On May 22, 2018, Kevin and Carolyn Scheck watched from afar as their eldest daughter, Katie Scheck '26, closed out Lake Oconee Academy’s inaugural women’s golf season with the high school’s first-ever golf state championship. That same season sparked a legacy that will resonate through Mercer's golf program for years to come.
Kevin picked up golf in the early ‘90s as a hobby with his friends and introduced it to his then-girlfriend, Carolyn. He fell in love with the sport and, after marrying Carolyn, his daughters Katie and Kelli Scheck picked that passion up from him. As Carolyn travelled from fairway to fairway for her daughters’ golf tournaments, she noticed golf’s gender inequalities in competitions as early as first grade.
Over time, she recognized key differences in how the teams were run: boys’ teams played earlier tee times, travelled to more prestigious venues, tended to wear nicer uniforms and trained with higher quality equipment. It seemed the boys’ teams always received treatment a level ahead of the girls, something that Carolyn called “ridiculous.”
“It was hard to accept that, and we wanted to do something about it,” she said.
This trend of unequal treatment still continues at the highest levels of golf, even today. A 2022 USA Today analysis showed a 14.9 percent gap in spending between Division Ⅰ men’s and women’s golf. The 107 programs in the study spent about $29,000,000 for men’s teams and $25,000,000 for women’s teams.
Since, the Shecks have spent years donating to high school and collegiate golf.
“We’ve always viewed ourselves as the great equalizer,” Kevin said. “We want to provide them all the advantages and more than what the men have.”
This trend continues at Mercer, with the opening of the Copelan Tennis Complex, Overstreet Tennis Center and the Kevin and Carolyn Scheck Golf Center, a multi-million dollar joint venture between various contributors, notably the Shecks.
At the center’s grand opening, Mercer coaches recognized the couple for their donations. “Through the Schecks’ generous contributions, we now have this performance center to help further our program," women’s golf Head Coach Michele Drinkard said. "They have devoted their resources into giving back and seeing how successful this program can be.”
The golf center features advanced technology that includes the ability to simulate differences in conditions such as altitude, wind and temperature. It also provides space for new offices and training rooms as well as a locker room for the tennis program. “Through their generosity, we prosper,” Drinkard said. “The Schecks’ generosity will leave a legacy here at Mercer that many, many teams are going to enjoy.”
Kevin and Carolyn’s daughters are both currently involved in golf. Katie ‘26 is playing in Mercer's next tournament in Vail, Colo., while younger daughter Kelli is currently finishing her senior year at Butler University, after which she plans on moving to Mercer as a graduate assistant, where she would coach women’s golf alongside Drinkard.
Nathaniel Jordan '29 intends to major in Journalism at Mercer and hopes to work as an investigative journalist. His hobbies include poetry, photography and home cooking, and you can probably find him around Macon shopping or walking through local parks with his wife and son.
