How a great caddy helps at Pinehurst No. 2

[Jay Flemma]

I have to say my caddy today was the best I ever had.  He was a 45 year vet of Pinehurst and he read every putt correctly except one and clubbed me perfectly all day except once.  I got around No. 2 in 85 in my first time out.  I dont think I hit a single ball in the "blue areas" (impossible to get up and down.)

Only hit one bad chip...tried flopping on 17 and hit it juuuuuuust too hard and rolled into the back bunker.

His name was Bobby Hill and he caddies all the time for Michael Jordan.  He also looped for Gerald Ford.  I heard some great stories.

One question...the fairways were a drop patchy.  Has anyone played there recently and what did you think of the conditions?

Thanks.
Here's the day in a microcosm...I didn't have to worry or think about anything all day.  I hit for what targets he said, putted where he told me and, with just maybe two adjustments, hit what he recommended.  The first putt of the day, I had a 15 footer, but the preceding player "finished out" and I watched his putt break left.  He said "ignore that and play it to go an inch right.  Well, I trusted my eyes and hit where I thought.  I missed.  He had read it perfectly.

I obeyed all day.  I've never had a caddy that knowledgeable.  45 years at Pinehurst...he's been looping longer than I've been alive.  it showed.

It just shows how important it is to have guidance at No. 2.  That thing would have eaten me alive otherwise.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Do you think you had more fun with the caddy than you would have without?

[Anthony Butler]

[quote author=Jay Flemma link=board=1;threadid=23049;
I have to say my caddy today was the best I ever had.  He was a 45 year vet of Pinehurst and he read every putt correctly except one and clubbed me perfectly all day except once.  I got around No. 2 in 85 in my first time out.  I dont think I hit a single ball in the "blue areas" (impossible to get up and down.)

His name was Bobby Hill and he caddies all the time for Michael Jordan.  He also looped for Gerald Ford.  I heard some great stories.

I had a guy at Pinehurst who was the son of someone famous (can't remember the name, but I seem to remember his dad was major league ball player). His other claim to fame was caddying for Davis Love in the North/South Amateur. He insisted on telling me where DL III was off every tee. (Couldn't believe how far he hit it on #5 with a persimmon driver and a balata ball.) After 9, I told him to concentrate on where my next shot ended up... and things went a lot better on the back nine.

Best caddy I ever had was a guy at Winged Foot. Due to his reads, I holed 5 putts over 20 feet, including a 60 ft double breaker on from the back of the green on 12, and a 30 footer for birdie on 18. Due to some furious pressing on the back nine, this putt saved my member about $400.

[Tim Bert]

I really enjoyed a caddie named Easy at Pinehurst.  He had been at the resort for a long time (I can't remember exactly how long.)

He was double-bagging, and he walked like he might topple over at any given point.  At the range, he scolded my buddy and me for packing so many balls.  He made us empty out our bags, except for 3 balls each, and store the rest at the clubhouse.  "1 ball is all you need to play Pinehurst #2," he told us.  He was right.

I had a similar experience to the one mentioned above, where I mentally disputed his read - and I was wrong.  I listened to him for the rest of the day.  This guy was reading geens from memory - he'd be at a completely different part of the green, or raking a bunker while shouting out the read to me.  He was invariably right.

[Anthony Butler]

I had a similar experience to the one mentioned above, where I mentally disputed his read - and I was wrong.  I listened to him for the rest of the day.  This guy was reading geens from memory - he'd be at a completely different part of the green, or raking a bunker while shouting out the read to me.  He was invariably right.

It's astonishing how much easier putting when you have someone read a green whose opinion you trust. You just think about rolling the bal over a spot. All the doubt disappears from your stroke.

[Jay Flemma]

Mike:  Absolutely I had more fun with the caddy.  Ther interesting thing was he joined us on the second green.  The first hole and through to the green, I was puzzling out everything by myself...which at No. 2 is like trying to do the Sunday Times crossword...tough.  I was walking on eggshells afraid to make the skightest mistake.  With him there the rest of the day, it was "trust him and swing smooth."

Tim:  You are right also...I needed one ball all day.  Gotta love that.

[Jay Flemma]

Bump...I'm curious of other peoples recent conditioning experiences.

[Jay Flemma]

Fair enough...how were the conditions?

[Doug Sobieski]

Jay:

I played there almost three weeks ago (3/27). The conditions were better than I expected as they begin their transition and the overseed disappears. I had no complaints. Good lies throughout, and the greens were reasonably firm.

Regards,

Doug

[Jay Flemma]

Just for fun, I wrote an article about Bobby the caddy.  He was a card AND was a terrific caddy.  Check it out of you get a chance, he put me at ease all day, so hopefully, I can give you a chuckle.

[Anthony Butler]

Bump...I'm curious of other peoples recent conditioning experiences.

Jay,

Have played Pinehurst No. 2 three times in the last 5 years. Obviously from Dec-March you have the overseeding issue. The rough such as it is dies off completely in that time. Although #2 being what it is, it doesn't really impact on the challenge of the course. The thing you want to avoid is playing there the week after they have either seeded or cored the greens. Usually they sand in late Nov and core in late Feb. It's no fun putting on #2 AND dealing with cored greens. Another thing to know... the winter before they hold a US Open at Pinehurst, the USGA won't allow them to overseed at all so the fairways are rough looking for that entire winter.

[Craig Disher]

The best winter playing conditions I've seen at #2 were the year before the Open when they didn't overseed. Hitting off the dormant bermuda was no worse than the overseeded rye and we didn't have to endure the mud season when they are trying to get the seed to germinate. However, with aging eyes it's more difficult to locate the ball, even in the fairway - and I doubt if resort guests would be too happy playing on a course where it appears everything is dead.

I like what they did at Southern Pines - overseed fairways #1 and #18 only so that walk-ons aren't put off by the brown fairways throughout the course.

[Anthony Butler]

I like what they did at Southern Pines - overseed fairways #1 and #18 only so that walk-ons aren't put off by the brown fairways throughout the course.

GENIUS!

[mikes1160]

Craig: I would agree - I played #2 a year ago last January and I didn't miss the overseed at all.

Jay: I hope Bobby told you all about the Tin Whistles. As one caddy told me: "The best moonshine has bubbles in it"

I've played #2 5 times and it's always been with a caddy.........I disagreed with a caddy on my first time playing the deuce. My putt went about four feet right of the hole and my caddy just shook his head.......  

[Jay Flemma]

Yes, he did mention the tin whistles.  Great story.

[Tim Taylor]

My wife sent me and my bestfriend to Pinehurst March of 2005 for my 40th birthday. We played #2 twice and both times the folks we were paired with complained about the "poor conditions" and the "burned out fairways". When I mentioned that the USGA prohibited them from overseeding they looked at me like I was on crack. The dormant bermuda played just fine and the rest of the course was in great shape.

TimT

[Jay Flemma]

The conditions I had were not "poor" or " burned out,"  Tim, when did you play?

The only things I was curious of were the sand on the greens (no prob except they were a little slow) and some bumpy fairways...just a few bumps.

Even so, I really enjoyed my day...it's just a shame we cant enjoy it more often because of the price.  Its such an important course, more people should get the opportunity to learn about architecture and the beauty of greenside and green movement.

[Anthony Butler]

Only hit one bad chip...tried flopping on 17 and hit it juuuuuuust too hard and rolled into the back bunker.

Jay, reading your initial post again I think you identified one playing limitation of #2. The lack of the flop shot. Sure, you can play it, but it's an incredibly low percentage shot for 99.9% of players 99% of the time... even the pros don't try it much. Like you, I tried it once... from just right of the green on #18 with the pin on the back right. Hit short of my landing spot by about 3 ft and kicked straight right into the bunker. Maybe if I had Lefty's skills and Pelz running the numbers for me, I might try it. If you're better off a close lie, a low sand wedge with some spin into the slope and can sometimes work out for you... Otherwise, you run it up the bank like everyone else.

[Jay Flemma]

Anthony, thats a really interesting analysis.  Recently I've noticed my flop has rolled a bit more than I like in some circumstances...I really should fine tnue my alignment a bit.  MIght your chip and mine had the same problem...landing on a downslope, therefor lack of containment.

I did make two flop nine irons work for me that day...both times from 90 yards out in place of a full sand wedge.  My old Ping eye (red) sand wedge has to much bounce for me to effectively use it on a full shot.  That club is bulkier than a football helmet.  Is it possible we were trying our shots from a place where a) our margin for error was slim and/ or b)if we missed we'd bounce away at a crazy angle.

Nevertheless, it brings up another good point about how good Bobby was as my caddy.  After I successfully flopped the 9-iron fromr 90 yards out early in the round, Bobby was ready with my 9-iron next time I was out 90 yards.

Also, may not the beauty of pinehurst lie in this:

four players around the green at different anglees...one's best shot is pitch and check, one's is putt, one's is bump and run, and the other is flop...all on the same hole!

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