Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Aidan Irons.
Irons speaks about being a Service to Golf Scholarship recipient. Read his full interview below!
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 19.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: I go to the University of South Carolina.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: I will graduate in 2027.
Q: What is your major?
A: I am a double major: in finance and risk management.
Q: How did you decide to pursue both of those majors?
A: I’ve always been good with numbers and I just wanted to be in a field where I could deal with numbers all day.
Q: Do you participate in activities in school? Clubs?
A: I am part of the CFIA (Carolina Finance and Investment Association) and also the Carolina Fund, it’s an investment club.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: Yes, I really like to golf with my friends, play basketball, and listen to music a lot.
Q: What golf club do you work at?
A Makefield Highlands Golf Club, I am a Service to Golf Scholar.
Q: What Service to Golf capacity do you work in? (Bag room, driving range, cart management, or pro shop)
A: So, the way that they do it at Makefield, we technically are in the bag room, but we do bags, golf clubs, golf carts, cleaning up the range, everything but Pro Shop.
Q: How long have you been working there?
A: I have been working there since September of 2022.
Q: How did you get into working in golf operations?
A: I originally worked at Yardley Country Club because it’s right next to my house. Then, I wanted to be a part of the Platt community, I switched over to Makefield because they were offering it during the Service to Golf pilot program, and it’s only five minutes away from where I live.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at your club?
A: I would say the people. The people I work with, the people that I talk to at the club. They can always make an eight-hour shift feel like it’s only an hour.
Q: How did you hear about J. Wood Platt?
A: My uncle was actually a J. Wood Platt Scholar many years ago. My mom really wanted me to apply because he received so many benefits from being part of the J. Wood Platt community. I also found it interesting, so I decided to apply.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A: In 5 to 10 years my immediate goals are to put myself in the best situation to thrive in the business world, as well as to become a club champion at whichever course I choose to join.
Q: What is something that happened to you while at the club that you will never forget?
A: Something that happened to me that I will not forget without a doubt is the day that three Eagles players (Jordan Mailata, Cam Jurgens, and Jack Stoll) played at Makefield Highlands. Those three players were more than generous to the entire Makefield Highlands community throughout the day and it made it an unforgettable day for me.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: The first piece of advice I would give to my younger self would be to research and participate in more networking opportunities similar to J. Wood Platt. The last piece of advice I would give to myself is that I would tell myself to play more holes of golf instead of spending that time on the driving range.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: The J. Wood Platt community has changed my life in so many ways from being able to connect more often with two of my uncles who were recipients of the J. Wood Platt scholarship when they were younger to allowing me to meet new people from my age to my grandparents age, I am given an amazing opportunity to connect with so many different people through the J. Wood Platt community that I wouldn’t have been able to do without.
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.
