Bad caddie = bad experience?

[Jerry Kluger]

I just came back from Scotland where I took my two sons for 10 rounds of golf to experience it with their dad while I am still able to do so.  So far as caddies go there are two types of caddies: 1. club members who are caddying for whatever reason including perhaps enjoyment of showing their course to visitors or perhaps a financial reason and 2. what I would call professional caddies - those who are doing so to make a living and should be viewed as professionals.  I have never seen members caddying at a club in the US but I have seen professional caddies and they do so because in most instances it is their chosen vocation and they can support themselves and perhaps even a family in Scotland with their earnings.  We had a caddie who carried my bag and helped my sons with their yardages, putts, etc. when we played The New Course at St Andrews and he was going out again after we were done with our round.  We were not successful in the ballot for The Old Course but my sons were successful in getting on individually on separate days and I had them take a caddie and both of them said the caddie made the experience even better as they would go beyond numbers when telling about the holes and how to play them. 


So my point is that caddies in Scotland are professionals and have the knowledge and experience to help a golfer to have an enjoyable and well played round. Member caddies can certainly do so as well and I had taken member caddies in Ireland but there is just something which makes a round even better with a professional caddie.

[jeffwarne]

I just came back from Scotland where I took my two sons for 10 rounds of golf to experience it with their dad while I am still able to do so.  So far as caddies go there are two types of caddies: 1. club members who are caddying for whatever reason including perhaps enjoyment of showing their course to visitors or perhaps a financial reason and 2. what I would call professional caddies - those who are doing so to make a living and should be viewed as professionals.  I have never seen members caddying at a club in the US but I have seen professional caddies and they do so because in most instances it is their chosen vocation and they can support themselves and perhaps even a family in Scotland with their earnings.  We had a caddie who carried my bag and helped my sons with their yardages, putts, etc. when we played The New Course at St Andrews and he was going out again after we were done with our round.  We were not successful in the ballot for The Old Course but my sons were successful in getting on individually on separate days and I had them take a caddie and both of them said the caddie made the experience even better as they would go beyond numbers when telling about the holes and how to play them. 


So my point is that caddies in Scotland are professionals and have the knowledge and experience to help a golfer to have an enjoyable and well played round. Member caddies can certainly do so as well and I had taken member caddies in Ireland but there is just something which makes a round even better with a professional caddie.

They are often both(professionals AND members)
and sometimes they are not


My favorite story involved bringing a member of my club who insisted on caddies every round, even when caddies were not a thing, or even available.
Note to Americans:Caddies are usually only available at courses that cater to tourists/Americans, and the Scots mostly/nearly all don't take caddies, but prefer to pull, push their manual or electric trollies, or carry, or even take a cart.


Despite having this repeatedly explained to him, he insisted on taking a caddie at Dornoch.


I will never forget the sight of him, an athletic, fit, youngish man walking down the first fairway, being trailed by about 15 feet by his clubs on an electric trolley,...
powered by an 81 year old woman member handling the remote another 50 yards behind him.
I guess it would have only been better if she had been on a buggy.


The other three of us still laugh about it.

[Adam Lawrence]

Note to Americans:Caddies are usually only available at courses that cater to tourists/Americans, and the Scots mostly/nearly all don't take caddies, but prefer to pull, push their manual or electric trollies, or carry, or even take a cart.

It isn't just Scots. I have _never_ taken a caddie in the UK and I only recall seeing one non-tourist do so -- I played in the architect Tim Lobb's golf day at the Berkshire one year, and one of his guests was the hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, who showed up with his own caddie.

[jeffwarne]

Note to Americans:Caddies are usually only available at courses that cater to tourists/Americans, and the Scots mostly/nearly all don't take caddies, but prefer to pull, push their manual or electric trollies, or carry, or even take a cart.

It isn't just Scots. I have _never_ taken a caddie in the UK and I only recall seeing one non-tourist do so -- I played in the architect Tim Lobb's golf day at the Berkshire one year, and one of his guests was the hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, who showed up with his own caddie.

+1

[Noah Weinberger]

A few caddie anecdotes from me:


- Most private clubs in Chicago are closed on Monday. I’ve played Sunset Valley, a public course in Highland Park adjacent to Bob O’Link, on at least two Mondays where I’ve noticed a foursome of well dressed golfers who actually brought their own caddie from their club (dressed in their club’s bib) to carry their clubs for them. God forbid they have to take a cart or a push-cart at a public course….or have their caddie not wear their club’s uniform while on the job.


- I’ve played the North Shore Amateur golf tournament at Sunset Valley twice. Both times I noticed multiple golfers who brought a caddie from their club. Not just my assumption, as they were wearing their home club’s bib as well.


I only have two “poor” caddie experiences:
1) At Beverly, I had a 14/15 year old caddie who spoke only a few words the entire round and seemed pretty uncomfortable, like he didn’t really want to be there. On the second hole he shot the flag with his rangefinder and told me 160 yards on a shot that seemed to me to be 95-100 yards. I asked him to try again, 160. I then taught him how to use the rangefinder (he likely was picking up trees behind the green). I think I paid him $80-90? I Would have rather carried my own bag than have to have this kid follow us around all day.


2) Royal Troon a few weeks ago with Open grandstands up. I was very excited to play, and the greens fee was $400+. Plus another 65 gbp + “tip”


Very nice guy, and apparently an accomplished senior amateur golfer, +2 handicap and had won a major amateur tournament earlier this year at Troon from the back tees. I couldn’t believe my luck at getting such a great caddie. I am a 7 index and told him on the first tee I’m not too concerned with my score today just excited to play the course. Multiple times he backed me off my own shot to give me some pointer, like play the ball further back in my stance, or you coming too steep down on the ball. The worst was a 30-40 yard pitch shot into #7. I ask for my 58 degree wedge, and he overrules me. “use your gap wedge, play it back in your stance and just run it up there”. I told him I’m a lot more comfortable with my 58 from here. “Trust me you don’t want to hit that club”. I should have just insisted but not wanting to have a confrontation I tried to hit the shot he wanted and over hit it into the back right bunker. He starts walking and I say hold on, I want to try with the 58….and I pitched it onto the center of the green.


Just unneccessary. Was a super friendly guy and I enjoyed our banter and his course knowledge but just give me the club I’m asking for please.


Thankfully I have too many positive caddie experiences to list. None higher than two rounds on the Old course this summer with two excellent caddies who I’m positive each saved me 3-5 strokes. One local 30 year old from Dundee who caddies at Tara Iti and Te Arai in the winters. One British transplant who lives in Carnoustie and is a member there. I can’t imagine playing the Old Course for the first time without a caddie. Forget reading putts and having your bag carried, you often need them as a traffic cop with all the chaos of incoming groups hitting shots into you…




Another anecdote from Trump Aberdeen. My caddie told me he’s caddied there four summers and only played the course three times, even though he’s local. I asked why, and apparently for each loop he completes he gets 1 “credit” and he needs to redeem 25 credits to play a round of golf. So he will do about 100 loops in a summer and finally have enough to invite his brother and two friends for a four-ball. Apparently it used to cost him 15 “credits” but Eric Trump (who he seemed to think was in charge) recently raised it to 25.