âHelp me help youâ: Advice for people taking a caddie
By John Kim · March 2, 2021
âGood swing right there.â
I finally hit a 7-iron somewhere on the face during this early morning range session, and it felt good to have it validated by the voice walking up behind me. I turned around to a young man reaching into my bag to clean some clubs I had already hit.
âDonât get used to it,â I said only half-joking. âI take it youâre with me today.â
âYes sir, Iâm Marcel.â
READ: 23 hilarious caddie one-liners
Little did I realize that Marcelâs introduction was more than a âHello.â As my caddie, he was preparing for our round already. And my reaction and behavior right then would be setting the tone for the rest of the day.
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Since my write up on âWhy you should take a caddie,â Iâve had a number of people reach out to me with some interesting queries and discussions.
While most agreed with my position â and even shared some of their best golf memories â a few recalled a round or two where the player/caddie chemistry just didnât spark. Why not? What happened? Did they just get stuck with a poor caddie (possible) or was there something early that put out a bad vibe and communication broke down.
I recently had the chance to play a round at East Lake Golf Club, the home of the Tour Championship and a facility that requires players to take caddies for the round. I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore the player/caddie relationship a little deeper. The line from Jerry Maguire (itâs an old Tom Cruise movie for the younger readers) kept popping up in my mind: âHelp Me Help You.â Could there be some guidelines for players that would make caddying for them easier, better â and in turn, they would be better able to assist that player? Thatâs what weâd find out.
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I asked Marcel this question and he answered it by first telling me that to be a good caddie, he needed to know what that meant for each player. He was creating a âgolf profileâ of his player the moment he knew his assignment and met his player. So as he came up to me on the range, he wanted to learn a few things.
- The swing: Well, duh. Itâs not about how good (or bad) you are. But more about what can they learn from your pre-round activities. Whatâs your miss? Whatâs your shot shape? If they are going to help steer you around the course, they need an idea of what you can reasonably do.
- Your temperament: Virtually every caddie can âreadâ a player just like reading a putt. In about the same amount of time, too. Is this player a hothead? Is he super serious about golf or is he out here for fun? Is this going to be a quiet day? How are the players engaging with each other? Marcel knew early. âThat guy in the blue shirt, heâs not a talker. You⊠talk a lot.â OK, guilty.
- Short Game: Marcel watched me hit some chips and putts. Some players like to die putts into the hole, some are a little more aggressive. I climbed down into a bunker and bladed a couple shots over the green. âIâm usually OK â but not great â out of bunkers.â He responded, âWe just wonât hit into any bunkers today.â
READ: The unwritten rules of caddying
So now Marcel had me and my game assessed. He has a reasonably good expectation of what he can do to make me enjoy my round the most. Now, what can I do to help him reach that goal (again, which benefits me)?
Lighten the load: Câmon, this one is obvious. Do you need the umbrella, rain gear, two dozen balls? Probably not. The bag can get heavy â and many caddies are carrying two of them. Lighter bags arenât just easier for the caddie to carry, theyâre easier to manage (find stuff in) and help caddies keep up. Which again, benefits the player most of all.
Set the Expectation: If a caddie is going to create a mental profile, why not make sure itâs accurate? âIâll need help on the greensâ; âI may lose a few balls rightâ; âIâve been battling a pullâ; etc. I asked Marcel if he was a good player. He assured me he was. I asked him how confident he was in reading the greens. He said, âItâs what I do best out here.â That was good enough for me. I was going to take his word and trust it, right or wrong. Overwhelmingly, he was right. But taking (and believing) his word, and not having to second guess it, made it a better day for me as well.
Say âThank You.â: This one should be obvious, too. Did you hit the target line off the tee? Were you clubbed right? Did you make the putt because of a good read? Great! Celebrate. And thank the caddie who made the read. Share in the celebration of it. It makes it a better day for everyone.
Donât blame: You missed the putt? Sucks, I know. But you hit it. Maybe you pulled it? Did you hit it a different speed than youâve been putting? Ultimately, golf is hard. A good caddie can help, but they canât perform miracles.
