Caddying 101: The Basics on Being a Caddie

Posted on June 14, 2019

The quintessential role of the caddie is to bring added value to the game for the golfer. There’s the obvious duty of carrying the golf clubs, but the caddie does much more than that. From making sure the bag is stocked with balls and tees to repairing divots and raking sand traps. We’ve compiled a list of some of the key tasks of a caddie.

Keeper of the Golf Clubs

The biggest duty as a caddie is to carry the golf bag for the golfer. This involves not just carrying the clubs but handing the golfer the requested club when they’re ready to use it. You will need to put the clubs back in the bag once the golfer is finished with their shot.

Dress the Part

Just because you aren’t the one playing golf doesn’t mean you don’t have to dress in appropriate golf attire. Standard golf attire should be worn, typically a collared shirt and nice dress pants. You may also want to wear a hat. A nice pair of shoes should be worn as well. For tournament play, caddies may be provided with a uniform or a caddie bib to wear.

Know the Basics of Golf

As a caddie you should have the basic golf terminology down and be able to understand how the scoring works. A caddie should know the difference between a birdie, a par and a bogey for instance. Knowing the general club distances is helpful as well because some golfers will ask for advice before hitting a shot. As their caddie you should be able to provide at least some insight into how they should approach their shot.

Pre-Round Preparation

Every caddie should have a pre-game checklist of items needed before a round. Ensure that you have a scorecard and pencil, as well as a towel. You should also keep a handful of tees and a few balls in your pocket so you have them at the ready if needed by your golfer. Finally, check with your golfer if they have any specific needs, like an extra water bottle for example.

Golf Course Knowledge

Before you caddie at a certain course it is best to have some knowledge of the course. It is important to know where any hazards are like bodies of water and bunkers. You also want to be aware of where the out-of-bound markers are. This way if your golfer asks for advice you’ll be able to provide sufficient knowledge for them to be able to make a playable shot. If possible, knowing the pin placement on the green is additionally helpful.

Careful Where you Stand

Once you’ve handed your golfer their club and they prepare for their shot you should stay out of their line of sight. It’s important for you to remain out of the way and stay as still and quiet as possible. Once on the green you must stay clear of a players putt line, the line between the ball and the hole. Beware of your shadow on the green as well; you don’t want your shadow on a players putt line either.

Keep Up Pace

No one wants to wait for their clubs to catch up to them when they’re ready to shoot, so keep up. You want to keep pace with your golfer. Some golfers will want to talk with you as they play; in that case you want to stay next to the golfer. However some golfers don’t want to talk, in that case keep a step or two behind.

Silence is Golden

Aside from asking your golfer at the beginning of the round if there’s anything particular they need, the caddie should remain relatively silent. Unless your golfer is engaging you with conversation the general rule is to not speak unless spoken to. Most golfers will talk with their caddie, but some just want to focus on their game and in that instance just carry their clubs and keep out of their way.

Be Ready with the Clubs

Except when on the green, you should have the golf bag ready for your golfer to be able to easily select their club. Hold the bag so that it is standing upright and presented towards the golfer. If the golfer asks for a specific club then hand it to them. Otherwise have the golf bag ready so the golfer can quickly grab their club and approach their shot.

Advice on Club Selection

A time may come when the golfer you’re caddying for asks your opinion on what club to use on a particular shot. This is where a general knowledge of club distances comes in handy. If you know the golfer has a 150-yard shot, then they should use a 6-iron based on average club distance. However, if you don’t have a clue then just admit it, don’t guess and give bad advice. Instead encourage their decision and be an ear for them to bounce their thoughts off of. Now if you’ve caddied for this golfer before you’ll have more insight into how this golfer hits different clubs. For example, if you’re golfer is a heavy hitter then they might only need an 8-iron to hit 150-yards. This kind of knowledge and insight only comes after working with the same golfer a few rounds.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Always watch where you golfers ball goes after they hit it. Keep track of where the ball lands, you should be able to answer “Where’d that one go?” if your golfer asks. If you don’t know the exact location, you should know the general area it landed. Use landmarks on the course to help keep track of the location, like a certain bush or tree.

Know the Distance

One commonly asked question of caddies is “How far is it to the green?” As a caddie it is your duty to determine what the distance is from the ball to the green. Nowadays this can be found by using an automatic range finder. If you don’t have a range finder then you must find the nearest distance marker. Locate the distance marker then pace off the distance from the marker to the golf ball, then add or subtract to the distance respectively. Then once you’ve determined the distance, relay that information to your golfer.

Keeping it Clean

In the pre-round preparation you should’ve grabbed a towel. That towel will be used to clean clubs and balls. You may want to dip half the towel in water before the round for easier cleaning. As a caddie it is your responsibility to clean the golfers club after they use it. Use the towel to wipe and dry the club; additionally you may use a tee to clean the grooves of the club. Clean a golfer’s ball before each tee shot and on the green after it’s been marked. Ensure you check with your golfer about their ball cleaning preference because some golfers may have different habits than others, like they may not like their ball cleaned on the green. It is also in the realm of the caddie’s duties to keep the golf bag organized, so once the club is cleaned it should be placed in the same spot in the bag it was removed.

Fix Divots and Ball Marks

When your golfer strikes the ball in a manner that leaves a divot it is your responsibility to replace that divot. Once the divot is created, leaving a chunk of grass missing, the caddie retrieves the chunk and places it back into the spot from which it came, patting it down with their foot. If the caddie can’t locate the missing piece of the divot, then they should use sand to fill the hole. When on the green, after marking the golfer’s ball, make sure to fix any ball marks made by that ball.

Rake it Up

While every golfer tries to avoid them, ending up in a sand trap is inevitable. As a caddie it is your job to rake the sand trap once your golfer is done with their shot. You want it to look like no one was ever in that sand trap. You need to rake the spot in which the ball was, the footprints of the golfer, and, as you rake and back out of the sand trap, your footsteps as well. Once done leave the rake beside the sand trap as you found it.

Tend to the Pin

When you get to the green on a hole as the caddie you need to tend to the pin. It may be as simple as just taking the pin out and staying out of the way as your golfer putts it in. However for a longer putt which your golfer can’t see the hole or a shot just off of the green, then you may need to tend the pin. This means you stand next to the pin and hold it, once the player shoots or putts then you remove the flagstick. Be cautious not to step on any players putt line when tending the pin. Once all players are done with the hole, put the pin back in the hole.

Keep it Positive

Golf can be a frustrating and stressful game. As a caddie you need to keep a positive and upbeat attitude. If your player isn’t having the greatest golf outing then you need to try and boost their morale. Help your golfer by giving them words of encouragement. Try to keep them focused on the next hole, remind them that in golf the only shot that matters is the next one.

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