The Ouimet Fund is keenly aware of the important conversations about equity and diversity that received more appropriate attention in 2020. The Fund is proud of our growth in Scholarship impact to those in, oftentimes, underserved communities or demographic groups. With that being said, we can and will continue to seek out partnerships with local organizations and courses to bring those young men and women into working in the game. Demand for golf is up and ideally so will the opportunities for young people to add even more value to the golfer’s experience. Whether that means maintaining the course, enhancing the golfer experience at arrival or acting as a true partner on the bag caddying for the entire round, we encourage any clubs or courses looking to diversify their workforce to reach out about ideas on this common goal.
It was great to see the annual City of Boston Golf Management Program at Franklin Park and George Wright golf courses in full swing this summer. For eight weeks, 40 participants worked at Franklin Park and 48 participants worked at George Wright laying sod, fore caddying for daily play, assisting The First Tee program and engaging with their peers and mentor supervisors. While some elements of the program adjusted to new safety requirements, the small 10:1 ratios proved even more impactful and received positive feedback from all involved.
The Ouimet Fund’s Director of Scholarships, Michelle Edwards, spoke remotely via video conference to the participants about the timeline and benefits of the Ouimet Scholarship. We are thrilled with another 32 Ouimet Scholars this year from the two sites, a figure which has grown from 9 in 2015. For 25 years, more than 155 Boston students have benefited from this program and have received over $1.8 Million in Ouimet Scholarships. Due to Covid-19 protocols, previously highlighted programs in the city of Worcester were unfortunately on hold in 2020 and we hope are able to return safely in 2021.
