Portland Parks & Recreation Recruiting High School Freshmen for Caddie Program

Portland students currently enrolled as ninth-graders are encouraged to apply for the EAGLE Caddie Program. The Early Adventures in Golf for a Lifetime of Enjoyment program is a cooperative venture between Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation, and public and private high schools located within the City of Portland*.

Students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), female/non-binary, Immigrants or Refugees, and youth from families earning lower incomes are encouraged to apply.

“The EAGLE caddie program offers valuable work experience and a pathway to higher education for young lower-income Portlanders,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio. “I applaud Portland Parks & Recreation for facilitating this fabulous program and encourage all eligible high school freshmen to apply.”

Scholarship opportunities may be available to EAGLE participants. Since 1989, more than 70 students have received full tuition and housing via the Evans Scholarship. The award is supported by the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation and valued at more than $100,000 over four years. PP&R EAGLE Caddie Program participants may become eligible to apply for the scholarship. More information about the EAGLE program is available at portland.gov/parks/sports/eagle-caddie-scholarship.

Students do not need experience in the game of golf to apply as an EAGLE caddie. Qualified students are paid an hourly wage as golf caddies on Portland Parks Golf courses. EAGLE caddies receive work credit hours with mentors who monitor students’ progress and help guide their success.

“The EAGLE program is a wonderful way for young people from diverse backgrounds to gain professional experience, learn about golf, and to see firsthand the other wonderful opportunities available with Portland Parks & Recreation,” says PP&R Director Adena Long. “Dozens of students have had great success during and after being EAGLEs.

"The program is a great way to advance equity, promote higher education, and expand the game of golf to the next generation of players.”

The deadline for EAGLE applications is May 7, 2021. Request application materials here. For more information on the program, contact PP&R’s Carolyn Lee at [email protected] or 971-930-6762.

Eagle Caddie Eligibility Requirements:

• Only freshmen students currently enrolled in public or private high schools within the City of Portland are eligible to apply for this three-year program;
• Participants are required to work up to 20 hours during the summer;
• Must have good attendance in school;
• Students must maintain a passing grade in all classes;
• Students and their family must meet the program’s financial (low-income) criteria;
• Participants must enroll in the three-year EAGLE Caddie Program with the expectation of completing it;
• Must submit two (2) letters of recommendation from a school counselor and/or teacher;
• Must have achieved an 8th-grade cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5; and
• Must have a passing grade in all enrolled 9th-grade classes (provide GPA if applicable).

*Students who attend high schools that are not located within the City of Portland may contact the following golf courses about their area’s respective caddie programs: Oswego Lake Country Club, Portland Golf Club, Riverside Golf & Country Club, Royal Oak Country Club in Vancouver, Tualatin Country Club, Waverley Country Club, and Willamette Valley Country Club.