Latest posts by Pat (see all)
- The R&A and the U.S.G.A. to Ban Anchoring the Club - March 20, 2013
- Is Golf Too Hard For Today’s Lifestyle? - October 14, 2011
- The Life of a Professional Golf Caddy - August 26, 2011
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Why Be a Caddy?
An outsider might wonder why anyone would want to be a professional golf caddy. Isn’t this just like being a human dromedary? Hauling 40 to 50 pounds of bag, clubs, clothing, and accessories around 7,000 plus yards for five hours – can that be fun?
Although it is not a requirement, many caddies are former players who decided they would rather be helpers than players. They love the outdoors, the sunshine, and the fresh air. Being a professional caddy can be fun, at times exciting, and lucrative. It gives an opportunity for travel and a chance to see new places and countries.
It is possible for a caddy to make a very decent wage. The amount varies with the level that they are employed. Caddying at a resort course it is possible to make $500 – 1000.00 per week. If the resort is in the caddy’s home city then there are no travelling or accommodation costs. On the European or Nationwide tours a caddy can hope to make $100,000 – 200,000 and on the PGA Tour $300,000 – 500,000. Most professional caddies are paid a base salary plus performance money. On the Nationwide tour the base would be about $600.00 and on the PGA the lowest amount would be $1,200.00. The performance money is based on the player’s purse and averages at 5% for making the cut, 7% for a top ten and 10% for a win.
How Does a Caddy Start?
Although there are very few golf clubs that have regular caddy programs, a youngster can learn to caddy by carrying their Dad’s golf bag, a friend’s bag, the local pro’s bag, or a good playing member’s bag. It helps to play as much golf as possible so the game is second nature to the caddy.
Like most learned skills in life practice and more practice is the best way. Working and interacting with different players helps to hone the craft. It is a great summer job for a young person.
Getting some experience by volunteering on the Mini tours will help to enhance a caddy’s references. It will also give them an opportunity to scout for an up and coming talent.
There are some online courses that an aspiring caddy can take. The Professional Caddy Association offers one.
What Does a Caddy Need to Know?
A caddy needs to know the following things:
- Must know all the golf terms -birdie, boggy, par, albatross, eagle, driver, wedge, etc.
- The etiquette of golf
- The rules of golf – many tour players are not that familiar with the rules and how they can help them.
- How to access yardages
- How to learn the breaks of a course for example do the fairways and green break toward a nearby mountain
- How far are the carries?
- Where are thetarget lines?
- How to read putts and to know the speed of greens.
- What is the turf of the course and how does it react
- What are the sand traps like?
- What are the characteristics of the rough?
What Are the Functions of a Professional Caddy?
There is a saying in golf that a caddy should show up on time, shut up and keep up. However there is much more expected from a caddy. It is important that a caddy is well groomed, conforms to the dress code of the particular golf club, and is courteous.
A caddy needs to be in good health, to have a great deal of stamina, to have good eyesight, and be prepared to workout.
It is necessary for a caddy to be able to get along with a variety of personalities. To know how to be supportive, how to calm their player, how to get out of the player’s way, and when their opinion is needed.
A caddy needs to be an amateur weatherman. They need to know what clothes should be carried in the bag, how much fluid is going to be needed, how strong is the wind and in which direction it is blowing.
A caddy must have yardage books for all the courses that will be played in any year. They must keep detailed notes in these books. A whole story of obstacles, target lines, breaks, bunkers, type of grass, type of sand, and yardage from various points into the green. The yardage book should also record the club selections of the player. It seems rather obvious but a caddy must have some math skills. They need to know how to calculate yardage, how many clubs in a bag, and to add scores.
What Is a Caddy’s Lifestyle?
There is no doubt that there can be weeks of travel. Depending on the level of the player there can be long periods away from home. Methods of travel and accommodations vary with the amount of money that a caddy is earning. Remember, from their earnings they must pay their own travel expenses.
On the other hand if their player is one of the super stars they may not work every week. The top paid caddies can spend many weeks at home with their families.
Many caddies become very close friends with their players but others are always held at a distance. Wide ranges of personalities employ them.
How Can a Caddy Succeed at a Top Level?
To become a [easyazon-link asin=”1416205705″]caddy[/easyazon-link] on the PGA Tour is very difficult. Like many other businesses it is usually who you know rather what you know. Many of the caddies there have been with the same player for a long time. Players tend to recommend caddies to other players. For new caddies the route is very often from the other tours where they are lucky enough to find a young player on their way up.
For someone who wants to have an outside job in a field that they love, being a professional Tour caddy can be very rewarding.
