Caddie Talk From Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, Pinehurst, NC (Part IV)

Our last three posts have detailed our conversation with Rob Kuster and Jeff Clay, professional caddies at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club (PRCC), (Part 1, Part 11, Part III). This is our final post of the series.

Pinehurst Facts:

• In 1900, James W. Tufts, the founder of Pinehurst, hired Scottish born Donald Ross to manage golf at Pinehurst Country Club.
• In 1910, at the age of thirty-eight, the Pinehurst resident made golf course architecture his primary occupation. Within ten years, he had become the first superstar of American golf.
• In 1925, it was estimated that 3,000- men were employed in the construction and maintenance of Ross’s various golf courses.
• He is considered the most prolific architect in history, with well over 400 courses; including Pinehurst #2, which was built between 1906 – 1907.
• The original front nine of #2 totaled 1,275- yards.
• Ross created the first practice and lesson tee; the famous “Maniac Hill” at Pinehurst Country Club.
• He was also the first golf course architect to convert sand greens to grass greens in 1935.

-Excerpts from “Golf Has Never Failed Me” by Donald J. Ross

Let’s begin

Which is more challenging, a bad player assignment or a disengaged caddie partner?

Rob: A disengaged caddie partner.

Jeff: I would agree, however, it doesn’t happen very often.

Rob: It is all about teamwork; working together and covering for each other. We just don’t have many disengaged caddies at PRCC.

Jeff: When I am working with the new guys, I always emphasize teamwork. Bottom line, I am always looking for opportunities to help my caddie partner. Example: Two players are on the left side of the fairway and two players on the right side of the fairway. One of my players and one of my caddie partners players are on the same side of the fairway. We have the opportunity to exchange bags for convenience.

Rob: The exchange works really well until I hand my caddie partner the wrong bag; which has certainly happened.

Do you carry a Yardage Book?

Jeff: Absolutely not! My yardage book is in my head.

Rob: Not on #2. I have been carrying one every now and then on #10, because I have been getting my butt kicked. The greens on #10 are enormous. The 12th green is the length of this building with ten humps. Players will say, “You don’t know where this is going, do you”. My response, “I absolutely do not know where this is going; there’s sixty yards of green. The pin is in another zip code!”

Jeff: There are 15 multi-teared greens on #10. Green reading will be a challenge for all of us for some time.

What percentage of your patrons should not be allowed to play PRCC’S #2, #4 and #10?

Jeff/Rob: Zero!

Rob: I had a player on #2; it was the first time he had ever played golf. It was a corporate event. He was swinging and missing the ball. There were two men and two women in the foursome. I talked them into a scramble, otherwise it would have been a seven-hour round. My player made a twenty-five-foot putt and almost cried. At the end of the round my player said that his day at PRCC was one of the most enjoyable days of his life.

What percentage of your players break 80 on #2?

Jeff: First question…. Are the players abiding by the governing rules and regulations of the USGA (i.e. playing the ball through the hole, no improved lies, etc.)? If so, out of one-hundred players, anywhere between five to seven players will break 80.

What would you have to do to get fired on the spot?

Jeff: We are not allowed to do three things on the golf course:

• We are not allowed to wear golf shoes
• We are not allowed to consume alcohol
• We are not allowed to teach or hit golf shots

I believe we have too many caddies who fancy themselves as instructors; akin to a PGA teaching professionals. We are not instructors, we are caddies. Caddies have been terminated because they have pushed the teaching envelope. The last thing a player wants when they come to PRCC is to hire a caddie and find themselves with an instructor. Players hire a caddie because they want a caddie!

I have hit seven golf shots in eight years. Three were seven-irons off the fringe; a little bump and run. The other four were six-irons, from under tree limbs. I offered to show my players the technique so they know how it is done. I understand the fundamentals of the golf game extremely well. Unless I am asked, I usually don’t offer. I caddie!

Rob: There is an additional area of concern as you can definitely get “written up” for not using the sanctioned comfort stations.

Jeff: PRCC trains caddies to stay hydrated however there are only a few restrooms on the course, which creates quite a conundrum! So, at my age, guess what, I am not going to make it to the next rest stop, not if PRCC wants me to stay hydrated.

What are some of the most unusual things you have found in your player(s) golf bag?

Jeff: Other than the 50 plus golf balls in their bag; which will need to be to offloaded.

Rob: A hammer! There was a hammer in my Canadian player’s bag. I said to my player, “Dude, you have a friggin’ hammer in your golf bag.” He responded, “In December it is pretty dog gone cold up there and hard to get your tees in the ground.”

Please tell me something about your occupation that few would know.

Jeff: I am not in business to be critical; I am not in business to say “don’t” or “never” when I caddie. I always look for the positive slant. Instead of saying,

“We don’t want to go left here”, I emphasize the positive, saying, “Let’s makes sure we keep this to the right of the flag” or, “Let’s keep this short of the pin” in lieu of saying, “Don’t go long”. I never say “never”! My players already have enough bad thoughts swimming between their ears. When you bring up the negative, undoubtedly, the inevitable occurs!

Rob: Players don’t realize or give any thought to the weight of their golf bag and how it impacts my day.

Also, anyone north of Virginia doesn’t understand grain. A challenge we have is introducing and explaining “grain” as well as the impact of grain on the putting surface. The Bermuda grass at PRCC is different than the grass up north. Typically, my players have no clue what I am talking about, heck, I didn’t have a clue what I was talking about until I started caddying in Florida.

