A Very Large Thank You

[Sean Walsh]

Hi All,

Despite my recent silence on here I have not dropped off the face of the earth (although some may have wished it) or become marooned in a small rural village of Romania.

I have been home for a few weeks now and have neglected to contact all those associated with this site to offer my heartfelt thanks.  My experience for the year in England and Scotland was one of unending GCA hospitality.  So thanks to all those who I met (or attempted to meet).  

I'll soon be back at work and my year caddying in St Andrews will be a distant cherished memory.

Thanks again
Sean

PS After suffering through 35degrees on the cricket field the last two weekends I long for a dull overcast 18 degree St Andrews day  

[Joel_Stewart]

Are you going to write a book about your experiences at St. Andrews?   Whats the average handicap of a person playing the Old Course?  What percentage of players are Americans?

[Sean Walsh]

Joel,

First of all no book, I'm not conscientious enough nor enough of a wordsmith to do it justice.

I'd guess the average player was my ability or worse.  I'm off 16.

During the tourist season (i.e May - Sept) I'd guess somewhere around 50-60% of actual golfers were american.  Those taking caddies were probably a greater proportion of Americans maybe 60-70%.  I did just over 100 rounds probably 85 on TOC.  I'll count them up and see what percentage I come up with. I was suprised by one thing, a lot more Australians played the course than expected.

[Sean Walsh]

Results are: Total rounds I noted were 106. I probably missed 3-5.

American - 53 (50%)
English - 14
Scottish - 7
Australian - 6
Canada - 5
Japan - 4
South Af. & Ireland - 3
Swiss, Venezuelan & Spanish - 2
France, Ireland, Denmark, Bermuda and Malaysia 1 each.

These numbers are effected by the fact I did very few bookings which I think have a higher American representation.  My 70% of the previous email may be high for American numbers taking caddies.

Also England is more highly represented due to at least half these rounds being R&A.

By the way can anyone guess the nationality with the worst rep in the caddie shack?

I found the best to be the Irish, Scottish and Japanese.  

[Rich Goodale]

By the way can anyone guess the nationality with the worst rep in the caddie shack?

I'll guess Swedish.

PS--great meeting you and playing with you too, Sean.

Rich

[Chris Kane]

Australian (the pricks don't tip!)?

[Steve Okula]

By the way can anyone guess the nationality with the worst rep in the caddie shack?

I wouldn't be surprised if it were the French, and ladies in particular.

[Matt_Sullivan]

The wife and I enjoyed meeting up with you in St Andrews when we were there for the Reverse Old Course. I was very envious of the year stretched out before you, and glad (but not surprised!) to hear you had a great time.

I'll guess that the Chinese had the worst rep in the caddy shack

All the best

Matt

[Andrew Mitchell]

Good to hear from you Sean - it seems a long time since Buda in Leeds when you were shortly to be on your way back home.

I'm glad you had a great time, I certainly enjoyed our games together at Muirfield, Kingsbarns, Alwoodley & Moortown.

I'd guess at the English being the ones getting the bad raps from the caddies.  After all the English are the Scots natural enemy

[Paul Stephenson]

I'll go with irony and say Canadians.

[Jim Franklin]

I'll go with the know it all Americans. Everyone hates us.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

I am surprised by the low number of Japanese.  They would appear to be avid golf travellers to those of us in the Pacific NW.  

Just not to Scotland?

[Tony_Muldoon]

I'll go with the know it all Americans. Everyone hates us.

Jim I'll take it you meant it in the same way Randy Newman did.

No one likes us
I don't know why.
We may not be perfect,
But heaven knows we try.
But all around
even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one
And see what happens.

We give them money,
But are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful, and they're hateful.
They don't respect us, so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them.

Asia's crowded, Europe's too old,
Africa is far too hot, and Canada's too cold.
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one,
There'll be no one left to blame us.

We'll save Australia, don't want to hurt no kangaroos.
We'll build an American amusement park there,
They got surfin' too!

Boom! goes London, Boom! Paree
More room for you and more room for me.
And every city the whole world round,
Will just be another American town.

Oh, how peaceful it'll be!
We'll set everybody free!
You'll wear a Japanese kimono, baby
And there'll be Italian shoes for me!
They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now,
Let's drop the big one now!

"Political Science", Randy Newman


Pleasure meeting you Sean, I'd better head for the land of the Kangaroo before that's all that's left.

[Mark_F]

Australian (the pricks don't tip!)?

Maybe you didn't do enough to deserve one?

I'll go South African.  Sorry, Philip!

[Chris Kane]

Maybe you didn't do enough to deserve one?

I wasn't a caddy.

[Sean Walsh]

Rihc got it first up.  

