Dustin Jay Wallis Endowed Scholarship

By Martin D. Emeno, Jr.

Dustin Wallis looked more like a fitness instructor than a golf teacher standing 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds. His barrel chest and bulging biceps gave him a commanding presence. But beyond the muscle was a man defined by kindness, selflessness and a deep love for his family, his work, and the joy of watching his students improve – especially the smiles that followed.

In just three months at Chester Valley Golf Club (February-April 2023), Wallis had carved out his niche as the perfect Director of Instruction. His journey in teaching began in 2002 at Galloway National Golf Club. It led through several GAP clubs and a few stops in Florida. After years of moving from place to place, the nomadic nature of his profession seemed to be settling – he had found a home.

“Dustin wasn’t just an instructor. He truly committed himself to his students,” said Andrew Bradford, 35, of West Chester, Pa., Chester Valley’s first assistant of five years and one of Wallis’ closest friends. 

The two had a strong bond. Both were born and raised in Oklahoma. 

“He would reach out to his students and members to check in, ‘How’s everything going?’ He treated everyone he taught like family. He remembered birthdays, followed their tournament performances, and always made sure they knew he cared,” said Bradford.

For Wallis, this role wasn’t just a job – it was a foundation for the future. It brought him and wife Carolina closer to their dream of settling down. Carolina worked in York. Pa. With Wallis in Paoli, Pa., they were actively searching for homes in the Lancaster area to split the distance.

On April 30, just two weeks after they were quietly married, Wallis had lessons scheduled at the club, followed by a realtor appointment in Lancaster County. But that day, he didn’t feel well on the lesson tee and decided to head back to his apartment. Hours later, head pro Sam Ambrose received a devastating call – Carolina had found Dustin lifeless. He died due to a medical incident at just 45 years old.

Enter the power of golf. And the Chester Valley family.

The grieving membership needed a cathartic outlet.

The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust presented the perfect remedy. The Dustin Jay Wallis Endowed Scholarship was born. The endowment was fully established in early 2025 by members of Chester Valley to support a deserving Platt Scholar from their club. Supporting the Platt at a greater level was on the club’s mind for a while. This provided the tipping point.

“He didn’t have the time to have an impact at the club in its fullest capacity, which makes us all the more grateful how the membership came together as a whole to rally around [the scholarship],” said Sam Ambrose, 36, of Coatesville, Pa., Chester Valley’s professional entering his sixth year. “One of the better things was being able to call Dustin’s dad Bob and explain it to him and what it was going to be and what the club was doing. It’s very in line with and what Dustin was.”

Wallis taught at Galloway National from 2002-05. From 2005-10, he split time between the Country Club of York and The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. Looking to stay local, Wallis opened his own golf studio in York, Dustin Wallis Golf (2015-21). Later he held brief stints at Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla. and Woodloch Springs before landing at Chester Valley.

Wallis had skills. He was a member of the Philadelphia Section Challenge Matches team in 2019 and 2021. He was a 2020 Philadelphia Section Tournament champion and had three Central Counties Chapter tournament victories.

Ambrose knew Wallis from the Philadelphia PGA Section scene. On the range for the 2023 Silvercrest Cup at Applebrook Golf Club, Ambrose asked Wallis if he knew anyone interested in Chester Valley’s Director of Instruction position. In the scoring area post round, Wallis said to Ambrose he had a name, “Me.” Ambrose planted the question hopeful for that answer and couldn’t have been more excited.

He knew Chester Valley would be ideal for Wallis.

In interviewing Ambrose, Bradford, Ed Ellis, Chester Valley’s Immediate Past President, and Tom McElwee, Chester Valley’s President, for this story, all noted how Wallis wouldn’t approve of the limelight his death attracted. He would find solace in the Trust mission though: Platt Scholars making themselves better people.

Just like Dustin did for others.

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.

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.