Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Jake Speers.
Jake Speers shares his journey from Northern Ireland to the U.S., his experiences as a Millersville University student and Bent Creek caddie, and how the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship has helped him pursue his dreams. Read more!
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 20 years old.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: I am at Millersville University.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: 2027.
Q: What is your major?
A: Psychology.
Q: How did you decide on that major?
A: My father is a first responder. He retired after 34 years from the fire department. I have always wanted to be a first responder myself growing up and I always wanted to open up my own business to work with first responders with PTSD, I want to open up my own foundation and organization to work with them. Police officers, EMT’s, firefighters, nurses, anyone who needs to service. And also after college become a first responder myself.
Q: Do you participate in any school activities or clubs?
A: I am on the golf team here at Millersville, I play golf here, I go to FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Golf takes up a lot of my time along with studying.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: Yes! I play the guitar, love walking, running, when I am at home in Northern Ireland, surfing. I love surfing. I live right on the north coast in Ireland so surfing, walking my dog on the beach, going to dinner with my family. Enjoying the coastal views where I live. Here in the U.S., it is walking, hanging out with my team, exploring new places.
Q: What golf club do you caddie for?
A: Bent Creek Country Club.
Q: How long have you been caddying and working in a Service to Golf capacity?
A: At bent creek, I have been working there for a year. At home I have been working in Service to Golf for the last seven years.
Q: How did you start at your STG position?
A: I picked up golf when I was 14 and started taking it seriously then. I had been around the golf club before, but I had played soccer and was also a cyclist. I even played for our national soccer team as a goalkeeper. Eventually, I gave up soccer to play golf. My home golf club is such a friendly environment, so when I was 14, I got offered a job as a caddie. The club has visitors from all over the world, like the United States, Canada, and beyond. I’ve always really enjoyed meeting people, so I thought, “Why not?” It was a chance to earn extra spending money and save it up. That’s how it happened—just being around the club, and then getting the offer from our caddy master.
Q: What is your favorite thing about caddying and working at the club?
A: My favorite thing about caddying and working at the club is getting to know different people and learning about their careers, how they got to where they are, and what they do. I meet all kinds of people—lawyers, very accomplished businesspeople—and I enjoy picking their brains about their lives and how they interact and communicate with others. I’ve always found it interesting to hear about their families, their kids, or their grandkids, and what they’re up to. It’s great to build connections with people from all around the world.
Q: How did you hear about the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship?
A: It was through Jerry Eckert, who was on the Platt board. He is like my American Granddad, he looks after me very well, I am so thankful for him! It has been a huge help to come to school.
Q: Tell us the story about how you came to the U.S.?
A: I’ve always dreamed of playing golf in the U.S. I played at a high-level back home, at the junior level, and that’s when I first thought about coming to the States. However, financially, it just didn’t seem feasible. I was working with an agency, but they were too expensive, and I told my dad that it probably wasn’t going to happen. My mom had passed away suddenly when I was 14, and she had always been my biggest supporter, attending every golf and soccer match. After she passed, I told my dad that going to the States wasn’t very likely so if happens it will happen whatever way it does, but I had pretty much let go of that dream.
One day, I was called into work at the golf club, even though I wasn’t supposed to be working. I worked in the pro shop and as a caddie at a local golf course, and that day one of the staff members was sick, so I was asked to fill in. A group of eight guys from Bent Creek Country Club had a tee time, and I was scheduled to finish my shift at 1 PM, but I wasn’t supposed to be caddying. Our caddie master came to me and asked if I could carry for them. I said, “Why not?” So, I went out to meet them. The general manager, Mr. Jim Hawes, was wearing a huge Titleist bucket hat, and I thought he seemed fun, so I agreed to carry for him.
As we played, the group began to ask me about my life, my future, and my dreams. I always told them I wanted to be a firefighter, because of my dad and growing up around them. At the second tee, Jim asked me what I wanted to do after college, and I shared that dream. Then he asked, “If money wasn’t an issue, what would you want to do?” I told him I’d love to play collegiate golf in the U.S.
Jim said, “Why not? Let’s make it happen.” A few months later, I found myself flying from Dublin to Philly, not knowing if I’d even get a spot on the team or a scholarship. I was about to go to America to meet a guy I’d known for only five hours, and I remember calling my dad and asking if it was okay for me to go to the U.S. He said, “I know what your dream is. Go for it.”
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Bent Creek for making it happen, and I can’t thank everyone at the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust enough for helping me stay here. It’s been an amazing journey, and I’m so thankful for it all. And that is cutting a very, very long story short.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A: I am hoping to have a career in a big city Fire Department, such as New York, but a career in the Fire Service is what I would love to do long term here in the USA.
Q: What is something that happened to you while working at the club that you will never forget?
A: One of the most memorable things that has happened while working at the club I am from is back in Ireland. I caddied for this group of gentlemen from bent creek CC back in 2022, they asked me what my dream was on the second tee, and I said I would love to play collegiate golf in the USA, and they all said why not, let’s make it happen. The rest is history and I am incredibly thankful for them everyday as their kindness changed my life. I now caddy at Bent Creek where they come from.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: My advice to my younger self would be to chase your dreams and say yes to all the opportunities you would normally say too. That’s what has helped me grow and step out of my comfort zone when leaving my home country of Ireland to come the USA.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: J. Wood Platt has changed my life in every single way I could imagine. They have granted me so many opportunities on and off the golf course, and with their help I am able to attend college in the USA and gain an amazing education while living my dream of studying and playing collegiate golf here. Most importantly, I get to meet so many amazing people and have made so many great connections with the members at J. Wood Platt. I will always be thankful to everyone for the opportunities they have afforded me and for all their help and support.
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 4,200 young men and women have received $29 million in aid from the Trust.
