Our last two posts introduced Rob Kuster and Jeff Clay, professional caddies at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club (PRCC), (Part I, Part II), sharing the details of our visit on April 3rd, 2025 at Maxie’s Grill and Taproom. This post, as well as our next and final “Caddie Talk” post, will continue our conversation.
Pinehurst Facts:
- Within a fifteen-mile radius of Pinehurst, NC, there are nearly forty golf courses.
- In 2024, the USGA completed the construction of two buildings on PRCC’s main campus (Golf House Pinehurst) which includes the World Golf Hall of Fame. “USGA’s staffers based in Pinehurst include some of the games foremost scientific and golf management experts. The property is designed to complement, but not replicate, the association’s headquarters in Liberty Corner, NJ.” -Links
Let’s continue:
If you are conscientious, how long does it take for you to be proficient at reading the greens on #2/#4/#10?
Jeff: I am not there yet, I am always learning something new! Any caddie that has been at PRCC an extended period of time and is really humble, will tell you they never get them all right. We have a good idea with each read but you have to remember, we don’t know how a player likes to putt; does he hook it, does he cut it, is he a lag putter or is he a bold putter. With each of these various styles, the green read changes. It is difficult to interpret this situation when it is the first-time we have been with a player. We do the best we can.
Rob: I felt a lot more comfortable after my third year, however, there is always room for improvement. It is completely different on #10 because it is a new course to all of us. On #2, as I approach the green, I have a pretty good idea what the ball is going to do. As we get closer, we can narrow it down.
In addition, another factor is the time of the year. Spring is crazy because the grass is starting to grow. In the fall, the grain pulls, pulls and pulls. In winter, there is far less pull. A winter read may be a half-cup where a fall read may be two cups. Pollen, new growth, greens speeds impact the read as well.
How many times in a round are you flat out wrong with a read on #2?
Jeff: What is the definition of flat out wrong…an inch, a foot. I am never wrong by a foot as long as the pace is right.
Rob: There are a few tricky holes on #2, specifically #12 and #14. You can bang a putt and not believe your eyes.
Jeff: I will say to my player, “I hope you are in a very trusting mood. You are not going to believe me on this one. You gotta “TCB” …Trust the Caddie Boy!
Rob: I started to get a bit more comfortable after my fifth round on #2. It took a rainy, misty morning for me to see the ball tracks on the green. I would stand back and say, “Is it really doing that?!”
Jeff: Some of the breaks are so surprising that even the veterans have a tough time believing the putt breaks that much. It would appear to break in the complete opposite direction.
What are your “tools of the trade”? What is in your pockets/hands/bib when you go to work every day?
Rob/Jeff: There are a number of absolutes which include a rangefinder, tees, ball markers, divot tool, wet towel, and sun block. In addition, a caddie may bring along a spare golf ball or two, a wire brush and a drink.
Rob: Jeff will have a scorecard for every course within a ten-mile radius to share with his players. He may also have a number of nuts and bolts because he thinks they are really cool ball markers.
What do patrons expect from you and what do you expect from your patrons?
Rob/Jeff: Tough question as every patron is different. There is a standard as they want you to carry their bag, clean their clubs, provide yardage, discuss conditions (wind, elevation, temperature) and read greens. As the old adage goes; “Show Up, Keep Up and Shut Up”!
Rob: We expect a decent person who enjoys playing the game of golf. A good player, a marginal player or a bad player, it doesn’t really matter; be an enjoyable person and have a blast at PRCC.
What do you need to know about your player(s) before the first tee balls are in the air?
Jeff: Not much, maybe how far they hit their driver. I like to meet and greet early. I like to know where they live, what they do for a living, their approximate age and their handicap. This information allows me to recommend the appropriate length golf course. I have found through the years that most golfers play too much golf course. #2, for example, is one of the five hardest golf courses in the United States. Why beat yourself up!
How long does it take for you to get a sense of your player’s capabilities?
Rob: Three swings on the range.
Jeff: I have been around golf since I was five years old. I can tell pretty quickly what is ahead of me.
Have you ever watched your player(s) on the driving range and elected to disengage from the assignment?
Rob: Never!
Jeff: Once you have been assigned you can’t really back off.
Rob: Simple thoughts like: let’s find the fairway, let’s select the right clubs. If you are 220 yards out, let’s make good decisions. Let’s set goals; let’s see if we can come in under 100 strokes. At the end of the day, players are paying a ton of money to have the PRCC experience and we are responsible for the PRCC experience. I am going to try to get the most challenged golfer around this course the very best I can and have them leave with a smile on their face! I think about my player being someone’s dad, someone’s grandfather. He is at PRCC on a bucket list golf trip. I know I can take good care of him and make his time memorable.
Jeff: I am not in the business of selecting clubs; I provide information. I have no idea how far he hits his six-iron. I don’t do so until maybe late in the round, only when I am asked and then I will share my opinion.
Rob: I provide data points. I will give you all the data points you want and you can go from there. You don’t have to listen to me. I am going to tell you what I see and you take my information along with what you see and merge it all together.
What makes for a really good day on the golf course. What can a player(s) do to ease your burden?
Jeff: LOL! Do not put a dirty club back in my clean bag. Part of our training is called “CCA”; Count, Clean, and Arrange the Clubs. I clean my players clubs on the range, so they are sparkling. Somewhere in the middle of the first fairway, after having spent 30 to 45 minutes with my players on the range, I say the following, “If you don’t like my services, if you don’t like what I am doing, you can fire me after a hole or two, but don’t forget; if you put that dirty club back in my clean bag, I will fire your ass! You can walk back to the clubhouse and I am going to keep on going.” That is a joke and usually gets a laugh.
What player traits or idiosyncrasies are incredibly annoying?
Jeff: Too much bad language. I am not here to hear foul language every moment of the round. I can handle the intoxication but not the bad language.
Rob: I was in the Navy for twenty-three years; I can deal with the cursing. I don’t like it when someone is not having fun. Players are paying all this money; they are a 12-handicap and they are irritated as they depart the first tee and by the third tee they are completely out of their mind because they are not hitting it where they would like. The reason they are not hitting it where they would like is because they are upset. They put too much pressure on themselves, wanting to perform as if they are competing for the US Open Championship. They forget who they are and they stop listening. They put their head down and are miserable the balance of the round. I remind players of their situation; you are a 12-handicap and you are playing one of the toughest courses on the planet. Let’s focus on the next shot. One bad attitude can ruin the round for everyone, including the caddies.
Jeff: I think but not dare say, “Don’t forget, you are not good enough to get mad”!
How many average strokes do you save your player(s) in a typical round?
Rob/Jeff: Anywhere between six to ten shots. A 10-handicap on course #2 without a caddie will shoot somewhere between 88 and 92. With a caddie, the number will be in the 85-86 range. #2 is not a pin seeking golf course.
Jeff: In my opinion, course #2 needs to be played defensively.
Rob: As my players are sorting out the variables of their upcoming shot, I often say, “I wouldn’t go there!”
Rob/Jeff: As a side note, players are known to track certain statistics such as “fairways hit” and “GIR’s” (greens in regulation). Caddies track “GVIR’s” (greens visited in regulation). Due to the mounding effect (turtle back/inverted saucer bowl) of Donald Ross’ greens, balls landing on the green have a tendency to roll off the green.
Next up, the conclusion of Caddie Talk, (Part IV).
Thank you for following Bad Golf Guy. The back nine can only get better!
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