Page 48 - Western Amateur 120th Championship Program 2022, Exmoor Country Club

Exmoor Members Who Are Evans Scholars

caddie form the heart of this millions of boys just a few years older
entertaining book. It is a personal than ourselves. We were working!
account, but it also conveys themes In spite of war time restrictions, the
common to Exmoor caddies—and membership exhibited the height of
perhaps all caddies—about the value sophistication and elegance. For us,
of mentoring; about disappointment, being a member at Exmoor was the
friendship, and aspiration; and about pinnacle of success and being part of
honesty, perseverance, and the pathway this social environment, if only as a
to success. Permeating every page is servant, was inspiring.
Ed’s love for Exmoor Country Club
“Many members of the club became
and the role it has played in his life.”
role models. They gave us incredible
Bernardi wrote: “Because of opportunities, showed us a way to
background and family circumstances, become better men and gave us the
Exmoor was to be a most important material upon which to build dreams.
school of learning for many, many boys We were encouraged to believe dreams
Ed Bernardi with caddies on green growing up in the Highwood/Highland could become reality.”
Park area. The Exmoor experience
“At Northwestern I met two Evans taught us many of life’s important Bernardi wrote, too, about his
Scholars, Milt Newton, a business lessons and formed our first dreams of countrymen from Northern Italy who
partner for 25 years, and Ted Pasquesi, economic and social success. Through moved to Highwood and produced
a confidant and business partner for the caddying opportunity, we were several generations of Exmoor caddies:
nearly 50 years. These associations shown a way of living completely “Italian men and women from a 30-mile
would not have occurred except for foreign to most of us. A job at Exmoor square area located in the Apennines
the Evans connection. I developed life- was perhaps our first big step out of just north of Florence began their
long friendships—associations that our immigrant mindset. immigration out of Italy in the mid-
continue today. 1890s. Along with many from other
“We were introduced to a lifestyle parts of Italy, a great number of these
“My wife, Mary, and I became members completely foreign; we met people men were recruited to work in the coal
of Exmoor in 1978. We met, socialized, who were to become demigods for mines of Colorado, Texas, Missouri
and became good friends with many those of us holding nebulous dreams and Illinois.
Exmoor members, including a number of success. The Exmoor experience
of Evans Scholar alumni. I served on helped demonstrate, first hand, that “Around 1900, the first of these Italian
the Exmoor Board of Governors for a we could hope for something better. immigrants escaped the poverty and
number of years, and now this old Exmoor, in many ways, became our hell of the coal mines and found their
caddie is a veteran member of this most important schooling venue way to a place called Highwood, Illinois.
great club. during our formative years. It was the beginning of an exodus from
the deep coal pits of a forlorn America
“All of this thanks to the game of “The Second World War dominated and to the riches of Chicago’s North Shore.
golf, Exmoor Country Club, and the greatly affected our lives. Many young Early on, men like those of the Saielli,
Western Golf Association. Thank you, men, caddies a few months before, Bertucci, Fiocchi, Bernardini, Pasquesi,
Exmoor. Thank you, Western Golf. went off to fight and die in unknown, and Dinelli families found work as
Thank you ‘Pa.’” forsaken places. Those of us who were grounds laborers at local private golf
too young for the draft were left with courses. These families went on to
The Bernardi Book:
the spoils. At a very young age we were produce amateur golf champions,
“Of Long-Ago Caddies …”
given the opportunity to work as head greenskeepers, and head golf
In 2013, Ed Bernardi wrote a book about
caddies, bar boys and as laborers on professionals at some of the finest of
his caddie experiences at Exmoor. In
the course. We gave little thought to private country clubs in the area,
the preface, Exmoor President Dwight
the tragedies and hardships endured by including Old Elm (as early as 1915),
Ekenberg wrote: “Ed’s experiences as a

46 Chick, the Caddies and the Scholars Exmoor Country Club