While he was learning the game of golf, Tripp Bowden was absorbing something bigger and much more important. The author will share the insights he gained in a talk Monday evening at Wayne Community College.
Bowden will discuss his book Freddie and Me: Life Lessons from Freddie Bennett, Augusta National’s Legendary Caddy Master in a presentation sponsored by the Foundation of Wayne Community College. It will be held at 7 p.m., Nov. 3 in Room 101 of the Walnut Building on the college’s main campus in Goldsboro. It is free and open to the public.
Bowden was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, but was not impressed with golf until his father, a doctor, introduced him to one of his patients, Freddie Bennett, the legendary Augusta National caddie master.
It was Bennett who taught Bowden the game of golf, a sport that would one day earn him a golf scholarship to Augusta State University and lead him to the final stage of a British Open qualifier.
After college, Bowden returned to Augusta National Golf Club where he worked as a caddy for four seasons and earned the distinction of having been Augusta’s first full-time white caddy.
But Bowden says it was the lessons Bennett taught him off the course that had the most profound impact on his life. Through Freddie and his particular brand of homespun wisdom, Bowden learned about personal responsibility, hard work, and respect for others regardless of age, race or religion. He also learned that there’s much more to life than just playing golf.
Bowden, who still lives in Augusta, is the brother of Wayne Community College Early Childhood Education Instructor Jodi Baker.
For details on these events and other Foundation activities, go to www.waynecc.edu/foundation/arts-and-humanities/.
The college encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing accommodation or having questions about access, please contact the Foundation at (919) 739-7007 or awnorthington@waynecc.edu. Allow sufficient time to arrange accommodations.
The Foundation of Wayne Community College is a non-profit organization that works to broaden the base of community support for educational opportunities at the college. In addition to providing cultural activities such as those in its Arts and Humanities Program, the Foundation assisted students with 368 scholarships worth more than $243,000 in the 2013-14 academic year and funded innovative campus projects and employee recognition opportunities.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 15,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 90 college credit programs.