Hello and welcome to another blog by Dan DeFreest for Classic Swing Golf School in Beautiful Myrtle Beach South Carolina.
I began playing golf more than forty years ago, learning the game as a young caddie. “Caddie”…now there’s a term you don’t hear too much anymore unless you’re watching a tournament on TV.
The term “caddie” is a Scottish adulteration of the French word cadet and originally meant someone who runs errands. So, originally, the caddie was looked at as an errand boy for the golfer. In a way, that’s never changed, the caddie is responsible for taking care of all of the menial…and not so menial jobs for the golfer. We think of a caddie as just carrying the bag, but keeping clubs clean, spotting the ball, tending the pin and, at times, helping the golfer with shot advise are only a few of the very important functions that a caddie performs.
At the professional level, a good caddie is worth his or her weight in gold and some make high six-figure incomes. Older fans of the game will remember Angelo Argea who caddied for Jack Nicklaus for twenty years, more recently, Steve Williams was Greg Norman’s caddie and then became Tiger’s caddie during his dominant years. Mike “Fluff” Cowan caddied for Fred Couples, was Tiger’s first caddie and now works for Jim Furyk. Jim “Bones” MacKay has caddied for Phil Mickelson since 1992, it’s clear from watching them work that the relationship between a good caddie and a pro transcends being an errand boy.
Most caddies are also accomplished golfers in their own right, part of being a good caddie is knowing the game from a player’s prospective, so if you have aspirations of becoming a professional caddie, come see the folks at the Classic Swing Golf School to tune up your game and learn the rules of golf. Who knows, you might become the next “Fluff” or “Bones”! – By Dan Defreest