On Sunday at CommonGround Golf Course, as the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy unofficially celebrated its fifth “birthday” with its annual post-season buffet and awards ceremony, Duffy Solich heard a comment from a caddie’s parent that was music to his ears.

“One of the parents told me tonight, ‘Whether my son gets an Evans Scholarship (a full tuition and housing scholarship awarded to selected caddies at the University of Colorado) or not, (the Solich Academy) has made him who he is,'” Solich recounted Sunday evening. “I’m like, ‘Wow. That’s the nicest thing you could say.’ Those are hidden benefits you don’t realize when we started this. Things mature and happen and grow.”

Indeed, the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy to which brothers George and Duffy Solich (pictured above, with Duffy at left) lent their name was a unique idea when it was launched at CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course in 2012. The Academy promotes the use of caddies in a major way by paying the base caddie fees, with participating golfers having the option of adding a tip. But in addition to the caddying, per se, a major component of the Academy is that all of the caddies are required to attend weekly leadership classes and do volunteer community-service work each summer. And after two summers in the Academy, the youngsters who are successful graduate to other caddie programs in the area. And, ideally, some will become good candidates for the Evans Scholarship at CU.

So, having just completed season No. 5, how successful has the Solich Academy been?

With more than 1,400 caddie loops in 2016 (1,095 at CommonGround and 330 at Meridian Golf Club, which came into the fold starting last year), the two Colorado sites have generated almost 5,400 loops over the five years. CommonGround on its own has racked up almost 4,800. And nine Solich Academy caddies have gone on to earn Evans Scholarships.

“What’s really great is the kids are getting a lot out of it whether they get the Evans Scholarship or not,” said George Solich, who provided the inspiration for the Academy after reading a magazine article about a caddie camp in Nantucket, Mass. “We’ve touched a lot of kids. It’s been an awesome start.

“It’s really in a great spot. And thanks to the CGA for all its work in managing it and running it. Thanks to the Colorado Golf Foundation for supporting it. We love what it does.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that many of the driving forces behind the Solich Academy were caddies themselves as youngsters, and quite a few received the Evans Scholarship at CU. That includes both George and Duffy Solich, CGA executive director Ed Mate, who was responsible for the execution of George’s original inspiration, and of major supporters such as Frank Nessinger. And even though he wasn’t an Evans Scholar, Paul Lobato, the PGA head professional who championed the idea of adding a Solich Academy chapter at Meridian Golf Club, caddied at Denver Country Club as a teenager.

Meridian’s program is much smaller than CommonGround’s, but likewise has gained grassroots support.

“It gets better every year,” said Lobato (below). “It started as a 9, now it’s a 10. Probably the most fun part of my job is seeing how (the caddies) grow, seeing how they get confidence talking to adults and getting better at their job. Some of the young kids come in really meek and quiet, then they start to gain confidence and get better and better and better. It’s really fun to see. It’s a great, great program.”

This year, between the two Colorado courses, there were 46 Solich Academy caddies — 36 at CommonGround at 10 at Meridian. In their leadership classes, they learn about “Cowboy Ethics” and the 10-point “Code of the West”: 1) Live each day with courage; 2) Take pride in your work; 3) Always finish what you start; 4) Do what has to be done; 5) Be tough, but fair; 6) When you make a promise, keep it; 7) Ride for the brand; 8) Talk less and say more; 9) Remember that some things aren’t for sale; 10) Know where to draw the line.

“We love what caddying does,” said George Solich, like Duffy a success in the oil and gas business and a philanthropist. “Not only can you make money, but you can be around successful people. You can learn about leadership, you can learn principles (of success) and you can learn hard work. And regardless of where you go in life, those qualities and characteristics will benefit you for years and years. They did us, for sure.”

The formula for success adopted by the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy hasn’t gone unnoticed. Besides what has germinated in Colorado, courses in southeast Wisconsin and in Oceanside, Calif., have taken the Solich Academy template and run with it.

