Back in the Loop: Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy

Colorado Spearheads the Comeback of the Caddie

Fifteen boys and girls are invited to begin the two-year Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy program each year after they finish the eighth grade. Financial need and outstanding academic performance are determining factors. Most of the applicants are not familiar with golf and have never been on a golf course.

“The first day of training last year,” recalls Lauren Harmon, director of instruction at CommonGround, “a lot of the caddies were late.” At first, she and caddiemaster Grant Cassell were concerned that maybe these kids were unreliable, despite the careful screening. Then the realization swept over her. “I said to Grant, ‘Did we tell them what a tee time is?’ You can’t assume they know any golf terms.”

Despite “Caddying 101” training, every caddie learns on the job. Their first lessons?

“Not to pull the driver out on par-threes,” answers Jade Zimmer, a second-year caddie who attends George Washington High.

“Stay out of the golfer’s way,” says Francisco Guerrero, who’s in his first year. “Don’t get in the line of putting.”

(“Speak only when spoken to,” recalls Solich.)

They also quickly discover how little their friends know about caddying.

“They ask me, ‘Why are you tired? Don’t you have a golf cart?’” Jade says.

Players at CommonGround are encouraged to walk, and to utilize a caddie. As a result, the 30 caddies collectively will trek roughly 1,000 loops each summer. That’s roughly 3,700 miles.

At the end of each round, players complete a two-sided evaluation card. One side asks for numerical ratings of the caddie’s work ethic, caddie skills and social skills/ attitude. The other asks where the caddie had trouble, listing eight areas: giving proper yardage, standing in the proper place, finding the player’s ball, keeping up with the group of players, having a positive attitude, properly tending the pin, properly raking bunkers and cleaning clubs.

“Our job is to make sure it’s not a bad experience,” Solich says. “Consequently, we have to train these kids really well. You can’t just throw somebody out there. So we’re really focused on training, and providing a really quality experience. That’s what the academy does very, very well.”

While golfers are encouraged to give their caddies a tip reflective of the job they did, players do not pay for caddie service at CommonGround. That’s because the Colorado Golf Foundation, which Solich also founded, provides a stipend of $1,200 to each Solich Academy caddie, paid in two increments per month over the summer, provided they meet all requirements in each period.

Each caddie is required to complete at least 36 loops, attend weekly leadership classes, perform community service, and submit monthly work logs describing their experiences. At the conclusion of the second year in the program, “graduates” are placed in caddie programs at golf clubs near their homes.

“The goal was not to have them caddie forever at CommonGround,” Solich points out, “but to train them to be really good caddies and send them out to more-developed caddie programs around the city.”

Among the topics covered in the leadership sessions are: the meaning of being a leader; teamwork, work ethic and meeting challenges; understanding personal finances; making good decisions and tough decisions; communication skills; the importance of higher education; living a healthy lifestyle; overcoming adversity; and setting career goals.

“The first session, on attitude, was really eye-opening for me,” Jade says. “I learned it’s a lot more than just how you feel that day. And we had a listening session, and I learned it’s not just hearing what someone else is saying, but understanding what other people are trying to tell you.”

“Before I got here, I was a little bit shy,” Francisco admits. But now, Lauren Harmon says with pride, “Francisco is a leader among the first-year caddies.”

RELATED LINKS

Web Exclusive: Chick's Magnet — The Evans Scholarship

Colorado Celebrates Caddie Scholarships at Evans Scholars Cup

Back in the Loop: George Solich

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.

GET COLORADO GOLF NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX