Gents,
How could you see evidence of it, NO ONE has attempted it either! The vast majority of the golf industry, worldwide, has little interest in promoting it...they mistakenly feel they can't profit from it directly...hence they have no interest in supporting it. I'm not looking to defend caddie golf, though anyone that knows me understands I feel strongly about it. See the cart revenue plug for a reason why.
There is far more caddie culture, worldwide, than most realize. Many nations, notably Argentina, India and Asia have plenty of caddie courses. There is tremendous opportunity worldwide, with proper support, to foster caddie golf in emerging nations. The quality and form vary, but they are there. It's no accident, that some of their best TOUR players, come from...you guessed it ...the caddie ranks!
I'll pose a question. Take away everything ever written about the game, remove every trophy or historical artifact from the R&A, USGA, or any other worldwide golf organization/historical venue and close every course... that had a caddie connection to its past or present and what would golf look like? Pretty barren space my friends! Where's the re-investment in this richest, single contributor to the game??!!!!
When viable, greed must sometimes be put aside for long-term health of the game. How can numbers of folks, of poor or modest means, find and stay in the game if they have no exposure to it, unless they have access while they earn and learn? Look at these massive junior program iniatives, where are the sustained numbers remaining in the game? Sorry, those that find the game as a caddie often have a certain passion and devotion to the game that other avenues don't quite match in fervor. History confirms it. Golf will truly descend into the dark ages if GPS- buggy world is seen as the only way forward, and the current state of the game can verify that for any doubters.
It's easy to point just to economic conditions as to why golf is struggling, but it goes much deeper than that. It's a hard game. Many in today's impatient world want instant success and gratification from their endeavors...golf's difficulty prohibits that. You hear the excuse of time being a constant complaint;fishing takes far more time in many instances, yet currently enjoys record participation.
Golf has always had a orderly way of filtering it's numbers. The nature of it always will. The idea that the game owes those in the industry a profit and exponential growth is ludicrous. That is the root problem of it all...unsustainable expectations by a vastly bloated industry. Nongolfers take special offense to the arrogance and gross resource consumpation the game has demonstrated frequently.
Caddie golf may never see much time in England again, the game there will be poorer for it, of that you can be sure.
Cheers