“It’s a really good model,” said George Solich. “The goal is to have it at a lot of different places across the country that can benefit kids and give them an opportunity.

“We have some good momentum. It would be great to see it thrive (further). The Evans Scholars Foundation is moving this way too. They have a (WGA Caddie Academy) for girls in Chicago. John (Kaczkowski, president and CEO of the WGA) and I have talked (about) how does all this kind of fit together. I think the idea is, finding more kids you can give the opportunity to.”

Suffice it to say that in five years the Solich Academy has succeeded beyond what anyone foresaw.

“I would have guaranteed you none of us had this kind of expectations (five years ago),” said Duffy Solich. “It’s far exceeded anything we expected. There was nothing like it in the country that I’m aware of. And some of the byproducts that come from it are not something you could have ever planned on.”

This year, when BMW became a presenting partner of the CGA, it also became the exclusive partner for the Solich Academy at CommonGround. The PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, which just concluded in Indiana, has raised, from the tournament’s inception in 2007 through 2015, more than $21 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Also new this year, a Solich Academy Invitational was held at CommonGround with the intention of giving supporters and potential supporters a first-hand experience with Academy caddies and the program overall.

While the Soliches, Mate, Lobato and others have provided big-picture guidance to the Solich Academy, the day-to-day operations have mainly been in the hands of Emily Olson, the CGA’s manager of caddie development; Erin Gangloff, the CGA’s managing director of programs; and the caddiemasters at the respective courses, Matt Tedeschi (CommonGround) and Melyzjah Smith (Meridian). Smith is one of 53 Evans Scholars currently living at the newly renovated scholarship house at CU.

“This program would not work without the four of them,” George Solich said. “It’s really neat to see that they actually own it. They’re accountable, they’re responsible. They’re thinking about new ways to make it better.”

Added Duffy Solich: “My first round out here (at CommonGround), Melyzjah was my caddie. I was totally taken by her and I thought we have to get this girl an Evans Scholarship. She was light on loops so she had to go to school on her own (at CU) for a year. She came back and got the Evans Scholarship and now she’s a leader at the Meridian Chapter. That’s a pretty good story.”

The fruits of the labor of Olson, Gangloff, Tedeschi, Smith and others are being seen at other major clubs in the Denver metro area that utilize Solich Academy graduates in their own caddie programs.

“Personally, I’d tell you the kids that come to Cherry Hills (Country Club) from the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy are always the best kids — because they’re trained, they know the deal,” George Solich said. “That’s one of the hard parts about clubs is training caddies. I think this model really works if we can send 15 kids a year to five or six other clubs.”

Besides the benefits of kids earning money through caddying — and possibly qualifying for an Evans Scholarship — the Academy’s leadership training and volunteerism remain equally important aspects of this whole initiative.

“I really, really love the Code of the West,” George Solich said. “It’s the perfect age to talk to these kids about character, which is what Code of the West really is. When you look at programs that are very successful, it’s all about character traits and moving that into a kid’s thought process. It really adds to the experience they get at a golf course.

“When we launched, I’m so glad we decided to do that along with the caddie program. It’s as meaningful as the hard work on the golf course and as the money these kids take home.”

As part of Sunday’s festivities, awards were given out to some of the oustanding Solich Academy caddies at CommonGround and Meridian:

Caddie Leader of the Year (CommonGround)
David Acevedo
 
Caddie Leader of the Year (Meridian)
Ricardo Angel-Lucero

Congeniality Award (CommonGround)
Sydney McCleary
 
Congeniality Award (Meridian)
Courtney Lopez

Rookie of the Year (CommonGround)
Kyle Arbuckle
 
Rookie of the Year (Meridian)
Davis Helmerich

Most Improved Caddie (CommonGround)
Dillon Zastrocky
 
Most Improved Caddie (Meridian)
Oliver King

3D Award: Determination, Dedication, Desire (CommonGround)
Eliannah Angel-Lucero

3D Award: Determination, Dedication, Desire (Meridian)
Fenton Dowling
 

Having grown up as a caddie, Paul Lobato has a soft spot in his heart for kids who tote clubs for a little spending money and learn valuable lessons along the way.

