Here are my thoughts to refute Rich's well reasoned, yet faulty, argument against caddies, point by point:
1. (Caddy takes away you vs. course satisfaction). It still is you vs. the course. Its just now more of a collaborative effort, but only if you want it to be. A good caddy will only offer advice when asked. I also feel that we humans succeed more often as a team than as an individual.
2. (Caddy takes away enjoyment of discovering the course when playing for first time). In any instance of being somewhere or meeting someone for the first time, it is important to have an entre, or introduction. This doesn't rob the discovery process, but rather helps to enable us to more fully enjoy the process. Any first time visitor to my house, I will show the entire lay of the land so they feel more comfortable and can enjoy themselves more fully. I believe a caddy performs this function for a first time player.
3. (Caddies clutter the scenery). Hard to argue with this point. Harder yet to agree with it. Next point.
4. (Caddy helps the less physically fit). More importantly, a caddy can help the less mentally fit. I'd be more worried about that in an opponent.
5. (Caddy can enable sloppiness in thinking). Again, I think a good caddy helps us think more clearly, urging us to shrug off bad holes, pointing out features we may have missed, reminding us of places we don't want to be, or that par is a good score, etc.
6. (Caddies cut down on comraderie). Quite possibly, they enable us more time to chat with our playing companions instead of spending time raking bunkers, tending flagsticks, etc. Again, a good caddy won't speak until spoken to.
7. (Master/servant relationship). Maybe it helps to think of them as more of a co-worker, or teammate, striving toward a common goal.
Although I don't use a caddy often, everytime I have (including a memorable round at Seminole with a double bagger who hit empty on the gas tank about the 14th hole), it makes for a much more enjoyable time on the course. And I would never pass up the chance to take one in the future.
Caddies make the game of golf so much richer. Let's encourage more use of them.