Twins Casey and Caroline Hart, of La Grange, will attend college for free as Chick Evans Scholars. Seniors at Lyons Township High School, they both are caddies at the La Grange Country Club. (Photo by Steve Metsch)
La Grange twins are Chick Evans scholars
By Steve Metsch
Long hours spent in the La Grange Country Club’s caddie shack – killing time by reading books or playing cards as they wait to be called to duty – have paid off for a brother and sister.
Through the past four years, Caroline and Casey Hart honed their skills, learned how to read greens and helped members win tournaments not to mention a wager now and then.
Add time they’ve spent hitting the books and getting good grades, and you have a winning combination, the kind that parents and high school kids dream about.
Winning a Chick Evans Scholarship is kind of like making a hole-in-one: The satisfaction is immense and it’s rarely done.
Recipients get the four years of college tuition and housing paid for by the program that’s supported by the Western Golf Association.
Now, imagine getting two holes-in-one.
That sort of what happened in late November when a large envelope was delivered to the Hart home in La Grange.
The twins who turn 18 on Feb. 12 received the good news that they are both Chick Evans Scholars.
Yep, two college tuitions and housing paid for in their entirety.
Each will live in a Chick Evans house at a participating university. Most of the Big Ten schools participate.
The twins have not determined yet where they will enroll. For the time being, they are content to bask in this tremendous turn of events.
According to the organization, there are 1,070 Evans Scholars attending 21 universities. And, there are 11,556 alumni.
In 2021, Evans Scholars had a 95 percent graduation rate and a cumulate GPA of 3.4. That’s just below the 4.0 and 3.87 non-weighted GPA of Caroline and Casey, respectively.
Casey knew about the Chick Evans program from older brother Carson, who also worked as a caddie at the country club. Asked if it was a goal, Casey said, “definitely.”
This summer will be the twins’ fifth as caddies.
Waiting for a “loop,” alias 18 holes on a golf bag for a club member, can be tedious. Caroline usually spends free time reading. Casey? “Poker and blackjack.”
They think Brian Kopecky, the club’s caddie master who is called “Coach” by everyone, may have helped.
“He knows a lot of people there. He definitely helped us out, put in a good word for us,” Casey said of Kopecky, the varsity golf coach at Lyons Township High School, where they are seniors.
Casey recalled the day the envelope arrived while he was at a friend’s house.
“My mom texted me, ‘Come home immediately.’ I asked her what’s going on. She wouldn’t answer me. I thought I was in big trouble,” he said.
When he got home, the entire family was in the living room. Carson walked into the room holding a large envelope that, it turned out, held very good news.
Each had to be interviewed via Zoom. One question was “who’s the better caddie, who’s the better student.”
They both replied that Casey was the better caddie. “I said she’s the better student, slightly better,” he said with a smile.
Casey plans to major in mechanical engineering. Caroline wants to double-major in English and marketing with a goal of working in publishing.
Their parents, Chris and Paul Hart, are thrilled knowing four years of college tuition and housing for two children are covered.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Paul, who works for FedEx.
“Unbelievable,” Chris, a librarian at a school in Chicago, added.
One reason they are relieved is because Carson and Katie – the couple’s first twins – are college sophomores and have two more years of schooling.
Casey and Caroline, who will be lugging golf bags again this year, admit their first year was a bit overwhelming.
“First walking in, it was pretty terrifying,” Casey said. “All these older boys sitting around gambling. … Kids are high school, college age, it’s intimidating.”
Caroline said it was “pretty scary” at the start, but she soon adapted as one of the 10 or so female caddies at the club.
“I’ve made some really great friends,” she said.
Neither of them golf, but she won clubs in the year-end banquet. Each has learned the nuances of the golf course and now help golfers improve their scores.
“You learn to read the greens,” Casey said. “That’s a big part of it.”
He’s come a long way from his first tournament when a member was none too happy being assigned a raw rookie caddie who didn’t even own a rangefinder.
“By the end of the tournament, I won him over,” Casey said. “He liked me. I got the yardage for him, and we ended up placing second.”
And now he and his twin sister have placed first.
Other area students named this year as Chick Evans scholars are: Saul Galvan, of Berwyn, a student at Nazareth Academy; Bridget Danaher, of Burbank, a student at Marist High School; Anna Fagan, of Chicago, a student at Mother McAuley High School; Brian Soto, of Chicago, a student at Marist; Connor Reblin, of LaGrange Park, a student at Lyons Township; Hugo Nunez, of Lyons, a student at Fenwick High School; Jose Elizondo, of North Riverside, a students at Riverside-Brookfield High School; Grace Burke, of Oak Lawn, a student at Oak Lawn Community High School.
Local News
Countryside puts dog park on hold, will require leashes in two parks
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The city of Countryside has put on hold building a dog park, but canines and their owners are still in store for a treat. The city council has unanimously approved a plan to permit dogs in City Park and Countryside Park this year. Previously, they were not allowed in the…
Bridgeview approves auto repair shop
Spread the loveMoves up time for May 1 village board meeting By Steve Metsch Bridgeview is getting a new automotive repair shop. The village board at its April 17 matinee meeting approved a special use permit that will allow a repair shop at 9010 S. Beloit Ave. There was no discussion among trustees. The board…
Summit Fire Department blood drive draws a crowd
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Summit Fire Department, along with the Village of Summit, and the Argo Summit Lions Club held a blood drive this past Saturday, and it drew a crowd that even impressed the American Red Cross. It took place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with non-stop donors walking through the…
Hodgkins toasts village businesses
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap and the Board of Trustees celebrated the village’s businesses at its annual Business Appreciation Breakfast on April 10. Over 100 people gathered at the Hodgkins Administration Center for a hearty breakfast hosted by the village. Representatives from many businesses that are located in or that work…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
Spread the loveFrom staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at…
Boys Volleyball | Richards weathering struggles after run of success
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After a tough weekend at the Smack Attack tournament, Richards got back into the win column with a two-set victory over Eisenhower in a South Suburban Red match. The Bulldogs made quick work of the Cardinals, winning 25-16, 25-15 on April 23 in Oak Lawn to snap a five-match…
SD218 puts on annual Arts Extravaganza
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The arts have become a major portion of the curriculum Community High School District 218. Showcasing those many talents, the Friends of CHSD 218’s Education Foundation proudly hosted its 15th annual Arts Extravaganza on April 5 at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island. “The Arts Extravaganza is a great event…
Year of growth | Evergreen Park enjoying inaugural boys volleyball season
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After almost 70 years of existence as a high school, Evergreen Park finally has a boys volleyball team. The Mustangs are playing their inaugural season with a junior varsity squad, with some matches being played at the varsity level. Head coach Brian Zofkie is leading this group with assistant…
Swanson scores, assists in Red Stars’ win over Reign
Spread the loveThe Red Stars improved to 3-1-1 by beating the Seattle Reign, 2-1, on the road on April 21. Mallory Swanson had an assist on an Ali Schlegel goal in the fourth minute and added a goal of her own in the 31st minute. Swanson missed last season after sustaining a knee injury on…
Neighbors
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Six fallen police officers were honored at an annual memorial service outside the State Capitol Thursday. The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families. “No one…
Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions
By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot. It’s a move that caused minority party…
After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…
Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor. “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…