The Role of Caddies in Golf
When watching golf, one will definitely notice a few things. Of course, they see the golfer and also they might notice the greens and the golf course. However, few recognize the caddy, which is an unsung hero in this sport. A caddy is the person who carries a player’s bag, and gives insightful advice and moral support. A good caddy is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the best strategy in playing it. This includes knowing overall yardage, pin placements and club selection. A caddy is not usually an employee of a private club or resort. He is classified as an “independent contractor,” meaning that he is basically self employed and does not receive any benefits from his association with the club. Of course, some clubs and resorts do have caddy programs, although benefits are rarely offered. Caddies often demonstrate many of the qualities held by greens keepers. They are always on the golf course and always and constantly busy. Their work is very important, and that is why nearly every professional golfer has one and they are busy each and every tournament. Traditional caddying involves both the golfer and the caddie walking the course. The caddy is in charge of carrying the bag of the player, with the caddie out in front of and a couple of steps above the player. Though some may consider the profession of being a caddy to be less prestigious than a golfer, and in some cases egregious, it is actually a feasible system where caddies can move up ranks. Most clubs use a ranking system. Caddies will start as a trainee, and be promoted through the ranks of Intermediate, Captain, Honor, and finally Championship. Championship is reserved for only the best caddies. The intermediate and captain ranks can usually be obtained within the first year of caddying, and the honor rank is usually obtained in the second or third year of caddying. Championship takes at least 6 years and often as many as 10 years to obtain. Many professionals in the golf industry once had started out as caddies. Caddies are most frequently employed at clubs on weekends, when the majority of country club golf takes place. Some, but usually not as many opportunities to caddy exist during the week, as well. Additionally, caddies are often allowed to play the course at which they caddy for free, usually on a Monday, the day that most private clubs choose to close their course for maintenance. On pro golf tours, professional caddies accompany their player to all events, which usually take place from Thursday through Sunday. Additionally, the player may hire their caddy to carry their bag for them during training sessions and practice rounds. Caddies also have an interesting pay scale, at times they get paid by the bags that they carry and at other times, they go by a pre determined percent of their golfer’s earnings. Being a caddy may look unappealing but it can be fun and will pay.
