Earnestness can be tough to put in print, so let me hit it head-on: I genuinely struggle to picture what my life would be like if I never got into golf.
The game is responsible, directly or tangentially, for so many of the best things in my life. It’s a feeling I know is shared by all my teammates at No Laying Up, a group of friends I’ve laughed with, cried with, grown with, and traveled the world with, all because we have golf as a center of gravity.
For a long time, we’ve all been trying to get our heads around how to make a dent in paying back this debt. We think the best place to start is with the Evans Scholars Foundation.
You’ve likely heard of the ESF. They have been doing what they do since 1930 and are one of the most respected charities, not only in golf but in all academic scholarship giving. The program is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies, and since its inception, more than 12,000 caddies with limited financial means have graduated college without paying a dime for tuition or housing. Right now, more than 1,100 Evans Scholars are in school at 27 different universities.
I had always heard all of these stats, and golf clapped along as the ESF and the Western Golf Association continued their great work year after year, and we’ve always tried to keep a tie to the program where we could. In 2019, we hosted our first NLU event at Commonground Golf Club in Denver, with all proceeds going to the Solich Caddie & Leadership program, an Evans Scholars feeder program. We've heard speeches from scholarship recipients and alumni at various events during the BMW Championship each year, and we annually raise money for the ESF through custom merchandise. We've had the pleasure of taking ESF caddies and applicants alike during various rounds around the country. Even Randy's brother-in-law is a proud ESF alum.
(Check out our conversation with WGA President John Kackzowski, Evans Scholar alum and the founder of the Solich Caddie and & Leadership Program, George Solich, and Evans Scholar alum Oscar Garcia)
But the full weight of the program didn’t hit me until this past winter, when I was invited to attend a “selection meeting,” the day when finalists make their cases in front of the scholarship panel about why they would be deserving recipients. The stories of each applicant are unique to them, from parental, medical, and financial hardships to soaring academic, extracurricular, and societal achievements.
Importantly, they are also all the same. They are all stories of remarkable, dedicated, hardworking young people who deserve a leg up. Seeing the members and mentors of each caddie present in the audience was an instant look at the communal experience of being a golfer and an inspiring reminder of the impact that a few people can have on the trajectory of someone’s life, just by taking an interest and showing up.
So, in that spirit, let’s talk about the goal. The ESF allows donors to establish fully endowed “named” scholarships, and through working on the back end with our friends at the Western Golf Association, they’ve set up a way for us to chase that goal as a collective.
This is our aim: To combine the fundraising from our NLU-run events and our company donations alongside any donations from willing community members to establish a “No Laying Up Scholarship” at Miami University that would be given out every four years and funded in perpetuity. To do this, we need to raise $500,000 over the coming years. If we can accomplish that goal, we’ll keep going to more schools.
Many people over the past 10+ years have asked how they could get involved to help make the golf world a better place, and with this goal, we’re hoping to provide a clear and focused place to funnel our energy on the charitable side of things. Our NLU Roosts will continue to do a great job supporting a wide range of charities worldwide through their events, but we hope our efforts with the ESF will be constant for years to come.
If you feel compelled to join us in donating, please do so here.
If you’re looking for more ways to support the ESF, please use the Caddie Program Locator to explore whether your club or any courses in the area have a dedicated caddie program. A big challenge for many young caddies is simply getting enough loops to qualify for the ESF, so help out where you can.
Over the years, we’ve met countless people in the golf world, and Evans Scholar alums are always among those like-minded, interesting, genuine people who make the sport better.
We’re excited to do our part and help make more of them.
Sincerely and gratefully,
D.J. and the whole No Laying Up team