In fact, when Lobato wanted to start a small caddie program at Meridian Golf Club in Englewood, where he’s the head professional, he personally kicked in $20 for each caddie loop, with the member utilizing the caddie ponying up another $20.

But when it got right down to it, there was a better way — and why reinvent the wheel?

The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course has been thriving since making its debut in 2012. And Lobato is friends with brothers George and Duffy Solich, for whom the Solich Academy is named, and he’s given lessons to George over the years.

So when the subject came up, George Solich and Lobato figured that establishing a new chapter of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at Meridian made sense. And after working out the details with CGA executive director Ed Mate and CGA manager of caddie development Emily Olson — the CGA and CWGA own and operate CommonGround Course — Meridian this year will become the third Colorado course to feature the Solich Academy, joining CommonGround and the Spike Baker Chapter at Fort Collins Country Club.

“I think the program is unbelievable,” said Lobato, who played intercollegiate golf at the University of Colorado, where the Solich brothers went to school on Evans Caddie Scholarships. “We had the best day out at CommonGround when I played with George, Duffy and (noted instructor) Bill Harmon (son of 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon and brother of renowned instructor Butch Harmon). I think every one of the caddies with us have gone on to earn Evans Scholarships. I love caddying and how people learn the game through caddying.

“Afterward, I said to George and Duffy, ‘You guys are changing lives.’ I fell in love” with the program.

The Solich Academy is novel in that base caddie fees are paid by the Academy, with participating golfers having the option of adding a tip. The caddies attend weekly leadership classes and do at least six hours of volunteer community-service work each summer. (Duffy and George Solich are pictured at left.)

Lobato certainly isn’t the only one enamored by the template the Solich Acadeny established. Besides Colorado now having three chapters of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, there are others who have followed — or are following — the same path. There’s the Caddie & Leadership Academy of Southeast Wisconsin, and people in Philadelphia and Oceanside, Calif., have also expressed a significant interest.

“The whole goal is to get more kids introduced to caddying,” said Mate, who plays an integral role in overseeing the Solich Academy at CommonGround. “We can only reach so many kids at CommonGround, so this is all part of the master plan.”

But the key, Mate said, is to have at least one person at each Academy site that will go to the mat for the program.

“We always talk about planting the seed,” Mate said. “You need somebody on the ground that really owns it. That person is John Hanrahan (director of golf) in Fort Collins and Paul Lobato at Meridian. You have to have someone who gets it. It’s better if someone comes to us (to demonstrate that interest and commitment). And if the facility won’t embrace it, it won’t succeed.”

As is the case at Fort Collins Country Club, the Solich Academy at Meridian will be much smaller scale than at CommonGround, where about 30 kids participate each year. Lobato is currently training eight caddies — all currently in seventh through 10th grades — with the fourth and final training scheduled for April 28. Then on May 2 during men’s opening day at Meridian, Lobato plans to lay out the program for members. The eight kids, including one “graduate” of the CommonGround Academy who has about 40 caddie loops to his credit, will caddie through the summer, with the goal of each getting 36 loops by the end of the season.

“When the members understand, they’ll get behind it,” Lobato said.

Melyzjah Smith, who’s completing her sophomore year as an Evans Scholar at CU, will be the caddiemaster at Meridian.

“Meridian is perfect” for a Solich Academy chapter, Mate said. “There are a lot of walkers.”
 

Zack Arbuckle likes just about every aspect of being part of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy.

Except one thing, that is.

After two years in the program, he has to leave CommonGround Golf Course and “graduate” to a different caddie program in the Denver metro area.

“We have to go to another club after our second year here,” the sophomore at Heritage High School said Sunday. “I wish we could stay here. The connections that I made this year, and the family that’s here, I wish we could stay.”