Donât be an ass: Or, maybe the caddie just flat out missed the read. You know who feels the worst when that happens? Him or her. So donât act like an ass and complain, berate, show out, etc. I promise, absolutely swear, that itâs not the caddie that looks bad when you do that.
Show Appreciation: Caddying is tough work. On a hot, humid Georgia day, itâs near excruciating. When the group stops at the turn house (or wherever) for drinks, pick up something for your caddie. Itâs $3 or so. And it makes a world of difference.
The Human Factor: This shouldnât need to be said, but it needs to be said. Iâve asked a number of caddies if thereâs such a thing as a perfect loop. No one itted to having one. Always something that could have been done better. Even more, sometimes, mistakes happen. A headcover goes missing. A towel is dropped. A wedge left behind. No one likes it. But your attitude â as the player â when something like this happens will go a long way in determining the day you (and your playing partners) have. The caddies want you to enjoy your day. They are doing their best. They are every bit as worthy of respect and appreciation as anyone else on the course.
Iâve heard a few nightmare stories about how players treat caddies. Even some high profile folks who should absolutely know better. I hope they shot a hundred and threw their back out.
For the rest of us, just wanting to enjoy a special round in a memorable way, letâs make that memory a good one. Your caddie is there to help do just that. If you give them just a little help in doing so, youâre going to make it so much better on yourself and your group.
Great write up. Iâve been looping all of the USA from coast to coast. Currently at Bandon Dunes. You hit everything on point.
Great article!
Seems strange to have to say it but I am surprised by how some people treat their caddies on course. Whatever happened to the statement âTreat others how you would like to be treated yourselfâ?
The caddy master should know their caddies. I played Bandon Dunes with a caddie and the first thing the caddie master did was lift my light carry bag and look to a young lady and said you will be fine. Imagine how I felt? Iâm paying $325 for a round of golf and $100+ for her services. I asked the caddie master if she was experienced and stated all our caddies are good. First green I ask for a read on my par putt. She gives her read and think to myself Iâm getting ripped off. Went with my read and sunk the putt. After that I had no confidence in her abilities to improve my very experience experience. She was as we call them in Ireland a bag carrier not a caddie and should have been paid half the price. I bit my lip paid her$120 and went on my way. Iâll never play at Bandon Dunes again.
My son caddied there for a summer. Your experience was exactly what he described as the issue at Brandon. Too many locals/donkeys just carrying bags. You deserved a better experience.
All your points are spot on, however, isnât it terrible that any of your content needs to be pointed out.
pay your caddie.
I caddied for several years at a country club while in HS. It was $4 a bag and usually you carried two so a loop was worth $10, maybe $12 depending on the players. But there were some jerks who couldnât break 100 who would grade you (in their feeble minds) and give no tip at all. Then they would race into the clubhouse and drink away your tip!
In 2007 I played TPC Scottsdale that was my first experience with a Caddie all I asked him for if you can guarantee that I would par the sixteenth hole he look me right in the eye and said â you what I tell you on the 16th hole no problem he told me what iron the tee up with what area on the green to try to land any read my to putt for par ! I I tipped him $100 that was my only experience with a Caddie and it was fantastic I can forever tell my friends that I parred the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale
Donât be afraid of taking the inexperienced caddie and help them learn the craft. It is the only way you will get an experienced caddie in the future.
Modern day golfers have mostly lost sight of the companionship factor of golf. A typical foursome today races out in carts like the banana splits never caring or watching the other players shots just only caring about their own. Oh and if they have to take a caddy they cant wait to prove them wrong. I had a caddy at Metedeconk one day he was talking about dining and life as we strokled the fairways golf was an afterthought. I shot 73. I was like he was great company but not really into golf. Turned out he was a Tour caddy. Go figure. Its all about the company folks
Advice for golfers who take a caddie.
1. Read your own putts but ask the caddie to confirm the read vs having the caddie only read the putt. Itâs a much more positive experience.
2. Engage your caddie in a conversation in anything other than how great you are as a golfer. The caddie will think of the next few hours less as a job and more fun, and consequently will do a better job for you.
