I’ve found it very interesting how many people think the only thing a caddie does is carry around that big heavy tour bag for the player. Tonight’s blog is going to be info about what a caddie does for a golfer…
A caddie is one of the golfer’s most important tools…and while she/he does carry the bag if necessary, there are numerous other functions they perform! I’m going to use the term “she” as I am a female 😉
1. She knows yardage…this includes yardage from tee to green and where bunkers and fairway hazards are.
2. She knows her players game as well as, if not better than, he knows it himself. She has studied his shots, seen his tendencies and knows his strengths and weaknesses.
3. She checks the weather for the scheduled day of the tournament…and takes into account what the weather variations will do to the flight of the ball.
4. She talks to the staff at the course to find out the “secrets”…does everything slope a certain way? Are the greens particularly slow or fast? What is the sand like?
5. She has to keep her player in the right frame of mind. Caddie and golfer have a history together and a caddie can break the tension her golfer may be experiencing with just a few well timed humerous words.
6. The caddie is also there to run interference. This can be crowd control, this can be stopping other players from getting in her golfer’s head, or allowing others to make suggestions during play.
7. Standard pay for a caddie is 10% of the players winnings, although the player may choose to give more for a big win.
8. Caddies practice with their players and travel with them to tournaments. Even though players have a lot of buddies on tour, the reality is every player is ultimately out for themselves and in the end, they know they can count on their caddie.
9. Caddies help read greens with their golfer and instill a level of confidence with shots.
10. Extras I do as a caddie: I clean the grooves in the golf clubs, wipe down the grips and make sure a new golf ball is ready at all times (and clean the grungy one on the green). I pack snacks and drinks to keep Ron’s energy level up during his round. I bring icy cold rags to cool him down during the hot summer nights. I hold the umbrella when it’s raining. On top of all that…yes, when playing in a tournament where no carts are allowed, I carry that big tour bag.
Being a caddy is a very rewarding experience. Sure, you occasionally get blamed for a misread green, and a caddie certainly takes the brunt of the player’s frustration…but the teamwork and trust in the partnership is what makes it an amazing experience!
Caddie Stories 
Interesting blog. Who inspired you to caddy, Fanny Sunesson, Nickie Stricker, or something else?
Good luck! Brian
Well honestly, if it hadn’t been for Ron, I never would have even started to play golf myself, let alone become a caddie.
A few years ago, Ron took me to the driving range with him and as I watched him, I realized then and there that this man had a talent that far surpassed the “average” golfer. Having an athletic background and family members and friends who are/were professional athletes, I have witnessed first hand what people look like when they’ve got that exceptional talent in a sport…and Ron had it!
For the better part of the next year, I worked my butt off trying to convince him to go for his dream, no matter what anybody else said. I started practicing with him, traveling to our friend’s golf course up north, watching golf with him on tv, learning how to read the greens, and becoming a player myself. We spent hours and hours, day after day, working on chipping…flop shots, bump & run shots, roll out shots, back spin…you name it. The more time inspect on the course with him, the more I learned the game, and more importantly, his game.
I will never forget the first time I “officially” caddied for him…he had back to back rounds (36 holes) to take his P.A.T. and while I didn’t have to carry the bag that day, I did have to walk the course (twice) and keep up with him, offer words of encouragement and discuss basic yardage. Back then, I was still in the process of learning his distances with each club, how the weather affected his distance, how to find the drainage angles, how to pay attention to the grass direction, etc. We were actively trying to ‘wean’ off using the sky caddy and measuring distances ourselves.
Over time, I learned to trust my instincts on the course and make recommendations when asked. I had the good fortune of caddying for Ron in the same pairing with Birdie Kim, who was caddying for her brother in a PGA qualifier…and Birdie really taught me some good things about what the golfer’s need from their caddies. From that point on, I took it upon myself to study different aspects of the game, make sure I knew the rules, and I devoted hundreds of hours to watching and practicing with the golfer I believed in.
That may have gotten wordy, lol…but thanks so much for your question and encouragement!
I just finished reading “The Majors” by John Feinstein and he goes into some detail of the relationship between Steve and Nickie Stricker during the time she was on his bag. I find that very intriguing that a player and caddy can mix business with pleasure. I love my wife to death but I can’t imagine having her work for me in a business where her very input has such a bearing on my success or failure. Even before I was married, I took great care to avoid “fishing off the company pier” so to speak. Obviously it has its special challenges but others such as yourself can make it work. I’ll add you to my blogroll because I think my readers will find your situation equally as fascinating as I do. Again, best of luck! Brian
Thanks for all the kind words! It does have it’s challenges at times, but one thing we try very hard to do is keep golf discussion out of the house now. Sure we still watch golf on tv or talk about the game, but the actual planning and “work” stays out of the house…and we also try very hard to keep our home stuff off of the course.
Thanks for adding me to your blogroll…the more readers the merrier!
So what’s the inside the ropes take on the Stevie Williams fiasco? Here’s my view: http://brianpenn.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/tiger-fires-steve-williams/