Jeff: During my meet and greet with my players prior to play, when I establish where people live and where people play golf, I have a pretty good idea if they are accustomed to grain. If they come from Charleston, South Carolina, they are familiar with grain. If they come from Alexandria, Virginia, they might not have a clue about grain. So, when we get to the practice putting green prior to the round, I ask them if they would like help reading the greens. They typically say yes. I explain to them and show them where the grain grows and where the grain goes and how the ball tends to break towards where the grain is growing and going. They seem to appreciate the information.

Rob: It is helpful to get ahead of a few things (i.e., grain, weight of bag) prior to the start of the round. It helps our players because when I say the putt is into the grain, they are not looking at me with a blank stare. Also, with Jeff’s meet and greet, he never carries a heavy bag because the heavy bag issue is dealt with long before the round begins. 

Jeff: There is a color differentiation on Bermuda grass. The green is dull and it is shiny. It has nothing to do with the sun, it has everything to do with the way the grass grows. This helps to identify the direction of the grain.

Rob: Recently, I carried a bag for a player on #10. He was a heavier set guy in his mid-60’s. Don’t get me wrong, I am a heavier set guy as well! As discussed, #10 is a handful to walk and is a struggle for everyone. #10 didn’t disappoint, as my player was absolutely dragging by the end of the round.  We were scheduled to play #2 the following day. When I met my player the next morning, he said he was going to make it easy on me and take a cart. In my head, I’m saying, that is not necessarily easy on me when it is cart path only. I suggested that he should take a cart while I carry his bag.  We are going to change out your monster bag for a lighter bag. He couldn’t understand why I wanted to carry his bag. I explained to him that it is much more difficult walking back and forth from the cart path to the ball with club options. I will meet you at your ball with your bag.

Share an experience with a caddie partner.

Rob: Periodically, I caddie with a friend. On those days, I know I will not have to carry the conversation as my buddy has no off switch. He has all of these one-liners and typically kills it for the entire group.  Every now and then, it doesn’t work out so well, especially when you have a group of serious guys and your friend continues to bang out one-liners, one after another. It can be a bit much and we come to the conclusion we have crossed a line. The next thing we know our tip barely covers our bar tab.

Jeff: This means the players did not enjoy their experience and we did not meet their expectations. We over did it; we think we are funny and sometimes we are not! We are not center stage at “The Comedy Club” we are caddies!

Have you caddied for any celebrities?

Jeff: I caddied for Jay Bilis (Duke University basketball player and color commentator/studio analyst for ESPN) and Dell Curry (retired professional basketball player and the father of Stephen Curry); both 6’ 8”. We met at the first tee, due to safety precautions during the Covid epidemic. Jay said, “Hey Jeff, I’m Jay and this is Dell” and that was all. They are very good friends and were absolutely fantastic!

In addition, I caddied for John Maginnes (former PGA Tour player and co-host of Sirius XM’s radio show, “Katrek and McGinnis on Tap”. He is a fine, fine player. He said to me, “I have played #2 a hundred times, I don’t need much, just tell me how far to hit it.” That was a very easy day for me. He shot 70 and he was delightful.

Rob: I caddied for Bob Farren (Director of Golf Course Maintenance, PRCC) and Wes Moore (Head Woman’s Basketball Coach, North Carolina State University). They are wonderful guys; one of the best experiences of my life. In addition, I caddied for Kyle Freeland (pitcher for the Colorado Rockies). I was on his bag for fourteen holes before I even knew who he was.

The best thing about caddying is the people you meet! I have never seen so many happy people in my life and that is pretty cool! PRCC is a very special place.

What are your playing privileges at PRCC and do you get to play where you caddie?

Jeff: Essentially the same privileges as a PRCC employee, however, we are not permitted to bring guests. We cannot play #2, #4 and #10, with the exception of our annual Caddy Tournament every January, where we have an opportunity to play a round on #2 as well as a round on #4. Other than that, we play the other seven golf courses for a $5 green fees. The best perk in the history of the world! We can’t make starting times as early as PRCC employees because we are not employees of PRCC. We receive a daily update on course availability through the “Beekeeper” app.

When you get an assignment with a really good player, does that make for a good day?

Jeff: Absolutely, sure! I ask him exactly what he wants to hear from me. I am not a “TMI” guy (too much information). Conversely, I am not going to provide a paragraph of information to a 37-handicaper when he is 145 yards out. Not only is he unable understand the information, he is unable to process the information and he is unable to execute the shot.

In the course of a year, do you spend more time on the course or at Maxie’s Grill & Tap Room?

Rob: The golf course, but I do spend a lot of time at Maxie’s. If it wasn’t for Kelly, I would spend more time here. I love it at Maxie’s. You are out on the course, grinding, under the spotlight for five hours, walking, carrying two bags in high temperatures. You need to get your heart rate down under 100 beats per minute. So, you come here, you are around your friends, you are in your safe place and can calm it down. You have a beer or two, talk to your boys; now you are grounded again; then you can go home and spend time with your family.

Jeff: I barely know how to get to Maxie’s. I come here three times a year. I love to go home.

Our heartfelt thanks to Rob Custer and Jeff Clay for their contribution to Bad Gold Guy over the past few months. Their passion and enthusiasm for their profession as well as and their commitment to providing the best possible experience to each and every player is inspirational!

Thank you for following Bad Golf Guy. The back nine can only get better!