Such is the way it is with the Solich Academy. Golfers who utilize Solich Academy caddies love the experience, CommonGround staff likes being associated with the program, and the caddies themselves buy in in a big way.

On Sunday, the Solich Academy, now with three years under its belt, helds its annual season-ending barbecue and a graduation of sorts.

In 2014, a total of 27 caddies racked up 832 loops, a number down somewhat from last year due in part to CommonGround not opening up fully until June 1 following last September’s flooding.

“The way I look at this is, it’s kind of one kid at a time,” said George Solich, for whom the Solich Academy is named, along with brother Geoff. “Sometimes you think if you’re not helping a hundred kids, it’s not impactive. But it’s impactive if you help one kid. That’s what we’ve got to keep in mind. We’re obviously having a great impact on these kids. Some of the kids are going to rise up and take advantage of it, which is great to see.”


The Solich Academy — and other programs which have been modeled after it — uses caddying and the game of golf to help teach kids valuable leadership skills. The Academy promotes the use of caddies by paying all of their base fees. It also trains teenagers who eventually will be available to caddie at other courses in the Denver metro area — like Arbuckle.
 And some participants will have the added bonus of becoming candidates for the Evans Scholarship, which fully pays for college tuition and housing for qualified caddies who meet caddie, academic, financial and outstanding character requirements.

Arbuckle is among the Solich Academy caddies who hopes to one day be selected for an Evans Scholarship at the University of Colorado. On Sunday, following a “caddie Olympics” (left and below), he was once again named the Solich Academy Caddie Leader of the Year after accumulating the most loops for the second consecutive season. He has racked up 103 loops over the last two years combined.

One of those this year was for former Colorado Rockies great Todd Helton. The retired first baseman came out to CommonGround over the summer and was warming up when Arbuckle noticed him. CommonGround director of golf Dave Troyer subsequently asked Helton if he needed a caddie. The slugger said that although his group already had carts, he would take Arbuckle as a cart caddie.

“It was really cool,” Arbuckle said of the experience. “He’s a lefty baseball player, but he golfs righty. That was kind of fun to watch. He hits the ball really far.”

It’s unusual for a public course to have a thriving caddie program. But with the Solich Academy, CommonGround has hit upon the right formula. And there’s not just caddying involved. Every caddie at CommonGround — which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA — must go through regular leadership training and participate in community service.

That leadership training took on new depth and became more quantifiable this year, and CGA executive director Ed Mate has further plans to expand it, with an emphasis on self-reliance, individual responsibility and ethics.

“That’s one thing I’m really excited about,” said Mate, who like the Solich brothers is a former Evans Scholar at CU. “Granters (such as the Daniels Fund, which has given $30,000 to the Solich Academy for 2014-15) want to see evidence of real leadership training going on. We’re doing more activity-based stuff, where it’s not just a lecture. It’s really hands-on.”

While there’s always room for improvement, Geoff Solich is encouraged by feedback he receives from players who have experience with the Solich Academy.

“I hear people come by and say, ‘I just want you to know that I went out to CommonGround to take one of the caddies and go play the course’,” Solich said. “People are coming out here for that. I think it’s starting to be a draw. I’ve had people remember (Solich Academy caddie’s) names (long after the fact). That doesn’t happen very often.

“Ideally, you’d like more golfers taking caddies, but there are people coming out here specifically to use the program, which is pretty unusual.”

This year, a total of 21 caddies at CommonGround posted at least 36 loops, which is the minimum the program prescribes.

The Solich Academy and the Evans Scholarship received some welcome national publicity early this month when Cherry Hills Country Club hosted the BMW Championship, which benefits the Evans Scholarship. George Solich was the general chairman of that PGA Tour playoff event. Among other things, NBC’s national broadcast of the tournament included a story by essayist Jimmy Roberts which featured George Solich, current CU Evans Scholar Melyzjah Smith and the Solich Academy, where Smith caddied. Smith is one of five CU Evans Scholars the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy has produced over its first three years of existence.

