Opinion & Analysis

The art of the caddie

Published

7 years ago

Jul 29, 2019

THE CADDIE: a person hired to carry a player’s clubs, find the ball, etc. A caddie is so much more than its dictionary definition, however. I am a caddie, carrying for different members at a local country club, and it is a job I would not change for anything. Caddying is an art.

Caddies first appeared in 1817 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They were doing the same as we do now, carrying golf clubs and helping a golfer make their way around the course. The job of caddying really has not changed in 202 years.

In those 202 years, we have seen, in my opinion, the best golf movie ever made, “Caddyshack.” We have seen a 10-year-old caddie win the 1913 U.S. Open, carrying for the amateur Francis Ouimet. We have seen caddie races at TPC Scottsdale, and a TV analyst who has helped his player win five major championships (his name is Jim “Bones” Mackay). The golf caddie is so fascinating because it has such a deep and long history. It is a job where you can start as young as 12 years old, but where you can equally be 71, like Mike “Fluff” Cowan.

Speaking from experience, a caddie does so many more things than just carrying clubs and finding yardages. If you are a caddie who plays a lot of golf, you discuss different shots with the player you are looping for. How much will the wind affect the ball? Where do you want to miss? Do you want the ball coming out with a high or low trajectory? You also must read putts, and depending on the green, this can be extremely difficult.

However, more important than carrying the clubs and talking out different shots is the social part of caddying. As a caddie it is important to get to know your player. You must spark conversation for a full loop and keep your player in it mentally. I always say golf is 60 percent mental and 40 percent physical, and as a caddie, you must make sure your player is focused. The caddie cannot let their player get too mad when they are not playing well. As a caddie, you are the only person who can talk to your player and keep them under control so they can shoot their best score possible. On the other hand, when your player does well, you celebrate with them. For those four hours on the course, as you can see, a caddie must be a fantastic multitasker.

Caddying is a job that can open so many doors. It can teach a young caddie a multitude of life skills, and for professional caddies, it allows them to be around and interact with the best golfers in the world. To sum it up, a caddie must be different than every other person on the golf course.

For me, caddying is one of the best jobs in the world because I am doing the same thing as a boy my age 202 years ago.

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Todd Daugherty

My name is Todd Daugherty, and I am a high school golfer that has an extremely large passion for the game of golf. Golf is a game of variety. Any aspect of it, whether it is shots, clubs, etc., involves variety. You can have a green-side shot that is just as difficult as a 200-yard 4-iron shot, and that is why I love the game. I currently have a YouTube channel named TMD Golf, where I upload a weekly golf podcast talking about the tour, new equipment, and anything in-between. I also upload a weekly vlog that could include videos of me playing, doing reviews, doing challenges, and just anything a golfer would love. I also have a passion for writing about this great game. There are so many different stories that can come from a simple, yet complicated game. Creating golf content is something I love doing very much, and I hope others can appreciate it as much as I do!

5 Comments

sam

Jul 30, 2019 at 2:58 pm

You bio at the bottom is longer than the first two paragraphs.

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christian

Jul 30, 2019 at 2:57 pm

You bio at the bottom is longer than the first two paragraphs. That says everything.

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christian

Jul 30, 2019 at 2:57 pm

This is barely a page so why even post it? I want to read more about being a caddie. How about interviewing caddies? Seeing what caddie life is like on tour. Off tour. In between tours. What caddies had the right advice on a shot and the player nailed it? or times when it went wrong like with John Rahm and the player didn’t listen. You could do so much with this article and instead its just basic generic information that doesn’t leave me wanting to know more. I WANT TO KNOW MORE. Don’t just write a story, tell a story. And theres literally no story here.

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Leezer99

Jul 30, 2019 at 11:52 am

> For those four hours on the course, as you can see, a caddie must be a fantastic multitasker.

Four hours? LOL

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Geoffrey Holland

Jul 29, 2019 at 7:33 pm

Just wanted to say that this was a very well written article and I enjoyed it. Also a very impressed with the lack of errors such as punctuation, grammar, and spelling that usually pop up in articles on this site.
It’s nice to see an eighteen-year-old actually caring about proofreading and making sure an article is written correctly. Best of luck with your caddying and your golfing.

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Opinion & Analysis

AVL: My U.S. Amateur local qualifying experience

Published

6 days ago

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Andrew Von Lossow

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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.

With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.

Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!

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2 weeks ago

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