3. If you happen to be paired with a less experienced caddie, take the opportunity to help them learn the game. The next time you are paired with that person, they will be better at their craft.
Iâve been Looping 18 years & seen a lot, though I it not everything just yet!! Just when I might think âWell Now Iâve seen everythingâ the Golf Gods rear their heads and PROVE me wrong! I could and maybe will write a novel and the doâs & do notâs as far as how to treat a Caddy, but Iâll try & be short & hit only on a few points that Golfers of all Levels can âdoâ ⊠1. When you meet your Caddy, look them in the eye & when they give you their name or nickname, do your best to it!! Turn around & say it to yourself 10 times, or something like that!! Also, try to understand that your Caddy probably meets 10+ âYouâsâ each week, so He/She may forget your name & if so, donât take it too personal, crack a joke & refer to yourself in the third person or something along those lines !! Some places have Caddies who only carry 1 bag, some have guys who carry 2 bags, and others may have 1 caddy for 4 players and 2 carts!! Please Act accordingly!! Iâve had people get upset that I forgot their name & Iâve told them things like âMy bad ALLEN, This is my 2nd loop today and you are NEW FACE #8 for me, Iâm just a Caddy man so I apologize that my mind can only keep so many Names straight!! Iâm a work in progress & donât worry, it never forgets
a bad Tipper!!â or âNEXT time maybe give me or your whoever your next victim is $10 or $20 on the range & tell him âThatâs to my name!! Thereâs more where it came from & Iâm not too hard to impress, but Youâre gonna have to earn itâ âŠ
2. Thank Youâs ⊠These CAN flat out get disingenuous when USED too much!! Use other Phrases from time-to-time & its easy to avoid. Most of us donât need a âThank Youâ every time we exchange a club or wipe a ball or give you a yardage!! Itâs Awesome & I know Iâm Blessed to NOT have one of those âThanklessâ Jobs, But after like 30 âThank Youâsâ before we hit #10 I begin to wonder if youâre mocking me & really meaning âF*ck You Caddyâ!! Please understand Iâm not âcomplainingâ Iâm only trying to âhelpâ people who donât understand that âTHIS is my jobâ and I donât say âThank Youâ after a Cop does his job & gives me a speeding ticket UNLESS heâs a jerk & I really mean âF*ck You Copperâ !! Personally, I like love a Player who will throw a âF*ck You Caddyâ in there now & then!! Not in a bad way really but in a joking manner!! Say you hit a bad shot and you KNOW itâs your fault, Your Caddy may say âThatâs My Bad Bossâ and thatâs where a âF*ck You Caddy, itâs my BADâ can change a round of Golf!! Most of us Jocks/Caddies/Loopers hold ourselves able & donât mind shouldering SOME of the blame as long as it helps the Player relax, laugh, & forget about it!! I want to know when Iâm correct & when YOU think Iâm wrong, it helps ME improve & be a better Caddy from that point further!!
3. Itâs a GAME, not life & not THAT important in the grand scheme of things!! Relax, Smile, Laugh at yourself of Poke fun at your Caddy or Playing Partners, but do it in Good Taste & not to Offend anyone!! You PROBABLY work for a living and put in 40+ hours a week, Do not to EXPECT âTiger Woods resultsâ when you only Play once or twice a month!! Itâs ZERO Fun for you or your Caddy when YOU get pissed every other tee shot & beat yourself up all day!! Lower your Self Expectations & remind yourself that most likely some of your BEST shots immediately follow some of your WORST ones!! Thatâs how I approach them & trust me, itâs the absolute BEST way Iâve found to enjoy the Game!! And the results will surprise You!! I have an âIâll show YOUâ attitude towards the Golf Gods & often I am rewarded for It!! Shank a tee shot that only goes 100yds & ends up behind a Tree, âReal Cute Golf Gods, you wanna try & screw me huh⊠Well Iâll show YOU & make Par from there if THATS how you wanna Play today!!â Then punch out aggressively, Hit a solid approach that leaves you with a Putt, Get up & Bury the damn Par putt!! âI Told You Golf Gods!! And I got more where that came from so letâs do THIS!!â âŠ
To End ⊠TIP WELL !!! Even if you have a Caddy you think ainât great, TIP DECENTLY !! But should you have one you KNOW is a good one, Think about what you think a Good Tip would be for THIS Caddy, then DOUBLE that shit!! Try & make the Caddy unable to Forget YOU & wish you played everyday and took HIM/HER as your Caddy!! Money is Replaceable People, Memories Shared with Good People are NOT!!
