The important role of the Golf Caddie
We often see our favourite golf players accompanied by someone carrying their golfer’s bag during the game; the caddie.
Do you know the great value and importance of a good caddie?
Chaparral Golf Club tells you more about it…
In most cases, the professional caddie becomes one of the most trustworthy persons for the player both on a personal and professional level. Many momentous decisions will be made during a tournament and will mean getting a victory or not, and the trust and relation between the two is fundamental for a good working relation.
Many momentous decisions will be made during a tournament and will mean getting a victory or not, and the trust and relation between the two is fundamental for a good working relation.
The origin of the caddies.
The origin of the caddies dates back to 1700, in Scotland, where low-class people, usually of an ungovernable character, were hired simply to look for the balls of the players. Nowadays the responsibilities of the caddies have changed a lot and we find a very prepared guild, both physically and academically.
Being a good caddie during the professional tournaments implies having a deep knowledge of the game and the rules of golf to provide valuable information to the player whenever it is required. In addition, being a caddie also requires great sacrifices on a personal level since many trips are made throughout the year, throughout the world and many hours are spent on golf courses.
The day of a caddie.
The day of the caddie usually begins with the first light of the day, since the material must be prepared and cleaned at least an hour and a half before the player arrives to his training. The training can go on for hours and hours on the driving range if something went wrong on the last 18 holes.
In most cases, the professional caddie becomes one of the most trustworthy persons for the player both on a personal and professional level. Many momentous decisions will be made during a tournament and will mean getting a victory or not, and the trust and relation between the two is fundamental for a good working relation.
The caddies of Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods.
A clear example of a caddie’s loyalty to a Spanish golfer is Billy Foster, a famous European caddie who says that he spent the best years of his life with Severiano Ballesteros, “My relationship with Seve went beyond the usual one of a player and his employee. Deep down we were like a family and during our travels I took care of his children like any other”. Internationally, the relationship between Tiger Woods and his caddie, Steve Williams, has probably been the most glorious relationship in terms of tournaments won. Together they won 13 majors and 72 official tournaments. Steve became the most famous and highest paid athlete in his native New Zealand, without being the main protagonist of the game himself.
It is not usual for amateur players to count with the service of a good caddy during their golf rounds.
How many strokes would we have been able to to improve our card with, having a caddie by our side when we travel to other courses? Probably quite a few, more than we can imagine…
The amateur player may look for help in the course guides and the technology to somehow replace the work of the caddie;
- The official course guide; a detailed description of how each one of the holes on the course should be played for best result.
- Technological devices; Electronic devices (lasers, watches, etc.) for information of the holes and the distances of each shot. Chaparral Golf allows the use of these devices as a Local Rule.
- The Starters and Caddy Masters of Chaparral, may give you fundamental information before the round.
- On the Web of Chaparral, in the description of the holes you may also read the tips from our Pro to….
