Caddying for a golfer is not a lot of work, and could be quite enjoyable, especially if you hook up with a good golfer. Like the old saying goes. Watch and learn. There are 8 main job tasks that a caddie must do. We will try and take a look at them briefly.

Carrying golf clubs

This task could very well be the toughest of the eight, especially if the golf bag is heavy. Knowledge is not a factor hears, but carrying them properly is. Try resting the golf bag on the small of your back, may be the most comfortable position. Adjust the strap of the bag to accomplish this position. When you carry a golfer’s clubs, you should hold the irons steady with your hand. Try to prevent them from clanging together by placing your wrist at the edge top of the bag and reaching over them with the palm of your hand.

Placing the golf bag down around greens, fairways, and tee boxes, should be done gently. By doing this routinely, will prevent noise of the clubs around golf greens, tee boxes, and other players. Do not drop clubs.

Washing players golf clubs

This is a fairly simple task, but you have to stay on top of it. Keep a wet towel with you at all times. You may want to keep half of it dry, if you want to carry it with you. Make sure the golfer’s clubs are clean and dry at all times. Do not hand your golfer a dirty club. Keep a tee in your pocket to clean the grooves of the clubface and wipe clean with the towel. Make sure golf clubs are dry and clean before every hole. When the golfer is finished with the club. Clean them right away and place in golf bag gently. If you do not put them back in the bag right away, you may forget them on the ground, and find out later the golfer may need that particular club. When you happen to remember leaving one behind. Mention it to your golfer immediately. He or She will give you instructions on what to do.

Washing players golf ball

Ask the golfer well in advance, if he or she would like their golf ball cleaned. Do not wait until the last minute before their shot. Have other golf balls clean and ready, just in case they decide to change golf balls. Do not pick up your golfer’s ball, when on the tee box, fairway, bunker, rough, and green to clean it. The ball must be cleaned before the tee shot, and after the ball is marked on the green. The golfer will know the playing rules. Let them give it to you to clean.

Replace golfer’s divot

Typically you will find divots on fairway shots. That is not always the case. Sometimes they will have to be replaced on tee boxes. Wait for all golfers to finish their shot, if they are behind you. When everyone starts to march out to his or her next shot. Simply run out and pick up the turf and place back in divot hole, and pack down with foot. Replace a couple of divots, if you have time.

Repair ball marks on green

The golfer should do this task. The golfer may ask you to repair the ball mark, if he or she is lining up their putt. Simply prop up the grass around the hole with a tee and pack down with a flat surface, such as a putter or sole of foot.

Tending the flagstick

Wait for the golfer to ask you to either pull the pin, or tend it. Be nearby to keep play up to speed. Stay off of all golfers’ lines to the hole, and keep the flag from waving in the wind if holding the flagstick for the golfer. Also keep your shadow away from golfers’s line. Make sure the flagstick is pulled when the ball is rolling towards the hole. The golfer may occur a penalty stroke, if they hit the pin when putting. The golfer has the option to leave the flagstick in when off the green. Some golfers like it out. Wait for instructions when another player is off the green. Try to stand still when a golfer is putting. After all golfers are finished putting, replace the flagstick and check for golf clubs left behind.

Club selection advice

This particular task is for the experienced caddie, and or caddie that has been with the same golfer for a while. Try to memorize the distance of your golfer’s shots and what club he or she used. They may ask you for advice on what club to use on any given hole. You may surprise them with your choice of clubs. Let’s hope it’s a good surprise. If your not sure, do not guess. Just remember. It’s only advice. When your not sure of the distance and club selection, encourage them on making the right decision.

Keep sight of golfer’s ball

When your golfer and other golfers are taking a golf shot, always watch where the ball lands. Always keep a marker, like a bush or particular size tree when it lands. This particular task is very important. Your responsibility is for the golfer you are caddying for. Try to look out for other players as well. This could be the single most important task. No golfer wants to lose a golf ball. When you can always find the golf ball, the golfer will almost always want you to caddie for them again.

