Rules for the Caddy

Listed below are some of the rules which I remember as a caddy:

1. Always be on time
2. Follow the dress code
3. Maintain your pace with the golfer
4. Make certain that your golfer's clubs are clean before leaving the first tee
5. Do not use foul language when you are with golfers
6. Speak when spoken to by the golfer
7. If a golfer happens to have a temper tantrum let her/him process through it
8. Do not speak when any golfer is attempting to hit a shot 

Caddying - The Most Important Job

 The most important job of any caddy is watching where her/his golfer hit their shot. The most frequently asked question on any golf course is, " Where did my ball go? " Thus, the most important job for any caddy is to be in the best position to follow his golfers ball from start to finish. Listed below are some helpful hints:

1. If you are a new caddy follow the more experienced caddies to the area of the tee box where it is easiest to follow the ball
2. If the ball goes in the rough mark it with an object. The golfer may ask the caddy, " Where did I end up?" The caddy will answer, " About 10ft. to the right of the Oak tree."
3. If the golfer is going to hit a blind shot, the caddy should line up the golfer with the target. 
4. If the golfer is going to hit a bind tee shot the caddy should provide the golfer with the club he is going to hit then go to a spot where he can observe the golf ball.    

Caddying - The Workings of the Clubs

 In my 7 years of caddying I had to tell three different golfers what club to hit in a certain situation. One of the golfers was the person I caddied for on a regular basis, the other was a top amateur in the state, and the last one was the pro I took lessons from. So don't worry about selecting clubs for the person who you are caddying for. Simply hand them the driver and putter when they need it.  Listed below are the clubs and how far the average golfer may expect to hit each club:

1. Driver - 225 - 275 yds.
2. Three and Four Woods -  200 - 250 yds.
3. Three and Four Irons - 170 - 210 yds.
4. Five and Six Irons - 160 - 200 yds.
5. Seven and Eight Irons - 150 - 180 yds.
6. Nine Iron and Wedge - 100 - 130 yds.     

Caddying - The Clubs of the Golfer

Any golfer will carry 14 clubs in her/his bag. The clubs are usually arranged as follows: 

1. The driver, 3 and 4 woods and the putter are always kept in the upper compartment 
2. The long and mid irons, 2 thru 6, are in the next compartment
3. The short irons, 7 thru sand wedge, are kept in the bottom compartment    

Caddying - Do the Preparation

If you would like to avoid the horrible first year that I experienced as a caddy on the golf course, then prep yourself. Following my first year as a caddy I would spend some time at a local public course to learn what the game of golf  was about. The practice green and first hole were straight out from the club house. The ninth hole came directly back to the club house. Thus, I could sit on the club house bench and watch real golfers as they teed off on the first hole and putted out on the ninth. Some of the key items that I noticed were:

1.  Everyone was silent when the golfers were ready to tee it up
2. After hitting their tee shot the golfers waited for the group in front to finish the hole before hitting their 2nd shots
3. All golfers waited for the designated person to hit their shot before advancing
4. If a golfer requested that the flag needed to be tended the designated player in the group would do the service without stepping in any players line 

Caddying - How To Make It Work - Start It Up

I caddied for 7 summers at a local country club. The time I spent there was invaluable. I began the journey by securing my working papers at age 13. I knew nothing about the game of golf. I had to be instructed on how to properly place a bag on my shoulder, where to walk with the golfers, how to tend a pin etc. That first year was brutal. But it taught me a lot of lessons I would use in my professional business career. Here are some of the tips my caddying experience provided:

1. Develop a plan and follow it
2. Do not be afraid of the unknown
3. Do not be afraid to take a chance
4. Always be patient 

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