Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Vincent Marchese.
Marchese speaks about Pace University, a favorite memory, and more. Read more!
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 21.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: I attend Pace University in Pleasantville, New York.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: I will graduate in 2025, most likely in June or a little earlier.
Q: What is your major?
A: I am an IT major with a minor in criminal justice.
Q: How did you decide on that major and minor?
A: I wanted to pursue something in technology because it’s a growing field. Everything today relies on technology, and I want to focus on preventing online scams and fraud, like protecting people from fraudulent credit card charges. It’s something I feel passionate about.
Q: Do you participate in any school activities or clubs?
A: Yes, I play lacrosse for Pace University, Division II.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I enjoy playing golf and fishing, and I’m generally an outdoors person. I prefer being outside rather than inside, but I do occasionally play video games.
Q: What golf club do you caddie for?
A: I caddie at French Creek Golf Club.
Q: How long have you been caddying?
A: I’ve been caddying for about four and a half years, since the summer of my junior year in high school.
Q: How did you start caddying?
A: I started off in the bag room, and I was talking to the head pro, just asking for more hours and stuff. He told me to talk to the caddie master about getting out on the course. I already knew a bunch of the members from cleaning clubs and hanging around the bag room, so I thought caddying would be a good way to make some more money.
Q: What is your favorite thing about caddying?
A: I like getting to know the people while I’m out there. It’s really a personal thing—I can usually tell what club you’re going to hit before you even ask me to get it out of the bag. And just spending four hours with someone, you really get to know them. A lot of the people I caddy for, I’d probably never meet otherwise, and I have no business meeting them, but it’s cool to make those connections.
Q: How did you hear about the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship?
A: It was introduced to me by the caddie master at French Creek. He helped me out a lot. I was struggling a little bit with some other things and that’s how he put me on to.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A I would like to work for a large company as an Information Technology Specialist or a Cyber Security Analyst.
Q: What is something that happened to you while caddying that you will never forget?
A: Mr McCabe’s hole-in-one at French Creek.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self as a caddie or a new caddie just starting?
A: I would share the rules of caddying: “Show up, Keep up, Shut up, and Don’t lose a ball.” I would probably add to that: Be on time.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: This scholarship came at a time when I was unsure if I would be able to continue going to school. The J. Wood Platt Scholarship allowed me to finish my degree, and I could not be more grateful.
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.
