Would you use a caddy in your weekend medal?

[Bratty]

I’m due to play RSG this spring and having walked the course at the Open and having seen the excellent flyover short video Golf Digest (or whoever it was) produced multiple times, I feel like I ‘know’ the course really well and can picture all the holes well in my mind, despite not having played it yet.

I like to do this for ‘treat’ courses I’m going to play, to help my appreciate the experience when I get there

I believe that local caddies would of course help but would it be necessary in this case do you think, having seen the course many times plus yardage book etc?

I have never used a caddie and have said to myself I will do so when I play TOC — but part of me likes the strategy side of golf, and if I ‘know’ the course and where to aim, any mistakes in choosing strategy and the practical application, is all mine

In answer to this thread, I’d say no I wouldn’t use a caddy for anything except for club champs - deffo not for a monthly medal

I would get a caddy for RSG if you can afford it. Not only about lines and options, it's also about club selection in wind or odd weather, how fairways camber which you don't always get from a yardage book, and how the green behaves and what it does when landing on it/putting on it.
I would also definitely have a caddy for TOC. Invaluable, but actually as a course, not as hard as RSG, so if you're thinking of having one at the latter, definitely treat yourself to one at the former.
Seeing a course and playing a course are two different things!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Are you suggesting that some people don't have a caddy?

Some don't even have a valet. I know, I know, they are amongst us.

 

[HeftyHacker]

My partners step dad once offered to caddy for me in a mid-handicap open at his home course. I declined as I didn't want to look like a fin du cloche but had I taken him up he almost certainly would have talked me out of the ridiculous second shot of the round that I attempted and put out of bounds... twice. Essentially ruled myself out of the running on the first hole ?.

At somewhere like TOC or any other Open Course I absolutely would have one.

For the monthly medal at our place - definitely not.

 

[SyR]

I used to caddy in my teenage years at my local course. It was common for the members to use caddies or bag carriers, especially in monthly medals and matchplay comps. Although the members knew the course pretty well, it was surprising at how bad a lot of them were at club selection and reading putts. In the rain, the caddies were a big advantage as they would keep the player and their clubs dry. I felt bad for guys without caddies as it was a real struggle for them to keep everything dry. It helped with the pace of play too, as bunkers were raked and flags were tended, plus there were extra pairs of eyes to find lost balls and also forecaddie on the blind tee shots.

 

[DeanoMK]

I would 100% use one, yes.

If they could save me even 1 stroke then that's added value and I truly believe they could and probably should save me 3 or 4.

Even if it's just stopping me having a head case moment. One of the last medals I played this year I took a 9 on the first, if I had someone caddying for me I most likely would have made a 6 at worst.

 

[SteveW86]

Based on the part of the question that states there would be no backlash in terms of banter, then yeah of course I'd have one, assuming they are doing a proper caddies job and not just carrying the clubs around.

At our club champs last year we did have 1 person use a caddie. 36 holes in 1 day, so I can kinda see why he did it, but I think it was literally just one of his mates to push his clubs around for him. Given he had an electric trolley I'm not sure it was needed. He didnt win either.

 

[jim8flog]

Are you suggesting that some people don't have a caddy?

with the amount of times you probably have different clubs in the bag I bet their club yardage book weighs more than the golf clubs.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

This thread reminded me that it's been 2 years and a couple of days since one of the great characters of Golf (Edinburgh Jimmy) passed.

Didn't you offer to caddie one year at H4H?

 

[SteveW86]

Didn't you offer to caddie one year at H4H?

Not sure youd get away with no ribbing for that

 

[Curls]

I’m playing Birkdale too this year so very much looking forward to being in a position to compare them both!

Point taken on the caddy at TOC and RSG

Nice! You’re in for a treat. No need for a caddy at Birkdale btw, the yardage book is excellent and it’s pretty much all in front of you anyway. I dont think they’re as proactive as other courses about offering them. Oh and if you’re wearing shorts you’ll need long socks at RSG. As in up to the knees long. They were having a vote on scrapping that so worth checking.

 

[Jimaroid]

I haven't done it yet but I am likely to do it one day as there are a number of comps we play where caddies are often used.

 

[Imurg]

No
Because I'd have to pay him out of my winnings....and there wouldn't be any....

 

[IanM]

I've only played two rounds in my entire life with a caddy. One at Muirfield, one at Sawgrass. Both were excellent and saved me plenty of shots.

I guess I know my home course well enough not to need the sort of help I got from them!

 

[Ethan]

Have had a caddy three times in 30+ years. One at a course in Barbados which required them, and he was very useful with grainy greens and stuff like that, and my clubs were cleaned beautifully. I can't remember where exactly the second was, might have been a college student at Grande Lakes in Orlando, and the third was when I won a place in the BMW PGA Pro-Am, and was offered a caddy or could bring a mate, so I brought a mate. He didn't clean my clubs, the lazy sod.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the only time I'd contemplate it is if I was in contention for the nett handicap trophy on club championship weekend. If I had had a decent first round I think it would help me not get too nervous or too ahead of myself but it would have to be the right person. I can only think of maybe 5 members I'd pick who I think could add anything

 

[HarrogateHacker]

Not a chance I’d use a caddy at my own course, it would be embarrassing even if my mates didn’t rib me, walking around with a caddy carrying my gear, on the way to a 93

 

[Canary Kid]

No … the odds are that they would be a far better player than me.

 

[Backache]

Someone to keep my clubs dry if it was raining could be useful but basically for me it's a no even leaving out the ribbing.. I know the lines well enough on my own course to play what I think is the optimal shot and would rather be responsible for my own decisions. I am not a great putter but whenever I have played a foursomes with people who are better putters than me I have never found their reading skills helpful.
A caddy on a course that is unknown to me would potentially be of great benefit as I am not always sure of the best lines but I'm too tight fisted to employ one unless it was a very special occasion.

 

[BigPhil14]

I'm surprised how many people have said that they wouldn't want a caddie to be honest (Assuming that you wouldn't get mocked and it's free). There's a reason why everyone on the pro tour has a caddie, and their benefits are even more transferable to the average club golfer. If nothing else, not having to carry/push clubs around is likely to save a few strokes just through having more energy and not being tired. When you then add in help with strategy, observations, green reading, keeping clubs dry and someone to have a quiet word when required, surely it's a no brainer? Assuming you are in the competition to do your best, why would you not want all the help you could get? (Also assuming that the caddie actually knows what they are doing to some degree)

 

[clubchamp98]

On strange courses they are invaluable.
Picking lines etc.
But you should not need one on your own course as they can’t hit the shots for you.