The CDGA and Chicago Police Department (CPD) will collaborate on youth golf initiatives in 2025, as announced by the CDGA and CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling (pictured) in a special Chicago Golf Show® kickoff event on Thursday, Feb. 27. The first initiative is the Chicago Police Junior Golf Camp and Fun Fair Days for beginners and younger players. Three events will be held in 2025 where CPD o icers will have fellowship with kids from high-risk neighborhoods, exposing them to the fun and friendship that golf can foster. The second program is the Chicago Police Junior Scramble League, which will be intended for intermediate players and feature casual competition between teams from inner city courses coached by CPD officers.
“The CDGA and the Park District’s dedication to seeing what we can do with our youth and start to build relationships and partnerships between our police o icers and our young people is going to be tremendous,” said Snelling, a non-golfer who vowed to take up the game in conjunction with these initiatives. “I can’t wait to get this started, because I’m sure one of these kids is going to teach me how to play golf!”
The partnership will be supported by a strategic group of CDGA partners, including Wintrust, Tour Edge, Zero Friction, Troon, the Chicago Park District and more. Detailed information will be made available on CDGA.org at a later date.
The USGA will present the Bob Jones Award, its highest honor, to visionary golf course developer Mike Keiser this June during the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh. A longtime Chicago resident, Keiser first built The Dunes Club, a CDGA member club in New Buffalo, Michigan inspired by Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey. He would go on to create a first-of-its-kind resort, Bandon Dunes, in a remote part of Oregon and Sand Valley in Wisconsin, among many others. Keiser was inducted into the Western Golf Association (WGA) Caddie Hall of Fame in 2014 and received the CDGA Distinguished Service Award in 2019. Presented annually since 1955, the Jones Award recognizes those who personify the character, sportsmanship and respect for the game as its champion namesake. Recipients of the award include Francis Ouimet, Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, Lee Elder and 2024 honoree Tiger Woods.
Chicago native Maryilene Blondell has produced an award-winning documentary on the life of Carl Jackson, the legendary Augusta National caddie who was on the bag for Ben Crenshaw during his Masters wins in 1984 and 1995. The documentary, “Rise Above: The Carl Jackson Story”, details Jackson’s journey from his poverty-stricken upbringing to caddie fame. It is available to view on Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play.
New for 2025, all CDGA members now can utilize the GHIN® app (along with the My CDGA app and Leaderboard) to post scores and maintain their Handicap Index®. GHIN® is the official app of the USGA's Golf Handicap Information Network. Key features specific to GHIN include a customized GHIN Rewind to annually recap your year in golf, score posting, stat tracking, course maps, GPS and more. CDGA members can visit GHIN.com or download the GHIN app and create a digital profile to get started.