CADDIE TALK FROM PINEHURST RESORT & COUNTRY CLUB, PINEHURST, NC

As mentioned in previous posts, my brother and I grew up in Springfield, New Jersey. We caddied from fourteen years of age to roughly twenty years of age at Baltusrol Golf Club (circa 1964-1975). My compensation was $6/bag when I started and $7/bag at the end. At times, I would hit the jackpot and be compensated a quarter to bring a member’s bag from the Bag Drop to the Rail. The Rail was an area where golf bags and caddies assembled; waiting to be paired together.

I was always fascinated with the professional full-time caddies at Baltusrol. Early in the morning, they would pile off the Somerset Bus Line at the entrance of Baltusrol on Shunpike Road, work their day, often two loops, and pile back onto the Somerset Bus Line late in the afternoon; day after day, with the exception of Mondays. They would work the entire spring/summer/fall season at Baltusrol, then head south to Florida in early November to work their winter months.

Back in the day, Baltusrol had a separate, out of the way, somewhat dilapidated Caddy Shack, with third or fourth generation furniture; where caddies would relax, smoke, eat lunch, play cards and gamble.  It was a very intimidating environment for a wet behind his ears fourteen-year-old, as caddies were known to be, fairly or unfairly, “slackers, smokers, drinkers and scofflaws”! *

Hanging around the Rail and/or occasionally in the Caddie Shack, I would receive sage advice from the much older and much wiser loopers, suggesting my responsibilities as a caddie were to simply “show up”, “keep up” and “shut up”.

As the years passed and as a player, I would periodically be blessed to share a caddie with my playing partner. During those experiences, I was reintroduced to the intricacies and complexities of this physically demanding occupation. As with any profession, there are slackers, smokers, drinkers and scofflaws. Really good caddies dispel all of those myths as they are worth their weight in gold!

As previously documented, I have been known to spend a few of my off hours at Maxie’s Grill & Taproom, which is a haven for caddies from Pinehurst Resort and Country Club. Recently, along with my good friend Jim Hermann, we had the opportunity to chat with two Pinehurst Resort and Country Club’s caddies (Rob Custer and Jeff Clay) who were kind enough to share their thoughts relative to their chosen profession.

Bad Golf Guy’s next few monthly posts will focus on our inspiring two-hour conversation.

Enjoy!

Ten Caddie Commandments:

• Be prepared
• Show up on time
• Follow instructions
• Know your surroundings
• Be a team player
• Never touch a ball in play
• Respect the workplace
• Respect the golf course as the course is quite often the star
• Dress appropriately
• Have fun

*Descriptive words from the January 2024 edition of Golf

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