Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
In my brief foray into Tour caddying I noticed a player looking into ‘my’ players bag on a par 3 tee and I briefly thought ‘should I be putting a towel over it’ … I very quickly realised I was grossly over-thinking things
Advice
- Thread starter D-S
- Start date
Backache
Assistant Pro
As a matter of interest where has this been demonstrated?
For myself I think a caddie might save me the odd stroke on an unknown course. I'm sceptical that they would save me multiple strokes on my home course.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
BIB - maybe not in a casual round, but in a high stakes competitive round a single error of judgement can result in multiple unnecessary shots and/or loss of hole. Make a few compounding errors as a consequence and the shots and lost holes can mount up significantly.
I can certainly see why having a caddie for rounds of most significance and consequence could be advantageous…not that I‘ve ever used one...but I know members who have in such circumstances.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Whenever people have this discussion it's always assumed the caddie knows what he's talking about. What if the caddie convinces you of a wrong move and actually costs you a couple of shots? Everyone makes mistakes.
BiMGuy
LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
The only people playing high stakes competitive golf of any significance or consequence will already have a caddie. Or know of someone they can trust to caddie for them.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
The point was whether there would be any advantage to having a caddie when playing your own course - casual prob not, but more significant comps or matches probably yes.
wjemather
Well-known member
Well, that all depends on where you draw the lines of high-stakes, significance and consequence but only those at the very top of the professional game can afford to employ full-time caddies. Most players use friends, family or random locals to carry their bag (often not caddies; sometimes not even golfers), who do not provide anything like the same service.
wjemather
Well-known member
The premise was "a decent caddie", so yes, there is the assumption that they know what they're doing.
Backsticks
Assistant Pro
Caddies are human trollies.
They have no place in golf any more.
We have the invention of the wheel and GPS now.
They have no place in golf any more.
We have the invention of the wheel and GPS now.
wjemather
Well-known member
Like shorts, GPS and buggies/trolleys are not allowed on the PGA Tour; caddies (and their shorts) are.
sweaty sock
Hacker
Theres alot of 'advice', thats actually 'information', things like yardages etc
If 99% of players got tour level 'advice' they would have neither the understanding nor the skill to use it. A + golfer at ours recently stopped using the 'Decade' system as it asked too much of his game. And to say hes above average is a mild understatement....
Amateurs giving each other 'advice' is rarely a good thing, and often hugley detrimental, see any thread titled "at the driving range i heard....."
I think its a good thing to make it a penalty, its not a team sport so collusion between competitors should be guarded against, especially for fairness. Imagine you were in a group with two weekend 36 handicappers, who wanted your advice all the way round, and behind you was a group of your mate, the county champion, and his scratch golfer caddie. Id be well annoyed if a person of similar standard has access to masses of information in effect hidden from the field.
If 99% of players got tour level 'advice' they would have neither the understanding nor the skill to use it. A + golfer at ours recently stopped using the 'Decade' system as it asked too much of his game. And to say hes above average is a mild understatement....
Amateurs giving each other 'advice' is rarely a good thing, and often hugley detrimental, see any thread titled "at the driving range i heard....."
I think its a good thing to make it a penalty, its not a team sport so collusion between competitors should be guarded against, especially for fairness. Imagine you were in a group with two weekend 36 handicappers, who wanted your advice all the way round, and behind you was a group of your mate, the county champion, and his scratch golfer caddie. Id be well annoyed if a person of similar standard has access to masses of information in effect hidden from the field.
D-S
Well-known member
But you could buy the ‘masses of information’ i.e. a caddy.
sweaty sock
Hacker
Dont know what course you play at, but I can absolutely confirm, the chance of a caddy at any of the comps round ours is nil.
jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
I was asked to be a caddy by one professional after playing in a regional pro/am. I was going to say "you could not afford me" but just politely turned down the offer.