“Golf is 90 percent mental, … and the other 10 percent… is mental”, says golf guru Jim Flick.

Nevertheless, many golfers, indepently of their level, fail to work on their confidence and on the mental aspect of the game.

Why is the mental aspect of golf so important? Golfers play against the course, not against each other directly. They hit a stationary object, not one put into motion by an opponent. This means that there is never anyone else to blame but oneself for a bad result. Moreover, in most competitive formats there are no teammates to directly help oneself out. This insight creates a great deal of psychological pressure on the golfer, which exists at all levels of play. Even the best professional golfers sometimes succumb to this pressure, such as getting the “yips” and being unable to make short putts, or having collapses of their full swing.

According to Dr. Alan Shapiro, a psychologist and a devoted golfer, the personality traits that cause problems in your everyday life can also wreak havoc on your golf game. Using his experience Dr. Shapiro has identified six major golf personality types or “Mental Hazards” in his book Golf’s Mental Hazards. Those who are worriers in everyday life, tend to be anxious at the tee. Control freaks will probably over-analyze their swing and tend to freeze up over the ball. Those who have a short fuse, stand a good chance to be club throwers, etc.

The mental preparation for the game will help you to stay calm, clear the interference that leads to poor shots, and eliminate bad habits and mental mistakes, in short, turn your mind into an ally, instead of an enemy. Many players carry the negative emotions tied to a bad drive or missed putt to the next hole, or worse, for the rest of the entire round! Other players feel negative thoughts entering their mind when they stand over the ball, while none existed before, and
without knowing how to manage these. Again others feel their self-confidence sink into their very golf shoes because they are being influenced by other people’s shots.

As Timothy Gallway, the author of The Game of Golf puts it: “Even the masters of the game, from the venerable Jack Nicklaus to the wunderkind Tiger Woods, must battle their mental demons to excel in the crucible of competition. How do they maintain concentration under pressure? How do they avoid the mental and physical tensions that can sabotage any shot, from the simplest putt to a demanding drive?”

Mental techniques will help you not only to prepare your game, but also assist you during the execution phase and teach you how to respond to the results of any golf shot. The psychology of golf entails instant recall of past successes and being able to quickly purge failures.

Important areas to analyse and train are: how to keep your focus and concentration during a round of golf, how to keep your motivation when you only enjoy the game part of the time, how to avoid being influenced by other people’s swings, how to transfer the self-assurance and confidence you feel on the practice tee to the golf course, how to reach emotional stability, tough-mindedness, what is tension management, etc.

Courtesy of Caroline Marien at golf-information.info.

Manuals for Download

•  The Professional Golfers’ Association of America FIRST SWING Golfer’s Guide
•  J. Wood Platt Scholarship Caddie Training Manual
•  Western Golf Association Caddie Manual
•  TeachingKidsBusiness.com Kid’s Caddie Program Training Manual

General Points

Before commencing your round:

• Read the Local Rules on the score card.
• Put an identification mark on your ball. Many golfers play the same brand of ball and if you can’t identify your ball, it’s lost.
• Count your clubs. You are allowed a maximum of 14 clubs.

During the round, don’t ask for “advice” from anyone except your partner or caddie. Don’t give advice to anyone except your partner.

During a hole you may not play a practice stroke.

Teeing Off

Tee off between and not in front of the tee-markers. You may tee off up to two club-lengths behind the front line of the tee-markers.

Teeing off outside this area – in match play there is no penalty but your opponent may ask you to replay your stroke; in stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty and must then play from within the proper area.

Playing the Ball

Play the ball as it lies. Don’t improve your lie, the area of your intended swing or your line of play by moving, bending or breaking anything fixed or growing except in fairly taking your stance or making your swing. Don’t press anything down or build a stance.

If your ball lies in a bunker or a water hazard don’t touch the ground in the bunker, or the ground or water in the water hazard, before your downswing.

The ball must be fairly struck, not pushed or spooned.

Playing a wrong ball (except in a hazard) – in match play you lose the hole; in stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty and you must then play the correct ball.