The Swedes weren't popular at all.  The feeling was they commit the two worst sins a player can they're slowwwwww and pooor tippers.  Of course as you've seen I can't tell you whether this is correct or not.

There was a feeling that Australians and Canadians meant a poor pay day but this didn't really play out for me.  They were pretty much average.

As Americans are the golden goose caddies see them as a neccessary evil  

As a sideline it will be interesting how the continued low dollar affects Scottish golf.  All the regular caddies said it was much quieter this year than the last few.  The course as you'd expect was full but waiting times at the shack were extreme.  

[Eric Franzen]

Rihc got it first up.  

The Swedes weren't popular at all.  The feeling was they commit the two worst sins a player can they're slowwwwww and pooor tippers.  Of course as you've seen I can't tell you whether this is correct or not.

I am not surprised about this. A round of golf usually takes forever over here. Especially since eveyone is playing stableford (but still insists on holing out) to adjust their handicap during casual rounds.
We don't have caddies (not since the 50's or the 60's, I think) and the tipping etiquette is also a bit different. For example, you aren't supposed to tip the housemaid in a hotel or the staff at your club. So it's also a cultural difference.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Sean, All (Particularly those living in Scotland),

This Friday night at 9.00 P.M. on BBC2 Scotland, there is an hour long special on the backroom staff at St Andrews...

This includes a focus on Caddy Manager Rick MacKenzie and his 250 caddies per day, the green keeping staff and the course rangers as well as looking at the R&A and the ladies putting club...

[George Pazin]

Sounds like an opinion piece may be in order.

How tough was it leaving?

[Sean Walsh]

Ally,
I saw them there but being one of the less extroverted newcomers kept my distance.  It would be interesting more than anything to see whether they get the PR version or the reality of The Caddie Shack.

George,

It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be to leave (I was longing for a hot day) but as we drove out of town for the last time it really did feel like we were leaving our home.  The hard part will be not bing able to go and do it again next summer.  As for the Opinion piece I can't make any promises but I'll try and get one done.  What would people want to know?

[Andrew Mitchell]

Sean, All (Particularly those living in Scotland),

This Friday night at 9.00 P.M. on BBC2 Scotland, there is an hour long special on the backroom staff at St Andrews...

This includes a focus on Caddy Manager Rick MacKenzie and his 250 caddies per day, the green keeping staff and the course rangers as well as looking at the R&A and the ladies putting club...

Thanks Ally, For those living outside of Scotland and with busy lives aren't digital TV and Sky+ wonderful things

[Ally Mcintosh]

Sean, All (Particularly those living in Scotland),

This Friday night at 9.00 P.M. on BBC2 Scotland, there is an hour long special on the backroom staff at St Andrews...

This includes a focus on Caddy Manager Rick MacKenzie and his 250 caddies per day, the green keeping staff and the course rangers as well as looking at the R&A and the ladies putting club...

Thanks Ally, For those living outside of Scotland and with busy lives aren't digital TV and Sky+ wonderful things

it's the BBC Scotland bit that gets me Andrew... our 2nd rate digital service in Ireland doesn't afford us the opportunity... BBC2 Norn Iron or no BBC2...

[Marty Bonnar]

Ally,
if it's a Sky Box ye have, then there's a neat wee trick ye can do for the BBC2 Scotland to be seeing.

Go to the 'Channels' home page then scroll UP about ten pages (past the porn and the radio channels).

There you will magically find ALL the BBC regional channels together. I discovered it during the last series of 'Strictly: It takes Two'. On a thursday evening on BBC2 Scotland we get an hour of 'The Gaelic' programming, when everyone else gets 'Strictly'. Nancy is addicted, so I HAD to try something. Scrolled up and THERE THEY WERE!

happy viewing,
FBD.

[Ally Mcintosh]

cheers martin... we have NTL though which gives us none of these options...

...i have arranged for it to be taped however...

[Andrew Mitchell]

Ally,
if it's a Sky Box ye have, then there's a neat wee trick ye can do for the BBC2 Scotland to be seeing.

Go to the 'Channels' home page then scroll UP about ten pages (past the porn and the radio channels).

There you will magically find ALL the BBC regional channels together. I discovered it during the last series of 'Strictly: It takes Two'. On a thursday evening on BBC2 Scotland we get an hour of 'The Gaelic' programming, when everyone else gets 'Strictly'. Nancy is addicted, so I HAD to try something. Scrolled up and THERE THEY WERE!

happy viewing,
FBD.

Martin
As you say its easier to get to the BBC regional channels going "backwards" from the home page.  However it takes a bit of explaining when your wife is watching you scroll through pages of porn channels to get there