July 2024Closer Look

1TitleA book about the lessons of the West provides the foundation for Solich Academy leadership trainingBy Susan FornoffMy 14-year-old rookie caddie, about to enter her freshman year at Aurora’s William Smith High School, had given me pep talks, inquired about my career and asked if I had a favorite animal over the course of a delightful round at CommonGround. So when I finally asked Andrea Melero what’s resonated most from caddie training, perhaps I should not have been surprised at her answer.“The principle I have been thinking about a lot is ‘Ride for the Brand’ and how caddying is structured,“ she said. “It’s not just what you wear, but it’s also your attitude and how you manage things.”“Ride for the Brand” ranks seventh among the 10 Principles to Live By, as spelled out in Cowboy Ethics, the popular book James P. Owen wrote after a 35-year career on Wall Street.Cowboy-EthicsOwen, who is today inspiring older adults and super agers to embrace fitness, turned Cowboy Ethics into a program for people of all ages and walks of life, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wyoming adapted its 10 Principles to Live By for an elementary school curriculum the CGA then incorporated.“They do a whole training and lesson plan on this,” said CGA Director of Caddie Development Emily Olson, who learned of the program from a volunteer. “This is probably the eighth year we’ve had the Code of the West incorporated into our leadership classes.”Olson summarized the elements of the “Code,” a more generic and inclusionary term than “Cowboy” ethics, as they apply to middle and high school caddies. But golfers, too, can extrapolate meaning.

Live Each Day With Courage: The caddies immediately put this value to work because, as Olson points out, “Most of them have never been on a golf course. So when they step out there for their very first loop, that takes a lot of courage – courage to get out there and talk to a strange adult for five hours, courage to do something that’s completely foreign to you.” CGA members can relate by taking their first lesson, entering their first tournament or signing up for their first rules seminar.

Take Pride In Your Work: In his book, Owen notes that cowboys measure themselves on their riding and roping but don’t hesitate to dismount to take on drudge work when it needs doing. Solich Academy caddies aren’t required to read greens or rake bunkers, but many do if they see their golfers need it.

Always Finish What You Start: Golfers remember this principle whenever they head for the back nine instead of home after a dreadful front nine. For the kids, says Olson, “Most will say, ‘I used that one this week because I didn’t really want to be out there caddying…it was really hot…my golfer wasn’t nice,’ or whatever all the excuses are.”

Do What Has to Be Done: “This goes right along with Always Finish What You Start,” Olson says. “And those two principles seem to be the ones the kids relate to most and use in their daily lives.” As for golfers, we know that if we want to improve, what has to be done is making time for practice.

Be Tough, But Fair: OK, not everything about Owens’ cowboy code resonates with the caddies or their teachers. In his book, it goes without saying that cowboys are inherently tough – tough in ways that middle school students and their teachers can hardly imagine. This principle brings in concepts of generosity, honor and punishment. “We don’t hear the kids talking about this one too much,” Emily says. For golfers though, think of the brutal, cutthroat competitiveness of a Ryder or Solheim Cup, still with gestures of sportsmanship and fairness.

When You Make a Promise, Keep It: “You know, when you sign up for a loop, we expect you to be there,” Olson tells the caddies. “Unless it’s a circumstance out of your control, if maybe Mom or Dad can’t get you there, or you got sick in the night. These are things we understand. But to no-show, no-call? When you made a promise to us that you would be there and we promised the golfer they’d have a caddie, we expect you to show up.” Golfers, we know: Honor thy tee time!

Ride For The Brand: Caddies learn to represent the Solich Academy, and they also have a training exercise to create their own brand on an index card. “We’ve had some fantastic ones over the years,” Olson said. “Some of it is religion based, some is family, some of it is their hobbies and what they enjoy.”

Talk Less And Say More: This is a rephrasing of “actions speak louder than words.” Olson said, “That one resonates the most with me, because I’m not really a talker, I just like to go do the work. So we just talk about how you don’t have to get out there and act like you know everything. Just do the work and it will speak for itself.” This is something every golfer has wanted to tell a certain bragging playing companion at some point.

Remember That Some Things Aren’t For Sale and …

Know Where to Draw the Line: “I tie these together because you can’t buy some things from a person and you can’t put a price on your morals, so what are they and where do you draw the line with certain things?” Olson said. “And, No. 10 also comes up during financial literacy classes, when we talk about how much they’re saving and spending from each paycheck and on what.” If only we golfers could buy lower scores!

For our round at CommonGround, we were joined by Kayla Kerns, the CGA’s social media and video manager. Kayla entered the caddie program in Wisconsin and was awarded an Evans Scholarship. “We had nothing like this,” she said of the Code of the West principles. “I caddied at a country club in Wisconsin and we were on our own, so I love the leadership aspect here.”Kayla had her experienced caddie, Jaxon Grunewald, 16 and soon to be a senior at George Washington High, carry her stand bag, while the rest of us had our caddies push our bags on carts. Toward the end of the day, having heard my caddie’s focus in the Code, I asked the rest about their favorite of the 10 principles.Anayeli “Anna” Perez Aguilar-Lisbeth, 15 and entering her sophomore year at William Smith, chose Live Each Day With Courage: “I got picked on when I was little, because of my height and I seemed younger than everyone else. So I’d always switch schools or tell my mom I didn’t want to be in school, which I shouldn’t have. If I was like that today, I would miss out on good opportunities for free classes of college at my school. My mom got me into sports and helped me feel better about myself.”Sarahi Zamarron, 15, a second-summer caddie heading into her junior year at Holy Family HS, was still kicking herself for not finishing her previous loop because she started throwing up on the fifth hole. “I was upset with myself because I believe Always Finish What You Start,” she said. “I think it’s so important to remember not to quit, especially if the first time something doesn’t work out. You could just try it again until you succeed.” “Always Finish What You Start applies the most to this job,” agreed Kayla’s caddie, Jaxon, who is in his third summer at CommonGround. “You can pick up loops and if you cancel it totally lets down your golfer and hurts your reputation. My first year, I cancelled a few loops. But the (Caddie Now) app will let you know you’re about to let down your golfer. So it reminds you about the Code of the West and the things you should abide by.”Golfers, remember, there’s plenty of time to help these young people get the loops they need to complete their summer obligations before school starts. Book now at these golf destinations.--------Journalist Susan Fornoff does not live on a golf course, but she has written about golf for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, ColoradoBiz Magazine and her own GottaGoGolf.com. She belongs to the Overland and Links at Highlands Ranch ladies’ clubs and ghost-writes as “Molly McMulligan,” the CGA’s on-course consultant on golf for fun. Email her at mollymcmulligan@gmail.com.Cover & TOCWelcome MessageMember ZoneGOLFTECRules Bunker BehaviorWomen's Match PlayMatch PlayKohlerTravelInside The RopesSwing TipCommunityCGA SupportCloser LookColorado GolfOutside the RopesSPIRIT of the GAMEPROfileMolly on the MoveInside the CGARMGCSAGearFeatured Club: Chipeta