caddies for their daily work, but no additional revenue is created for the club.

Details of Program

• Glendale CC has enough demand for 6-10 active caddies from March-November, and they hoped to recruit and hire only those eligible for the Evans Scholarship.
• The First Tee program was able to identify 12 of their members who met the criteria (age, city of residence, income level, academic performance, and golf knowledge) and invited them to a spring meeting and training at the club.
• From the original 12 recruits, 6 became regular caddies in 2018, and continued to loop throughout the year.
• Assistant Golf Professional Jack Kelly acts as “caddymaster” at Glendale CC, and manages the caddies scheduling and assignments. Caddies are notified of upcoming events and busy days, and asked to arrive ready to loop.
• Members of the club are expected to pay each caddie $25 per round.
• Glendale CC member Dan Hay is a strong advocate among the membership, given his youth experience as a caddie. He sees that there is a “caddie fund” which adds an additional $20 to each round, so caddies receive $45.

Recommendations

• It is the hope that this program will not only substantiate a regular caddie system at the club, but that several young people will receive the full college tuition from the Evans Scholars program. In that case, you do need to ensure that candidates meet the four criteria: good grades, financial need, leadership, and 50+ total loops.
• For daily scheduling, caddies are either scheduled or just show up and hope for a loop. Glendale started with advanced scheduling, but it was not an efficient process, so midway through the first year, they went to the “first come, first served” basis. This is the traditional method, and worked well.
• Glendale member Day Hay helps subsidize caddie pay so that members only owe $25, but the caddie gets paid a competitive wage of $45 per round. Without a subsidy, the club or members would need to invest more.
• In order to grow the program, members need to be educated and engaged, and willing to take a caddie! Share updates and info with them through newsletters and meetings, so that they are aware of the opportunity and mission behind it.