Christian Vinas has been around golf his entire life. His dad introduced him to the game as a young child, and he played his first round when he was around 5 years old. He played for his high school team, caddies at Huntington Crescent Club on Long Island, and dreams of becoming a golf course architect.
Vinas is a Long Island Caddie Scholar and part of the first class of recipients of the MGA Foundation’s new GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship. The first-year student at the University of Central Florida is pursuing a degree in civil engineering focusing on water resources and geo tech (soils).
“I started looking into it in high school – at the different designers and how (courses) were being built – I thought it was cool,” Vinas says. “I always wanted golf to be a part of my work, and I figured I’ll build golf courses.”
During his studies, Vinas will learn about water resourcing, soils, grass, and terrains – vital skills when designing or redesigning golf courses. He plans to gain experience and develop a broad knowledge base through internships at engineering companies and architecture firms while at UCF.
Given his desire to become a course architect, it is not surprising that Vinas has considered what courses he would want to redesign. The first is his home course, Smithtown Landing Country Club on Long Island.
“I’d love to reimagine it and maybe reroute it a bit,” he says. “Add some hazards, take away from hazards because I know the course so well. I feel like I’d like to restore where I grew up playing.”
And the course he’d most like to redesign outside Long Island? None other than Torrey Pines South Course in La Jolla, Calif.
Vinas played on the Smithtown West High School team, where a teammate connected him with Huntington Crescent, and this summer will be his third as a caddie for Ed Smith.
“I just love being around golf and working with different people,” Vinas says. “I like meeting new people, and that’s a great job to do that with, trying to network and get connections. It seemed like a perfect fit for me while still being around the game I love.”
Caddieing for the last two years made Vinas eligible for a Long Island Caddie Scholarship Fund scholarship. His caddie experience and high school credentials also made him a candidate for the recently announced GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship, for which he was selected as one of the first recipients.
“I've been trying to work hard as a caddie, so I appreciate the award,” he says. “This is something I've wanted for a long time. It’s great that the MGA Foundation wants to support other kids who want to work in golf, just like me.”
Vinas amassed more than 300 volunteer hours during high school. He worked with many local organizations in Smithtown, including Smithtown’s Children Foundation, Paws of War, Toys for Tots, and the Smithtown Library.
To learn more about the MGA Foundation and its support of youth caddie initiatives, including the Long Island Caddie Scholarship Fund, visit mgagolf.org/foundation.