An excerpt from the 2024 Winter GAP Magazine written by John Iswalt
Greg Gipe grew up in an alternative household to most. For him, chores often involved a feed bucket and a pitchfork.
“I grew up on a farm [in Fairfield, Pa.]. Basically my whole family, in some way or another, was involved in agriculture,” Gipe, 22, a caddie at Lookaway Golf Club, said. “We still have some chickens and livestock.”
While feeding animals was one of Gipe’s responsibilities during his youth, he feeds from another source while in college – the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust. His decision to trade boots for a bib proved even more impactful this year. For his efforts in the classroom, on the golf course and in his community, he has been selected as the 2024 Francis C. Poore Caddie of the Year.
“It’s an awesome honor and it’s just a privilege to be in this situation,” said Gipe, who graduates from Delaware Valley University in May with a degree in agriculture policy. “I think my first brunch Gage Wolfle was the Caddie of the Year. I remember when they called his name and they said everything about him and all that. I was like, ‘Wow. That’d be a really cool honor to be in his shoes one day.’
“The Platt scholarship means a lot to me. One, it means that I was able to go to school with a lot less burden on my family, but two, it gave me a network of opportunities. It gave me people in my corner that want me to succeed.”
“I think the thing that stands out most about Greg is the careful consideration that he gives to all of his interactions with the Trust,” J. Wood Platt Director of Scholar and Alumni Engagement Lindsay Myers, 54, of Coatesville, Pa., said. “Although he travels longer distances, Greg is typically one of the first volunteers to show up, and he is a natural leader at events.”
GIPE’S CADDYING STORY……. grew from the COVID-19 pandemic after a majority of his first semester classes switched to online. Some extra time pushed Gipe to pursue money-making opportunities at nearby Lookaway in 2020.
“I started working their range a few days a week. On my second or third day, Chris McCardell [Lookaway’s longtime caddiemaster] looked at me and was like, ‘You play golf, right?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I do. I play on the team at school,’” Gipe said. “[Chris] was like, ‘Do you want to caddie?’ And the rest is history.”
Traversing the fairways of Lookaway under the strap was transformative for Gipe’s development both as a student and as a professional.
“Caddying requires a special type of communication and a special type of people skills,” Gipe said. “I think nothing has prepared me for a professional life [more] than being a caddie. The amount of people I’ve met alone in different careers and in different fields by being a caddie is just astronomical.”
Ironically, it was also McCardell who encouraged Gipe to apply for the Platt scholarship in 2021.
“Chris got to know me a little bit and know my background, how my parents were divorced and that we didn’t come from a lot knowing that we were a farm family,” Gipe said. “[Chris] said, ‘Hey, there’s this scholarship, I really think you should apply.’”
“I tell all my boys to apply whether your father makes $150,000 or nothing. It takes 20 minutes and it’s worth all the time in the world,” McCardell, 62, of Phoenixville, Pa., said. “[Greg] has been a great asset to the program, he’s been a great asset to the membership and he’s been a great asset to me. He’s worked hard for what he’s got, and it’s recognized by the partners and the members at Lookaway.”
DURING HIS YEARS as a Platt Scholar, Gipe took advantage of all the Trust had to offer. He enhanced his professional development by attending several annual Platt Leadership Summits, engaged in the Trust’s Cradles to Crayons community service opportunity, and even caddied in the 2022 BMW Championship Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am at Wilmington Country Club.
“There have been mornings that I’ve woken up at 3 a.m., fed animals and then driven to be at [J. Wood Platt Caddie] Brunch and things like that,” Gipe said. “That’s easy because the Trust has given me so much that waking up early and driving across the state is by far worth it to just be there and say thank you to all the donors.”
Platt paid dividends for Gipe. With his upcoming graduation, he becomes the first college graduate from his dad’s side of the family.
His family’s farming roots have influenced Gipe’s career pursuits. In high school, he became involved in Pennsylvania FFA, a national organization of student members committed to representing and supporting diverse agricultural efforts. Gipe’s affinity for agriculture, and the important role it plays in society, led him to study agriculture policy at Delaware Valley University. He is set on attending law school after finishing his undergraduate studies. He increased his involvement in Pennsylvania FFA in college. After his freshman year, he accepted a position as state vice president. In his role, which required a gap year from 2021-22, Gipe traveled the state for Pennsylvania FFA leadership summits and local chapter visits.
“The leadership skills and the opportunities that I had through FFA definitely helped me as an individual,” Gipe said. “I for sure can tell you that I would not be going to law school if it wasn’t for my year as a state officer.”
Experienced farmers understand the nourishment and care necessary for raising strong livestock. The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust knows the formula for raising young men and women for college and career success. Just ask this year’s Caddie of the Year.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 288 Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 and is the charitable arm of GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia). The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust’s mission is to financially aid and empower qualified caddies and those working in golf operations in the pursuit of higher education. Along with aiding caddies financially, J. Wood Platt’s EMPOWER program strengthens scholarship investment dollars by providing caddies with exceptional benefits and leadership training through access to the wide network of J. Wood Platt donors and alumni. To date, more than 3,700 young men and women have received $25 million in aid from the Trust.
