Commerce Golf & Country Club Donates $40,000 to National Evans' Foundation Scholarship

Edgewood Country Club recently donated $40,000 to the Evans’ Foundation as a result of the club’s first annual Evans’ Golf Classic. Local members and Western Golf leaders from Chicago along with former and current Edgewood Evans’ scholarship award winners joined together to support Evans’ Foundation scholarship program.

“The members here at Edgewood wanted to support a great charity and got behind the Evans Scholars foundation,” said Edgewood Country Club General Manager Brian Bach. “ Their giving and the golf outing really made a difference.

Over the past several years Edgewood Country Club has had seven Evans Scholarship recipients and continues to grow its caddie and scholarship program.

Charles ‘Chick’ Evans, Jr. rose to fame in 1916 – 100 years ago - when he became the first amateur to win both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur in the same year. Only Bobby Jones has done this since. Evans’ historic 1916 U.S. Open victory at The Minikahda Club was among the best of his generation – and it was after this win that he decided to use his newfound fame to help fund college scholarships for golf caddies. This began the legacy of the Evans Scholars Program, which today has changed the lives of more than 10,000 caddies since it began in 1929.

The Western Golf Association (WGA) began in 1899 when a group of men got together to form an organization to promote golf in the western region. Over time, the association grew hosting various championships: the BMW Championship, the Western Amateur, and the Western Junior in an attempt to showcase the exceptional talent of golfers in the western area.

Charles "Chick" Evans Jr. approached the WGA with his dream of creating a scholarship to send deserving caddies to college. The WGA agreed to sponsor the Evans Scholars Program to help raise funds to this end and the Chick Evans Caddy Scholarship was established. This scholarship now provides full tuition housing and a proper college education for more than 900 golf caddies each year.

“Chick’s victory at The Minikahda Club was the first bond between golf championships and caddie scholarships,” said WGA Chairman David Robinson. “We’re experts in running first-class golf events, but we’re even better at turning out well-educated young men and women who excel in life to become leaders and role models in society.”

Founded in 1928, Edgewood Country Club offers an array of family-oriented activities, a challenging golf course and a group of members representing a wide range of professions. Edgewood was the home course and training ground for two-time Women's U.S. Open Champion Meg Mallon, as well as host course for the Michigan Open in 1957. Edgewood Country Club is located at 8399 Commerce Road in Commerce Township, MI. For more information, visit www.edgewoodcountryclub.org or call 248-363-7112.