What began as a plan to spend his days on the ice ended with Stuart Cady finding himself in the heat of the desert.

Cady abandoned his initial desire to attempt a career as a professional hockey player and landed at the Mesa campus of Arizona State University, where he is on his way to a career as PGA golf professional.

Cady a three-sport athlete at Orono High School, originally had decided to pursue life as a hockey goalie following his graduation in 2000.

“I went to a few junior hockey teams. But I don’t think I received a real chance to play because I was from Maine,” Cady said.

So after talking with his friend Matt Cary of Bangor, Cady decided to enter the PGA’s Golf Professional Training Program. Cary is in the same program at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.

The program is conducted in three levels with the first level being self-study.

“[The first level] is 600 to 800 hours of work. It’s every facet of running a golf course,” Cady said. “It’s a lot of busy work to weed people out.”

Cady, who is in his first year at ASU, said the course includes running tournaments, operating a cart fleet, running a pro shop, food and beverage management and club repair.

“A PGA committee visits and verifies our progress from time to time,” Cady said.

Naturally, Cady spends much of his time on a golf course. One of the course requirements is that students must play golf at a high level. Cady recently passed the playing ability test when he shot 72-71-143 over 36 holes, well below the required total of 152.

Calais’ James Frost, who is in the PGA program at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., also recently passed the playing ability test.

Cady said the program also includes a 16-month internship with a PGA professional.

“I’ll have to take one semester off to work at the golf course,” Cady said.

Cady would eventually like to work as a head pro or general manager of a private or semi-private country club or a club representative for a major golf company such as Titleist.

Cady is also enjoying college life. He recently attended the Arizona State-Washington State football game and also joined in the celebrations following the Diamondbacks World Series title win over the New York Yankees.

“We went downtown and celebrated. It was fun. I was surprised at how calm it was. There was no looting or rioting at all,” Cady said.

Jump on the magic bus

As the American Heritage Tour Director at the Alfond Youth Center in Waterville, Vaughn Clark knows a thing or two about setting up trips.

Each year the Fort Fairfield native takes eighth graders on trips that include visits to Washington D.C., New York City, Gettysburg, Pa., and Philadelphia.

Now Clark is planning a new trip for next summer, a five-day excursion that would include baseball games at Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards in Baltimore, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Fenway Park in Boston and a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“We’re waiting for the baseball schedules to come out to finalize plans,” Clark said.

Although planned as a mother-daughter, father-son trip, Clark said it will not be limited to that.

“In some cases, the children are too young or aren’t interested in sports. We’re looking at 47 to 55 people total. That’s what the bus can hold,” Clark said.

Clark, who is also the project graduation coordinator at the center, said a price tag hasn’t been placed on the trip.

“We’re waiting for schedules to come out. The price of tickets go from $8 to $80, so we’re not sure what the price range will be. We might have to substitute Shea Stadium for Yankee Stadium or Pittsburgh for Philadelphia.”

Clark can be reached at 873-0684, ext. 221.

Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.com