Carlsbad Resident's Essay Wins $34,000 Golf School Scholarship

Editor's note: The following is a press release from Golf Academy of America

A young Sean Wickstrom dreamed of playing college baseball. An abrupt, violent seizure during practice robbed him of that opportunity. But after picking himself up and setting his sights on his other favorite sport, Wickstrom is now positioned to create a lasting impact on the game of golf.

Representatives of Golf Academy of America, Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Todd Sones and representatives of Golf Digest Marketing, announced that the Carlsbad resident has been selected as the winner of the “Future With Impact” Scholarship to Golf Academy of America. Wickstrom is a first-semester student at Golf Academy of America’s San Diego campus, located in Carlsbad at 1950 Camino Vida Roble. His essay was chosen as the best of dozens submitted over the course of the summer for consideration.

“Everyone who read Sean’s essay was impressed by the ideas he has for encouraging growth of the game of golf through family involvement,” said Todd Sones.

The scholarship Wickstrom wins, valued at $34,000, includes tuition for the 16-month program, textbooks, greens fees and lessons.

Wickstrom, who has a background in the hospitality industry, expounds in his winning essay on the satisfaction he has derived from coordinating family-oriented hotel activities for guests and he applies the same zeal for family unity to the golf realm, where he hopes to become an agent of growth in the game.

One of Wickstrom’s innovative ideas is to build family golf centers with smaller-scale courses that focus on the enjoyment of beginners, which would also include on-site dining and other recreational facilities “to keep the whole family entertained.” Now that he has his full scholarship to Golf Academy of America, he’s on his way.