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Would You Make A Good Caddie?

DataDude

DataDude

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Do you think you would be a good caddie on the PGA Tour? I had a friend tell me I would be a good caddie. He is a better golfer than me and he said I always have good tips for shot making. I never give swing advice, but I do sometimes say "hey, maybe try to hit a low roller here" stuff like that. He also said I can explain well why it might be a good idea without being demeaning and never do an "I told you so".

My personal thoughts are that I am also a really good at math and can do the on the fly calculations required for the job. I generally have a good demeanor and stay calm under pressure. I also know when to tell a joke and when to be quiet. I think all these would be good traits. I also thought this would make a good thread so I ask, would you be a good caddie?
 
I would not make a good caddie. Before the end of the round it would be me telling the pro to just go for it. You have a 250 yard shot over water to reach the green just grip it and rip it. ;)
 
Interesting question. I think I could do it for a day/weekend but not full time without a lot of training/practice. There is no way I could keep quiet that much and when I’m not sure what to say I try to make a joke which would only work some of the time.

Plus I don’t pay attention


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copenhagerman said:
I would not make a good caddie. Before the end of the round it would be me telling the pro to just go for it. You have a 250 yard shot over water to reach the green just grip it and rip it. ;)
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What would Roy do???


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I have caddied in the past for buddies, club pros and members of Bayhill. It is an enjoyable experience but I always found myself thinking "i would have played it different" and for this reason, I would not make a good tour caddie.
 
I would like to think I could, but I really don't look at all the options for myself as much as I should when I play, so maybe not. Perhaps not worrying about MY score would help me look for different options if I am helping someone else score well.
 
I would only be a good caddy to Tin Cup. “Hell yeah dude go for it, hmm go again, drop another for sure this time you’ll get it there”.
 
This makes me think to that tournament when Jon Rahm didn't listen to his caddie and made a bad error. I think I could do it as I try to be aware of my surroundings and my course management but I think the relationship with the guy playing would be important as well as the trust factor.

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Only for one person, my best friend and the main guy I play with. I know when his swing his off, what shots he should be trying to play rather than the one he wants to play.
 
I think I’d be. Dry good at every part of the job except I would hate carry a fully loaded monster bag. So ultimately I’m going to say no.
 
Nope. Back wouldn’t take carrying that bag around like that.

But, if my health was better, then yea maybe. I’m good at staying level headed on the course and would have good insight into what is needed.
 
As long as my guy understands I’m going to challenge him on certain shots and be vocal when I think it’s a mistake, we’ll be fine and I can be a good caddie.
 
While it would be a fun experience, I don't think I could. I enjoy playing to much and would be hard to watch my guy play if he was not doing well.
 
Caddied for head pro at a local pro event before. Would do again.

I think the relationship with who it's with plays more into it than just knowing the game.
 
Yes. I'm a facts and figures guy, so the numbers tracking is something I'm usually pretty good at. I consider caddie to be something like an NCO. I'm here to refine plans, advise the commander, and develop courses of action, but ultimately not the guy who has to make the command decisions. It's a role I've played for a long time, and a role I enjoy. Plus, carrying heavy things for a long time is something I've gotten pretty good at.
 
I am a perfectionist, and a worrier. I do not believe those are personality traits desired.
Not saying I don't get along with people and can't smile or enjoy laughter when appropriate. I'd love the work, travel and I am considerate.
BUT that overachieving positive personality I'd think would be the cherry on top that was missing.

I have caddied once before, and that was over 20 years ago. The club pro who was employing me at the time and who had known me since I was nine, asked. It was not the PGA Tour, but it wasn't a Pro-Am either.
Anyways, it was a big deal to me and I had just finished my community college golf experience and was transitioning to university without golf. I feel like I failed the test then, and while there is much to learn from it:

No, I would not make a good caddie.
 
I think so. We'll let @mpeterson be the judge though later this year.
 
I have caddied for buddies and once for a PGA tour pro at a Tom Lehman charity event. I would not make a good caddie because I play a golf course my way which doesn’t always agree with another players strategy. I’m also too outspoken, not empathic enough to babysit someone’s emotions, and hate 5 plus hour rounds. Heck, I hate 4.5 hour rounds enough that I will normally just walk off the course if that’s what the timeframe looks like. I could never do the travel either. I watched my wife travel 130 plus days each year for work and we both wonder now how we got through that 15 year period.
 