“It was a neat story and (Smith) did an awesome job,” George Solich said. “The publicity we had from the BMW Championship all throughout the state, I think it’s going to catapult the Evans Scholarship in applications, awareness and hopefully fundraising because that’s what it’s all about. With record attendance and really good TV ratings, a lot more people are going to know about the Evans Scholarship, so that will be great.”

Added Geoff Solich: “I don’t remember a BMW Championship or a Western Open (its predecessor) where there was ever more direct publicity and understanding as to what the Evans Scholarship is. I think a lot of people went, ‘Oh, OK.’ It was just really well done.”
 

Melyzjah Smith certainly wasn’t drawing the connection, but perhaps it’s noteworthy that the same week the University of Colorado Evans Scholar met with Hunter Mahan, the PGA Tour player notched his first tournament victory in more than two years.

Smith, a sophomore at CU, was awarded an Evans Scholarship in January thanks largely to the hole-in-one Mahan made at the 2013 BMW Championship. Smith is one of a very select group of caddies whose Evans Scholarships are funded by the BMW Hole-in-One Scholarship. For Smith, that translates into fully paid tuition and housing at CU.

Smith, who caddied at the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, and her fellow CU Evans Scholars (below) kicked off 2014 BMW Championship week at Cherry Hills Country Club on Monday by caddying in the Evans Scholars Cup.

But Smith has long since gotten a feel for the BMW Championship and the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs. In July, she caddied for former Denver Broncos standout John Lynch in a BMW Championship exhibition at Cherry Hills. And if that weren’t enough, two weeks ago the Aurora resident went on a whirlwind trip to the East Coast to meet Mahan, among other things.

“It was an amazing experience,” Smith said in a recent interview.

On Aug. 18, thanks to BMW, the PGA Tour and the Western Golf Association, which administers the Evans Scholarship, Smith flew to the New Jersey/New York area. The next day, she went to meet Mahan, who at the time was preparing to play in The Barclays, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs. Several days later, Mahan would win the tournament.

So what was Smith’s message to Mahan when they had a chance to exchange a few words as he was receiving the all-electric BMW i3 vehicle he won for making his 2013 hole-in-one? (At top, the two are pictured in front of the car.)

“I just wanted to make sure to tell him how grateful I was and let him know how big an impact he made for me,” Smith said. “He’s the reason why I’m going to school (on scholarship).”

Indeed, full-ride college scholarships don’t grow on trees.

The BMW Championship has an inextricable link to the Evans Scholarship as all of the tournament’s net proceeds go to the caddie scholarship. The Evans Scholarship has produced almost 10,000 alumni around the country since 1930, including about 430 at CU. Roughly 870 caddies are currently on scholarship nationwide, including almost 50 at CU. The CGA and CWGA partner with the WGA in supporting and financing the Evans Scholars at CU. Through CGA and CWGA bag-tag sales and Par Club contributions, Colorado donors fully fund the year-to-year scholarship costs at the CU Evans Scholars house.

Besides saying thanks to Mahan on her trip, Smith also had a chance to chat with Ludwig Willisch, the president and CEO of BMW USA, and she had an opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. All in all, it was a memorable first trip to the area for the Aurora Central High School graduate.

Mahan, by the way, will come to Cherry Hills for the BMW Championship in the No. 3 spot on the FedExCup standings. The 70-man field at the BMW Championship, which runs Thursday through Sunday, will be pared to 30 for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta.

For more on Smith receiving the BMW Hole-in-One Scholarship, CLICK HERE.
 

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BMW Championship: The Essentials

What — BMW Championship PGA Tour FedExCup Playoff Event.

Where — Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village.

