Staff Contact: Rob Dauphinais | rdauphinais@cdga.org | (630) 685-2311

Staff Contact: Will Cawthon | wcawthon@cdga.org | (630) 685-2405

As the summer winds to a close, there are still numerous CDGA-administered events through the end of the golf season that are in great need of Blue Coat volunteers. These events include the Windon Memorial, CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship (rescheduled to October), Illinois State Senior Women's Amateur Championship and IHSA, amongst others.

As a reminder, we need volunteers at all CDGA-conducted events to make the day run smoothly and create an enjoyable experience for our players.

Please reference the "Letter from Ronnie Oakes & Will Cawthon" below for specific events still in need of help.

Staff Contact: Jodi Ciotti | jciotti@cdga.org | (630) 685-2323

Blue Coat University is a series of virtual lessons on a variety of topics that contain important information pertaining to your role as a CDGA Blue Coat. This new online experience launched on Monday, Feb. 9 and allows all Blue Coats to participate and complete the coursework at their own pace. The classes are designed to help Blue Coats build a stronger understanding of key volunteer areas within the CDGA, as well as topics where Blue Coats are encouraged to share information. Blue Coat University will focus on the following areas: Rules of Golf, Course Rating, CDGA Foundation, Sunshine Programs and Turfgrass. A Learning Management System (LMS) called Thinkific will track individual progress, and Blue Coats will receive participation-hour credit for each class completed. You were encouraged to complete these lessons by Wednesday, April 1, which was before golf begins in earnest locally. However, it is not too late to run through the education modules as you start to prepare for 2027.

To date, we have had:

• 35 Blue Coats complete the lessons in their entirety. The CDGA would like to congratulate the following Blue Coats on completing the entire series - Thomas Artz, Lawanda Brown, Mary Burgland, Bill Callahan, Kevin Camino, Ralph Chapman, John Childers, Scott Coldiron, Brad Crookshank, Mike Dickman, Lindy Edmund, Dwight Erskine, Bill Fates, Richard Fitzgerald, Bill Fraser, Mike Gamauf, Bill Green, Steven Green, Gregory Grygiel, John Hammond, Kirk Hosteng, Pat Keen, David Limardi, Matt Pekarek, Joseph Salierno, Rebecca Smith, Sheldon L. Solow, Brian Sullivan, David Taylor, Ronald Testa, Robert Thies, Steven Toth, Ken Turek, Patrick Urich and Debbie Vansistine.
• 27 Blue Coats have started their educational journey

If you have not started (or completed) the lessons, do not delay. There is a lot of great information for both new and experienced Blue Coats.

CLICK HERE to begin your educational journey.

The In-Person Workshops have concluded: Sunshine 301, Rules 301 and Course Rating 301 have been posted to the Blue Coat YouTube Channel.

Volunteer assignments for both Championship and Social Events are complete for the year. Please visit your My CDGA Caddie (My Events) to view your assignments.

IHSA assignments will be sent via email to those officiating in late September. If you have not signed up for IHSA and wish to do so, please log into your My CDGA Caddie as soon as possible. All Blue Coats who sign up will be assigned. 

If you can no longer officiate on a day you have been assigned or would like to officiate at any remaining tournament and have not signed up for a tournament, please contact the staff member conducting the event or Will Cawthon.

• Will Cawthon - wcawthon@cdga.org or 630-685-2405
• Colin Wadelin - cwadelin@cdga.org or 630-685-2315
• Killian Casson - kcasson@cdga.org or 630-685-2355
• Damian Rodriguez - drodriguez@cdga.org or 630-685-2316
• Patrick Shelak - phselak@cdga.org or 630-685-2328

Volunteer sign-ups for outside events (college & IHSA) are now available. We are in particularly great need of Blue Coats for IHSA.

If you can help at one of the events below, please notify Will Cawthon or Colin Wadelin that you signed up.

CLICK HERE to view the Blue Coat Officiating Criteria for Championships and recommendations on the number of volunteers at each event.

CLICK HERE to view the Blue Coat Officiating Criteria for Social Competitions and recommendations on number of volunteers at each event.

We need volunteers at all CDGA-conducted events to make the day run smoothly and create an enjoyable experience for our players!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER NOTES

The following Tournament days are in great need of rules officials:

CHAMPIONSHIPS:

• September 28, Windon Memorial at Onwentsia Club (need 3 more people)
  
• October 6, CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Skokie CC (need up to 5 more people)
  
• October 7, Illinois State Senior Women's Amateur Championship at Kankakee CC (need 3 more people)
• October 9-10, IHSA in Bloomington-Normal (need as much help as possible)

The following Tournament Days would be made smoother with the help of 1-2 additional rules officials:

CHAMPIONSHIPS:

• October 5, CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Skokie CC

• October 6, Illinois State Senior Women's Amateur Championship at Kankakee CC

OVERSTAFFED EVENTS/DAYS:

• October 7, CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Skokie CC
• October 12-13, Women's U of I Invitational at Medinah CC

STAFF CONTACT: Will Cawthon | wcawthon@cdga.org | (630) 685-2315

Volunteer assignments are complete for the year, but you may still sign up for the remaining tournaments highlighted in the letter above.

