Melvyn,
Well at least you put a caddie ahead of inanimate objects as permissable on a golf course, so maybe there's a little hope.
No one, unless your only picking selective elements of what I write, could come to the conclusion that I infer ONLY caddies can share knowledge or area advice with golfing visitors. My points are to the title of the thread, which are dead on from confirmation of others who have posted expressing similar experiences, and I've LIVED them as well.
Naill and I are fine thank you. We may differ on some of our views, which is fine. I will always counter those that wish to marginalize what quality caddie experiences can deliver, on so many levels, wth as many examples as are needed, to help illunminate others. Remember Melvyn, MANY others read these posts. If all they saw, for example, were the proclamations by the two of you, that all was well...bag the caddie(pun intended)...A SERIOUS omission, of the reality that they can be of immense help...could result.
Your repeatedly have expressed your belief that caddies should provide their service in a mute manner. Do you think they are that incapable of tactful, appropriate communication? Did the Earl ask Old Tom nothing on their rounds together?
I hate to break it to you, but some caddies are EASILY as intelligent as most on this site, particularly on golf-related matters. Many who caddie CHOOSE to do it. If one colors their view of someone's acumen or worth based on their station in life, and its appears there are a fair few who do, then that's a shame.
We have half a dozen, maybe more, on this GCA membership, who are caddies. Numerous others in the tree house can point to caddie golf as providing them a significant introduction to the game that lead to their sustained development and appreciation of its many facets. I assume that they are now to be viewed as second tier contributors due to that reality.
Our own Mr. John Lyon, who just graduated from Colgate, has caddied summers regularly the past few years. He studied abroad, was smitten with the English courses around London, even was deemed worthy enough to join Deal I believe, and his steady stream of reports and observations, chronicled on this site during his time there, were as insightful as anything I've seen posted. Guess he's just a shut up and carry the bag level guy as well.
There are hundreds of smart, talented young men and women caddying in the U.S. and elsewhere. Rich Ramsey(sp), who was a caddie at Royal Aberdeen, won the U.S. Amateur a few years back, with a Taylor Made putter given to him by an American golfer he worked for earlier that year. I'm sure he'd have nothing to add if he spoke when one took him when playing around Royal Aberdeen.
That's what I find so unfortunate about the views of many folks, who really can't see past the fact there are many VERY productive folks who DO, OR HAVE the caddie dynamic to thank for helping them, AND others they've touched, enjoy those life experiences. If we only point to negatives, it's easy to dismiss anything as not worth sampling.
There really is nothing like caddie golf offered by any other game. It's given more to golf than any other single source...WORLDWIDE.
Doubt me? Remove everything from the game that's been touched by caddie roots, including
the courses and those that had a hand in building them. What's left? It's irrefutable.
Some will always remain unconvinced, content to keep throwing up rejections into the bunker-face of reality. If, however, one really looks at the game's history, and adds to that the current contributions made by caddies, despite abysmal support from it's administrative bodies and other apathetic folks who claim to revere golf, yet exclude the caddie dynamic as relevant... the conclusions are fairly obvious.
I am heartened, and take great solace in the fact, that as I write this today, hundreds of caddie rounds with golfers worldwide, INCLUDING numerous, first-time visiting golfers in Scotland, are partaking in a bond that has defined the game for centuries.
Cheers,
Kris
