IamA Country Club Golf Caddy AMA!

How many black guys do you see?

I'm not sure if you are trying to be racist. But it's an interesting topic because in the 60's my country club was largely racist and there were no African American members. One of the nicest (and a big tipper) people I've ever caddied for was African American.

How did you get into caddying?

A friend of mind recommended it to me for a quick way to make money.

12 years seems pretty quick. ;D

I first started doing it out of college as a side thing on the weekends but I've made caddying my occupation. I typically caddy 3-4 times a week and work in the bagroom/cart area afterwards.

What's the worst/best thing you've seen an angered golfer do?

I've seen many things happen on the golf course. Some strange and some hilarious. The greatest thing I've ever seen happen actually occurred a few weeks ago. Here's the story, one of the players in the group in front of us left a club on the previous hole and told his Cart Runner to take the cart and go grab it for him. I watched the caddy drive along side of the hole and watched in awe as he didn't notice a very sneak sand trap and drove the cart right into it. At first I thought the kid died but me and a few others ran over and pulled him out and he was fine. However his golfer was not.

Oh boy. Follow up questions.

How badly was the golfer injured?

Was the caddy fired?

The caddy was alone in the cart. No one got hurt but one of the wheels on the cart blew. The caddy actually did end up getting paid because it was the last day of a 3 day event we had. The Caddy Master wasn't very pleased but the kid didn't mean to do it so he wasn't punished.

Anyone ever get a hole in one and tip large?

I've only ever seen two people make a hole in one and I was not caddying for either person so no.

How good are your synchronized swimming skills?

Haha! One of my favorite scenes from Caddy Shack is the pool scene. We do have employee party for the whole club nearing the end of the golf season where we are allowed to swim. Sadly, my synchronized swimming skills are not up to par with the kids in Caddy Shack.

What's your favorite part about caddying?

All of the interesting golfers, and other caddies you meet. Some of my closest friends I have met through caddying.

A few more questions from me (Because why not?)

• What does your family think about your profession?

• Do you plan on staying a caddy until you retire later down the line?

• Do you get tipped and do you think you get tipped well? Any experiences with clients not tipping? (This may be already referenced in this AMA)

I currently have a girlfriend who has no issue with my job. I have recently been experimenting with real estate and I hope to make that my full time occupation. Sadly, caddies are a dying breed and I don't think that the country club caddy will be used in the coming years. But as long as I can support myself, I plan to keep doing what I love. Over the years I have made friends with several members and I regularly caddy for them and receive a good tip. Every once in awhile for an outing or a golf event for guests I will get stiffed but that's rare.

Do you get paid well for caddying?

It all depends. Caddying is like the lottery, you may get a good loop or you can get a stingy jerk. But for the past couple years I've made a name for myself because of my skill in reading the greens well so I have regular guys I caddy for weekly.. For a double bag I can make anywhere between 120$-170$. For a single it is usually 45-60$.

What exactly does your job involve? Apart from carrying the golf clubs i.e.

The job of a caddy at a country club is to make the round more enjoyable for the golfer. I watch every ball, I measure the distance to the hole, rake sand traps. The most useful thing I do as a caddy would have to be reading the greens. It is important to know how much a ball will break and telling the golfer how he should approach the putt.

How much do you generally have to carry?

As a senior caddy I typically get decent loops. On weekends, (other than this one as I am home with the flu) I will carry 2 bags. On week days it is mainly only one bag. It all depends on the weather and how many golfers are signed up to play.

Have you ever caddied for anyone famous?

There was a competition called Caddy for love. It was a competition where several caddies including me sent in a video to caddy for Davis Love III. It turned out to be a big joke and Davis Love rigged it to have a friend of his win. But I have caddied for a few current PGA Pro certified golfers but no big names.

Do you carry 4 bags at once? How does that work?

The most a caddy will carry for a full 18 holes is 2 bags. I did once carry 4 bags for about 2-3 holes once a few years ago. I put 2 over my shoulders and held 2 with my hands.

How much of your income is tips ?

A single bag is a guaranteed 35$. You have to screw up pretty bad to not get tipped but It's hard to say how much because it varies.