A good caddie has to know his player, and they further have to gel together as far as advice, confidence building, dealing with adversity, etc... So a good caddie for one player may be a horrible one for another. This assumes that all good caddies have the basics mastered. I caddied for Marianne Bretton (https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/22/...eurs-enjoy-eventful-day-playing-in-proam.html) in 1978 when the LPGA came to our home course in Orlando, Fl - Rio Pinar CC. I think she was in her first year as pro after having won the CA State Amateur.

I was just in 10th grade, and I'm pretty sure I would have beaten her for the 2 days she played. She missed the cut and payed me the minimum $17 per round ($51 for the 2 rounds plus pro-am) and $0 tip. Then she tells me she would likely have played better if she would have had a good caddie! On one hole, she hit a shot into the rough on the right that had just a few trees. I told her that was the "good miss" on that hole as left was dead. When we got to the ball, it was up against a tree on the hole side and right in front of the gallery she just lit me up and said I didn't know what I was talking about. I almost dropped the bag right there. Also, our greens were very grainy Bermuda, and she putted so terribly during the pro-am and round #1. On the practice green ahead of round #2, I offered to read the greens for her as it was my home course, but she just snorted as if taking advice from me was beneath her.

Anyway, for a player like that (at least for that one experience that I had with her), it would take a special kind of person to be a "good caddie" in her book...
 
I have all the attributes mentioned in the OP and a few others he didn’t list. Having said that I would NOT be a good caddie for a pro. I have far too much respect for tour caddies to think I could just go out there and do what they do.

With time, training and experience maybe I could someday get there. But again, the caddies out there do a lot for their players.
 
I think being a good tour caddie has more to do with being a psychotherapist then doing math and recommending shots. So my therapist would say I'd be a good caddie but my wife.....
 
Awstyn said:
I am a perfectionist, and a worrier. I do not believe those are personality traits desired.
Not saying I don't get along with people and can't smile or enjoy laughter when appropriate. I'd love the work, travel and I am considerate.
BUT that overachieving positive personality I'd think would be the cherry on top that was missing.

I have caddied once before, and that was over 20 years ago. The club pro who was employing me at the time and who had known me since I was nine, asked. It was not the PGA Tour, but it wasn't a Pro-Am either.
Anyways, it was a big deal to me and I had just finished my community college golf experience and was transitioning to university without golf. I feel like I failed the test then, and while there is much to learn from it:

No, I would not make a good caddie.
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I agree worrying and perfectionism would not be good traits. I think being realistic and optimistic is key. Pessimism would also be a bad trait.
 
leftshot said:
I have all the attributes mentioned in the OP and a few others he didn’t list. Having said that I would NOT be a good caddie for a pro. I have far too much respect for tour caddies to think I could just go out there and do what they do.

With time, training and experience maybe I could someday get there. But again, the caddies out there do a lot for their players.
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No doubt there is a lot to learn, but like any job there is a type of person that will be a good foundation to build the things learned through experience onto. There are certain people that no matter how much they knew they would still be a really bad caddie. Kind of like graduating medical school doesnt make you a great doctor.
 
I think I would do well on tour as a caddie. I'm great at course management and process situations quickly. I talk through all aspects of the shot. I'm easy to get along with, but I'm certainly not afraid to have my player understand my point of view. I'm good at reading where I need to step in and make sure my player understands the whole situation.

And I have private club experience. I was always rated a high caddy back when I did caddy and was even taken to big tournaments by players because they liked my work. Heck, I'd still caddy if I could do it year round here in the Midwest because it was great money and a lot of fun.... Darn winter....

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dhartmann34 said:
I think I would do well on tour as a caddie. I'm great at course management and process situations quickly. I talk through all aspects of the shot. I'm easy to get along with, but I'm certainly not afraid to have my player understand my point of view. I'm good at reading where I need to step in and make sure my player understands the whole situation.

And I have private club experience. I was always rated a high caddy back when I did caddy and was even taken to big tournaments by players because they liked my work. Heck, I'd still caddy if I could do it year round here in the Midwest because it was great money and a lot of fun.... Darn winter....

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Click to expand...

So move.
 
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