1999 MMJGA News
A Wonderful Year
The MMJGA had a breakthrough year in 1999, with more than thirty young people involved in our caddie program. Most of the teens commuted to Theodore Wirth Golf Course from the nearby North Minneapolis neighborhood, but some youngsters came from as far as St. Paul and Brooklyn Park to participate in the program.
Fifteen of our young people graduated to private clubs, where they spent the summer as caddies. Youngsters, who promise to caddie for two years on a regular basis, receive a free set of clubs courtesy of the program. Second Swing golf equipment donated 25 sets of golf clubs and $50,000 to give the program a boost. We also received four sets of clubs from the Tiger Woods Foundation.
During the summer of 1999, twenty caddies were active at Theodore Wirth Golf Course in Golden Valley. They caddied three days a week. In addition, another fifteen caddies who graduated from our program finished the summer at private country clubs including Golden Valley, Minikahda Club, and Hazeltine National. The Caddie Masters at these clubs have been extremely helpful and pivotal in the success of our program.
1999 Awards Banquet
1999's activities concluded with a banquet at J.D. Hoyt's in Minneapolis on November 6th. Twelve caddies and their families joined several board members, as we named the 1999 MMJGA Caddies of the Year. The honorees were James Cannon Jr. for his hard work at Minikahda Club, and Mikael Herrlin for his outstanding attendance and his work ethic at Golden Valley Country Club. They each received a $150 scholarship from our Association. All caddies attending the banquet received a $25 check and some gifts from sponsors. (Thanks go to Marquette Banks and Reid Evenson.)
Also honored at the Banquet was Caddie Master Jack Stahlmann. Jack was presented with a $500 bonus to help him with his studies at DePaul University. He has promised to return and lead the program in 2000. Jack's dream is to one-day turn his job over to a graduate of our Caddie Program.
Golf Lessons
1999 marked the first year of lessons for the caddies. Caddies involved with the program and their parents were invited to free bi-weekly lessons. Dan Kasner at Golden Valley Country Club, and Denny Clark from the Colombia Learning Center gave the lessons. The lessons were well received and the Board has voted to expand the program next year.
Special Events
The participants in our program caddied in many special events throughout this season. Hazeltine National graciously allowed several youngsters from our program to caddie at the Hazeltine Invitational. The three-day tournament was held during extremely hot weather, but was a huge success. Our caddies really had to work hard at that one!
During June, we had a golf outing in which our caddies (and some parents) played nine holes at the Theodore Wirth Par 3. Golfers ranged from raw beginners to pretty darn good. A barbeque for participants and families followed. Clayton brought enough onions for 100 people, but he was the only one who would eat them. It was a fun event and we hope to have many similar events next year.
Our young people at Theodore Wirth caddied in the club and city championships, as well as the Bronze Tournament on July 31-August 1. Caddie Master Jack Stahlmann ruled all of the special events successful.
1999's golf tournament was one of our best ever! Read all about it on the Tournaments page.