George and Duffy Solich inducted into Caddie Hall of Fame

In 1981, when Castle Pines Golf Club was opening, Jack Nicklaus, who designed the course, loaned golf professional Keith Schneider from his home club at Muirfield Golf Club. All these years later, Schneider’s still on permanent loan at Castle Pines, rising to the role of general manager.

But 43 years ago, Schneider had a real problem on his hands — he needed 20-25 caddies for opening day and time was running out. In a moment of great ingenuity, he reached out to the president of the Evans Scholar house at the University of Colorado and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: he’d send a bus to pick up the caddies, pay them handsomely and on the ride home he’d supply a keg.

“The keg was the key,” Schneider said.

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One of the caddies who signed up was George Solich, then a Buffalo sophomore, who recalled there wasn’t even a clubhouse at Castle Pines, just a trailer. Forty-three years later, Solich, a 1983 Colorado Evans Scholar graduate, is the chairman and president at Castle Pines. On Wednesday, Solich and his older brother Duffy, the BMW Championship tournament chairman, were inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame in recognition of their time spent caddying as young men and their dedication to youth caddie programs.

“Caddying changed our lives,” George said. “Getting the Evans Scholarship changed our lives.”

George Solich (left) and older brother Duffy are both graduates of the Evans Scholars program at the University of Colorado. (Charles Cherney/WGA)

“Caddying has formed who I am, and it provides a great roadmap of service, hard work, trust, patience, teamwork and integrity,” Duffy said.

The brothers, who became very successful in the oil and gas business, both are major supporters of the Evans Scholarship and are the founders of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, as well as The Broadmoor Caddie & Leadership Academy, which together have produced 52 Evans Scholars.

George credited his brother, who began caddying two years before him, for dragging him to the caddie yard at the Broadmoor Resort in their hometown of Colorado Springs when he was 12 years old, and he worked as a caddie there until age 21. At 14, the caddie master pointed at him and three other caddies and said, “Come with me.”

“I thought we were in trouble,” George recalled. “But he told us we were going to be caddying for someone very special. I’m thinking, who am I caddying for, John…