Page 8 - Golf Guide 2021

IN THE BAG
THE J. WOOD PLATT SCHOLARSHIP GIVES CADDIES A COLLEGE BOOST.
By Michael Bradley
When 14-year-old Michael Ryan wanted to make some money, his father suggested caddying at Rolling Green Country Club in Springfield, Pa. “My dad said my uncle caddied there a long time ago,” says the Wilmington, Del., native.
Thanks to the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust, Ryan also ended up with $40,000 toward tuition at La Salle University in Philadelphia. Since 1958, it has provided caddies with more than $23 million in grants for college. It’s sponsored by the Golf Association of Philadelphia, which has 78,000 members and 300 member clubs in eastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware, and southern and central New Jersey.
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Ryan’s parents could swing his tuition
at Salesianum High School. But with
two daughters at Padua Academy, they needed some help paying for college. Thanks to his grant, Ryan graduated
from La Salle University debt-free. Now a 25-year-old CPA and investor, he serves on the scholarship fund’s board. He’s made lifelong friends while picking up loops at Rolling Green—most of his wedding party was comprised of people he met there. And he’s forever grateful to Chris Hoyle, the caddymaster at the club who helped him through the Platt application process. “I’ve been out of college for two years, and I’ve been able to enjoy a little bit of success in the business world,” Ryan says. “That’s
in part due to the people I caddied for at
Rolling Green and the scholarship.” Founded in 1897, GAP is the oldest
state or regional golf association in
the nation—only the United States
Golf Association is older. Unlike the Philadelphia PGA section, whose members are club pros, GAP draws its participants from the ranks of those who play the game. It sponsors amateur tournaments—about 150 a year, starting at the beginner’s level—and provides educational opportunities for member clubs. The GAP team matches bring together 360-plus clubs in a round-robin event each April and May.
The Platt Scholarship was named for J. Wood Platt, who won six Philadelphia Amateur Championships and was so