Excerpt from the Winter issue of the GAP Magazine
By John T. Iswalt
A new era for the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust has arrived.
After years of development, growth and support under the gentle but impactful care of Chairwoman Tina Gregor, it’s time for someone new, but ever familiar and equipped, to head GAP’s charitable arm.
Jeff Mitzak assumes the role in 2025, having been nominated and approved.
“I represent a lot more people than just me,” Mitzak, 45, of Wyndmoor, Pa., said. “I am a donor. I am an alumni. I represent those people and I’m hopeful that over the next couple of years I can bring all of that together for a successful outcome, however we decide to define it. ”
“The Trust and our Scholars are in good hands with Jeff at the helm,” Gregor, 55, of Ambler, Pa., said. “I have no doubt he will lead with passion and continue to move Platt forward, leaving it better than he found it.”
Throughout his childhood in northern New Jersey, Mitzak’s father, Bruce, worked as a caddie. Legacy, and a love for golf, served as the foundation for Mitzak’s looping destiny.
“I was interested in it in 1995 when the USGA had a Women’s [Amateur Public Links] at Hominy Hill [Golf Course], which is where we played a lot of golf,” Mitzak, who holds memberships at Philadelphia Cricket Club and Stonewall, said. “His view was, ‘If you’re going to caddie there, you’re going to caddie down the street at Metedeconk [National Golf Club].’ That was sort of the catalyst that got it going.”
For eight seasons, he shouldered bags at Metedeconk. During his senior year of high school, Mitzak spotted a Platt poster in the caddie yard. After applying and earning a scholarship at an “opportunistic time,” he headed to Penn State University and studied finance. He graduated in 2002.
“[Caddying] is a different type of hard work,” Mitzak, who became the first Platt alumnus to serve as Chairman, said. “I’ve benefitted from the networking and the mentorship that those members and guests provided for a long time. I’ve been in financial services for 25 years [and] I wouldn’t be there today if it wasn’t for people introducing me to markets, being mentors [and] sharing opinions.
“I had great parents who were actively involved throughout my entire life, but during that eight-year period, and even today, I had daily ‘fathers’ and mentors that shared advice to ensure that I was successful.”
Mitzak is a Private Wealth Management Advisor at Goldman Sachs. His responsibilities involve working with a team to ensure the continued financial health of his clients. His firm and direct leadership style ensures accountability and a return on given efforts.
“I want to make sure that everyone around me succeeds. I want to give clear instruction, direct feedback, a view that we never make the same mistake twice, or try not to, and we’re all trying to achieve the same thing,” Mitzak said.
Having experienced Platt’s support firsthand, Mitzak and his wife Krista decided to give back through the Trust’s Endowment Program. In 2019, the pair established the Jeffrey & Krista Mitzak Endowed Scholarship. The award is presented to a caddie from either Metedeconk National, Philadelphia Cricket or Stonewall.
“We are very blessed in what we have been able to do,” Mitzak said. “For us, the Endowment was just the next step. It was a way to memorialize our support for the Trust.”
CHARITABLE GIVING IS a keystone in the structure of the Mitzak family. In addition to the Platt, Mitzak serves as a board member for the First Tee – Greater Philadelphia. Krista serves on the board of directors for PGA REACH Philadelphia. Together, the Mitzaks have two boys, James (15) and Peter (13). James caddies at Cricket, and Peter won’t be far behind, according to his parents.
Mitzak became Trust Secretary in 2019 and Vice Chair in 2024. Recent board initiatives include increasing scholar support through the EMPOWER program and extending charitable efforts to golf course staff operations through Service to Golf scholarships.
“The Platt is the official charitable arm of the Golf Association of Philadelphia. The reality is, we were only servicing so many clubs and so many kids within the GAP,” Mitzak said. “With the expansion of the GAP especially, we needed a way to have impact with all clubs as opposed to just a small group. The Service to Golf component goes back to who makes the ship go. It’s a lot of young people who are working in the locker room or in the shop or moving carts.”
Under his administration, Mitzak is set on continuing Platt’s narrative of growth, and the possible expansion of opportunities for non-traditional caddie scholars and caddies who might not qualify for financial support.
“We need to keep moving forward in terms of this process. We can’t be static, [and] we can’t be satisfied,” he said. “Three years from now, the definition of success is you’ll look back and you’ll think Platt is in a better spot today than it was three years ago.”
“Jeff has played a valuable role in the entire J. Wood Platt system. Starting as a scholar, becoming a board member and an instrumental donor,” GAP/Platt Executive Director Mark Peterson, 49, of Berwyn, Pa., said. “He understands all aspects of what Platt provides: scholars, donors and advancement of our overall mission.”
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.