• To sign up for all tournaments, navigate to My CDGA Caddie and select “Volunteer Sign Up.” Then, select the “Tournaments” icon at the bottom of the page.
• IHSA assignments will be emailed out in late September. All Blue Coats who sign up will be assigned.
• All Blue Coats are welcome and encouraged to volunteer. CLICK HERE to view the Blue Coat qualifications for 2026 Championships.

STAFF CONTACT: Patrick Shelak | pshelak@cdga.org | (630) 685-2328

Volunteer assignments are complete for the year. Thank you to all Blue Coats who helped make this season a success.

The Course Rating season is coming to an end, with Sept. 30 being the last rating of the season. Thank you to all who have participated in a Course Rating. Your time is greatly appreciated.

The CDGA Foundation will again host a variety of unique fundraising events in 2026. All proceeds benefit CDGA Sunshine Programs, which create opportunities for everyone to experience the benefits of the game through adaptive, therapeutic and youth programming. The 2026 Fundraiser Schedule includes:

• CDGA Longest Putt at the Chicago Golf Show® - Friday, Feb. 27 - Sunday, March 1 @ Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (Rosemont)

• Better Through Birdies Par-3 Challenge - Saturday, May 16 @ Zigfield Troy Golf (Woodridge)

• CDGA Foundation Online Auction - June 15-21
• CDGA Foundation Nine & Dine Pro-Am at the Chicago Adaptive Open - Friday, June 12 @ Fox Bend Golf Course (Oswego)
• Fore Our Veterans Golf Outing - Monday, July 20 @ Oak Park Country Club (River Grove)
• 10th On the Tee for Autism Golf Outing - Monday, Aug. 17 @ Chicago Highlands (Westchester)
• Youth on Course 100 Hole Hike - Sunday, Oct. 18 @ The Evans at Canal Shores

The CDGA Foundation proudly introduced the CDGA Legacy Society on June 5 during a special gathering in the Rich-Keiser Education Center, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Midwest Golf House. The Legacy Society recognizes and honors individuals and families who have chosen to include the CDGA Foundation in their estate or financial plans, ensuring the future of our mission for generations to come.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the CDGA Legacy Society.

The 2027 Rules of Golf Workshop Schedule has been released.

• Registration will open on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. CT.
• Refereeing Workshops have been expanded to three total offerings for those who have achieved a score of at least 90 on a 100-Question PGA/USGA Rules of Golf exam taken since 2023.
• CLICK HERE for Workshop Reimbursement information.

Monthly Blue Coat Rules Chats are back for the 2026 season. These informal chats are a great place to ask questions about the Rules and discuss recent scenarios from both televised and CDGA events. Registration is now open in My CDGA Caddie for all dates.

The next Monthly Blue Coat Rules Chat of 2026 will take place on Tuesday, September 22 at 7 p.m.

CLICK HERE for the key takeaways from the 2026 CDGA Blue Coat Tournament Administration Workshop. This has also been added to your My CDGA Caddie under "My Events" for those who signed up to volunteer in 2026.

Click the various links below for 2026 CDGA Event Schedules:

2026 CDGA Championships & Qualifiers:

• Online Listing
• Printable PDF

2026 CDGA Social Competitions:

• Online Listing
• Printable PDF

2026 CDGA Women's Competitions:

• Online Listing
• Printable PDF

2026 USGA Qualifiers:

• Online Listing
• Printable PDF

Click the link below to view a PDF listing of 2026 Board and Committee Meetings. Sign-up and registration will remain in your My CDGA Caddie.

2026 CDGA Board & Committee Meeting Schedule

The Blue Coat YouTube playlist below features recordings of past CDGA board meetings, committee meetings, Rules chats, and more.

CLICK HERE to view the playlist.

The CDGA has rolled out an updated CDGA Blue Coat Store, providing official uniform pieces and exclusive merchandise for Blue Coats to utilize at various CDGA events. The official uniform features a white Greg Norman polo and Navy blue outerwear pieces. Additionally, Sun Mountain Rain Suits with the CDGA crest can also be purchased.

CLICK HERE to browse the Blue Coat Store ahead of your next volunteer opportunity.

Through the CDGA's partnership with Global Golf Post, all Blue Coats have the opportunity to experience a 90-day free trial to Second Wind. Second Wind delivers timeless, long-form golf journalism for the discerning reader. With original reporting and elegant storytelling, Second Wind explores the game’s most compelling figures, places, and ideas. Second Wind is golf writing at its highest level.

To activate this offer, CLICK HERE and enter code '90-SECONDWIND'.

CDGA Blue Coats have the opportunity to purchase CDGA-branded apparel from the CDGA Member Golf Shop at a discounted rate. When browsing the CDGA Member Golf Shop, Blue Coats can utilize the code "Bluecoat" at checkout to receive 10% off any purchase.

CLICK HERE to browse the CDGA Member Golf Shop.