As part of Greener Golf’s ongoing CommonGround Series, we are spotlighting the people and partnerships that make CommonGround Golf Course a model for community-driven golf. This feature highlights Georgia, an Evans Scholar at CU Boulder, CommonGround team member, and Greener Golf mentee whose story reflects how opportunity, mentorship, and purpose intersect through the game.

The Evans Scholarship is one of the nation’s most respected programs, offering full tuition and housing to deserving caddies who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and outstanding character. For Georgia, it opened doors not only to higher education but also to a deeper understanding of golf’s potential to create lasting impact.

We connected with Georgia to learn more about her journey, what the Evans Scholarship has meant to her, and how her experiences at CommonGround are shaping her vision for the future of golf.

Georgia Meysman-Sharpe

How has your mentorship experience with Parker Anderson and Greener Golf influenced you so far?

My mentorship experience with Parker Anderson has been wonderful! I am so grateful to have the guidance of Parker and the example of Greener Golf as a conduit for combining environmental sciences and golf together in such a meaningful way. He has shown me the possibilities of this path and how to utilize the resources I have in college to tailor my interests in a formative way for the future. I’m excited to continue under his guidance and to see what the future holds!

Can you briefly describe your experience at UC Boulder up to this point? What have been your favorite classes? Favorite part about the city/region?

I’ve had so many wonderful experiences at CU Boulder. The college transition is a lot, but having a support system through the Evans Scholars sustained me through the adjustments! I’m lucky to have exposure to so many subjects; I’ve really enjoyed my ecology and geology classes, especially Field Ecology of Boulder! Boulder is a prime spot for learning environmental sciences; not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the beauty of where I get to study, and many of my classes are directly applicable or hands-on to the environment we are surrounded by!

What are your aspirations for the future, both in golf and in life more broadly?

I aspire to have a meaningful impact on others in everything that I do. I find so much joy and beauty in our world, and I think everyone should have the ability to treasure that too. Golf can be a major gateway into fostering appreciation for the natural world and developing a culture of love for one another through the joys of the game and the people within it too! I see immense value in protecting the treasures of nature through the means of the golf world, which in turn can help mend our perspectives of stewardship and of each other as people. 

Do you have a favorite plant or animal species that you have observed at CommonGround? 

My favorite plant species at Commonground is Linum lewisii or Ratibida columnifera; they are the most abundant forbs that pop up! My favorite animal species is the Mountain blue bird!! It’s crazy that they are even able to live at CommonGround; they are a sign of the potential refuge the course serves as for wildlife!

What advice can you share to a young person that might be interested in caddying, in golf’s relationship to the environment, or in becoming an Evans Scholar?

Do it! What started as a simple summer job turned into a journey full of blessings I never could have imagined, and they are still unfolding years later.  You won’t regret it; the skills you learn and the people you meet through it are invaluable. Without caddying I wouldn’t be in college, have connected with mentors who have intimate knowledge of golf, or have discovered my greatest interests in what I want to pursue. Be open to conversation with people you don’t know, love them for the beauty of who they are and their story, and appreciate the value in each step of the way! There are many good people who want to see you succeed and help you in that journey. 

Could you tell us about your background? Where did you grow up? What were your first experiences of golf? When did you first start caddying?

I’m currently a junior studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU Boulder in hopes of applying the knowledge I learn to the golf industry! I grew up in Aurora, Colorado and started playing golf when I was 2. My dad taught me with snoopy clubs and brought me to professional tournaments when they would come to CO! Golf started as a treasured activity I spent with my dad, and now it encompasses many of the blessings I’ve received in my life. I played competitively in high school, coached kids through First Tee, embarked on national summits traveling more than I was ever able to, and have met a multitude of people invested in providing opportunities for young people. I can’t even begin to express to you how golf has helped shape my life and how grateful I am! The catalyst of things was caddying! I started the summer after 8th grade (2018), and caddied regularly for 5 years. 

What has being an Evans Scholar meant to you? What have been your favorite parts of the experience?

Being an Evans Scholar is so awesome! I’ve learned many leadership skills, met people with beautiful and diverse backgrounds, and have a new world of friends. I’ve enjoyed the community I’ve become a part of and I cherish all of the opportunities that come with it, especially being able to attend and participate in events of the golf world (BMW Championship at Castle Pines, Summer Leadership Summit, Evans Cup of Colorado, Rodeo Dunes Founders Event, etc.) I have also really enjoyed serving as Vice President of New Scholars. Mentoring the freshmen has been a rewarding experience full of growth for me.

What have been your favorite parts about caddying at CommonGround, any memorable stories? How much time do you have to dedicate per week? Can you describe the ecological monitoring work you do there?

Caddying at CommonGround reignited my love for golf. Some of my favorite parts were meeting a wide range of people passionate about many things with golf being the commonality, engaging in activities outside of the course because of caddying experiences, and developing a love for the beauty and natural environment on the course as well. When I was regularly caddying, I was on the course around 4 days a week during the summer. The past two summers I’ve worked as an intern with the CGA in partnership with the Denver Botanic Gardens monitoring pollinator activity within plots adjacent to the course that were seeded with native forbs. The experiment was set up to assess if native forbs could establish with minimal disturbance and little removal of existing vegetation, as well as to see if the presence of these native forbs influenced pollinator presence in the plots.