Well said
Really well put across points , just be courteous to each other even if its going well or going to hell in a hand cartâŠit can affect the whole group .
I caddy in Scotland ,one time the Dan Marino foundation turn up and I love college football so I know a few of the guys playing . Had a blast but one of golfers really could not click with his caddy , he then asked my advice on tee at 17th , I said I really canât go against your loopers advice which was different to other 3 loopers . He actually walked off at 18 and said to me he wished I had been on his bag . Good and bad in some respects. He came back following year and asked for me .
He said that when i move to Florida this year he can get me hooked up at Old Memorial for looping, fingers crossed .
I caddied for professionals for 12 years. I mostly caddied for two fine players regularly but, when I had a player who was new to me, I established two things: 1. Do you want me give you a read on every putt, no putts or only when you ask? 2. Do you want to know where âthe missâ is or where the danger is?â One guy, whose initials were Lanny Wadkins, told me âneverâ and then asked for help on every green (Quickly and early, but he asked). Some people canât process language in looking at break. I caddied for a guy who is in the HOF. Took me a little while to figure out that he could not process âTwo Balls out.â It was just meaningless to him. But, with him facing the line, he could digest âgonna swing from your right knee to your left big toe.â One of the things a caddy can do is figure out not âwhat to say,â but what YOUR PLAYER HEARS. You hear coaches say that all the time. Itâs the same for caddies. Finally, the caddies on the LPGA, just amaze me. Most of the women are young, many are not native English speakers and they all seem to have Strong-headed Dads and Husbands and Swing Coaches and former College Coaches. I would have no idea what those great athletes, with all that swirls in their heads, would âHear.â I caddied once each for Jackie Pung, Betsy Rawls and Patty Berg. No coach no Dad, no Agent. Pung was so nice, she would say âsorryâ to me when she hit a bad shot. Rawls always wanted to know âwhatâs behind this green.â Berg wouldnât hit her tee shot until she knew where every bunker on the hole was, which made no sense. She could get it closer with her sand wedge than most people could with a putter.
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thoroughly enjoyed this. i loop at Robert Trent Jones GC in Northern Virginia. thankfully hip is incredibly generous and good to us, but i can certainly relate to all of the above. so much headache on the course can be avoided pre-round on the practice areas with good communication!
cheers and happy looping everyone
if you play a resort course and do it once or more every year, it is best to take a looper
who you know is compatible. many of these people are professionals at their job. as good
or as bad as you might play they seen better or worse. some of these folks have great stories, and they know very quickly how to club. nice, on say number 8, at pebble to
have the right club in your hand. if you have a good looper, save the information
and hire them again. when you have a pool of several hundred caddies it can happen
that you draw someone that just doesnât click. be extra generous with these folks.
I have caddied at two major clubs one of the biggest things that affect a caddie is the bags !!! I canât understand that people never clear out there bags of all there junk they should never weigh more then 22 pounds !!! You only need 8 balls and I guarantee you your definitely are not going to lose 8 balls a round with a caddie !! The other thing is the golf bags that guests and even need to be replaced every two years especially if your play a lot of golf !!! The straps get wore out and definitely donât buy the mountain type bags that are meant to be personally carried they are almost impossible to adjust !!! The other thing if you hit in a bunker or rough around the green n your in the fairway grab a few wedges so the caddie can drop the bags n cut across to the next fairway so he can forecaddie !!! Also most of us are at the course 6-7 days a week and we do know the greens distance to bunkers,water,and any other things that may be a problem !!! Also most of us know the greens and if you havenât played there a caddie can be of great help !!! To be honest I know who have been for 20 years and still donât know the greens !! And last if you get a senior/ experience caddie pay him according we work really hard to try to make your time on the course enjoyable !!