Schedule
Sept. 1: Course is closed to the public.
Sept. 2: Professional practice rounds beginning at 8 a.m.
Sept. 3: Gardner-Heidrick Pro-Am with tee times from 7-9 a.m. and 12:10-2:10 p.m. off the first and 10th tees.
Sept. 4-7: Championship rounds, with Thursday and Friday tee times from 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. off the first and 10th tees, and Saturday and Sunday tee times from 9-11 a.m. off the first and 10th tees.

Gates Open — 6:30 a.m. Sept. 2-3; 10 a.m. Sept. 4-5; and 8 a.m. Sept. 6-7.

TV Coverage — Sept. 4-5: 2-6 p.m., Golf Channel; Sept. 6: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Golf Channel and 1-4 p.m., KUSA (9); Sept. 7: 10 a.m.-noon, Golf Channel and noon-4 p.m., KUSA (9).

Tickets — Tickets will not be sold on site, only online. CLICK HERE. 

PGA Tour Players Short Game Clinic — CommonGround Golf Course, located at 10300 East Golfers Way in Aurora, near the intersection of Havana and 1st Avenue, will host a PGA Tour Players Short Game Clinic on Sept. 3 at approximately 5-6 p.m. The event is free and open to the general public. Two PGA Tour players — to be determined — from the BMW Championship field will be the focus of the event.

Thursday/Friday Tee Times: For Thursday and Friday tee times, CLICK HERE.

Wednesday Pro-Am Tee Times: CLICK HERE.

Free Admission for Juniors — Kids 16 and under will be admitted free to the BMW Championship when accompanied by an adult ticket or credential holder.

Military Admission Policy — All active-duty, retired, reserve and veterans will receive free admission for one day of the tournament. Each military member must verify his or her military status on the website (CLICK HERE) and print off a free ticket voucher in advance of the tournament.

Field — The top 70 players in the FedExCup Playoff standings after the Deutsche Bank Championship concludes on Sept. 1. There will be no cut during the BMW Championship.

Purse — $8 million, with $1.44 million going to the winner.

Course Set-up — 7,352 yards. Par-70 (34-36). 3-in-deep bluegrass rough. Greens 11-11.5 on Stimpmeter.

Tournament Beneficiary — All the net proceeds from the BMW Championship go to the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to worthy and qualified caddies with limited financial means. The average value of an Evans Scholarship nationwide is estimated to be $80,000. One of the 14 Evans Scholarship houses is located at the University of Colorado in Boulder. About 870 caddies are currently on scholarship nationwide, and the program has produced almost 10,000 alums since 1930, with about 430 from CU. Among the CU Evans Scholar alums is George Solich, the general chairman of the 2014 BMW Championship.

Parking — Free parking is available at 1 Highfield Parkway in Englewood, with free shuttle service provided to the main entrance at Cherry Hills CC. Free parking for BMW owners will be provided at 6145 Happy Canyon Road in Denver, with shuttle service to the course. (At Cherry Hills, the BMW owners’ pavilion is located between the seventh and 14th holes; owners need only show their BMW key for access).

Autographs and Cameras — Only permitted on Sept. 2 and 3 during the practice/pro-am rounds.

Tournament History — The BMW Championship’s predecessor, the Western Open, began in 1899, making it the third-oldest PGA Tour event, behind the British Open and U.S. Open. The tournament was renamed the BMW Championship in 2007 when it became part of the FedExCup Playoffs.

Course History — Cherry Hills Country Club, a William Flynn-designed course, opened in 1922. It has hosted a myriad of significant tournaments over the years: U.S. Opens in 1938, ’60 and ’78; PGA Championships in 1941 and ’85; a U.S. Women’s Open in 2005; U.S. Amateurs in 1990 and 2012; a U.S. Senior Open in 1993; a U.S. Senior Amateur in 1976; and a U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1983. Winners of those events include Arnold Palmer (’60 U.S. Open), Jack Nicklaus (’93 U.S. Senior Open) and Phil Mickelson (’90 U.S. Amateur).

For More Information — Visit the BMW Championship website (CLICK HERE.)