On the Putting Green

You may repair ball marks and old hole plugs on the line of your putt but not any other damage, including spike marks.

You may mark, lift and clean your ball on the putting green. Always replace it on the exact spot.

Don’t test the putting surface by scraping it or rolling a ball over it.

Ball played from putting green strikes flagstick – in match play you lose the hole; in stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty.

Ball at Rest Moved

If your ball is at rest and it is moved by you, your partner or your caddie, except as permitted by the Rules, or if it moves after you have addressed it, add a penalty stroke and replace your ball.

If your ball is at rest and is moved by someone else or another ball, replace it without penalty to you.

Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped

Ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by you, your partner or your caddie – you incur a one-stroke penalty and the ball is played as it lies.

Ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by someone else – play your ball as it lies without penalty, except (a) in match play, if an opponent or his caddie deflects the ball you have an option to replay the stroke or (b) in stroke play, if the ball is deflected after a stroke from on the putting green, you must replay it.

Ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by another ball at rest- in matchplay, no penalty and the ball is played as it lies except. In stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty if your ball and the other ball were on the putting green before you played.

Lifting, Dropping and Placing the Ball

If a lifted ball is to be replaced, its position must be marked. If a ball is to be dropped or placed in any other position (e.g. taking relief from GUR, etc.) it is recommended that the ball’s original position be marked.

When dropping, stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder height and arm’s length and drop it. If a dropped ball strikes you or your partner, caddie or equipment it must be re-dropped without penalty.

There are eight instances where a dropped ball rolls to such a position that it must be re-dropped – see Rules of Golf Rule 20 – 2c

Ball Interfering with or Assisting Play

You may lift your ball if it might assist any other player.

You may have any ball lifted if it might interfere with your play or assist any other player.

Loose Impediments

You may move a loose impediment unless it and your ball are in a hazard. However, if you have touched a loose impediment within one club-length of your ball and your ball moves, the ball must be replaced and (unless your ball was on the putting green) you incur a penalty stroke.

Obstructions

Check the Local Rules on the score card for guidance on immovable obstructions (e.g. surfaced roads and paths etc.).

Movable obstructions (e.g. rakes, tin cans etc.) anywhere on the course may be moved. If the ball moves it must be replaced without penalty.

If an immovable obstruction (e.g. a water fountain) interferes with your stance or swing, you may drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole. There is no relief for intervention on your line of play unless your ball and the obstruction are on the putting green.

Casual Water, Ground under Repair etc.

If your ball is in casual water, ground under repair or a hole or cast made by a burrowing animal e.g. a rabbit, you may drop without penalty within one club-length of the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole.

Water Hazards

Check the Local Rules on the score card to establish whether the sea, lake, river etc. is a “water hazard” or a “lateral water hazard”.

Ball in watery hazard – play the ball as it lies or, under penalty of one stroke, (a) drop any distance behind the water hazard keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball crossed the margin of the water hazard and spot on which the ball is dropped, or (b) play again from where you hit the ball into the hazard.

Ball in lateral water hazard – in addition to the options for a ball in a water hazard (see above), under penalty of one stroke, you may drop within two club-lengths of (a) the point where the ball crossed the margin of the hazard or (b) a point on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant from the hole.

Ball Lost or Out Of Bounds

Check the Local Rules on the score card to identify the boundaries of the course. If your ball is lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds you must play another ball from the spot where the last shot was played under penalty of one stroke i.e. stroke and distance. You are allowed 5 minutes to search for a ball, after which if it is not found or identified it is lost. If, after playing a shot, you think your ball may be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds you may play a “provisional ball”. You must state that it is a provisional ball and play it before you go forward to search for the original ball. If the original ball is lost or out of bounds you must continue with the provisional ball under penalty of one stroke. If the original ball is not lost or out of bounds, you must continue play of the hole with it and the provisional ball must be abandoned.

Ball Unplayable

If you believe your ball is unplayable outside a water hazard (and you are the sole judge), you may under penalty of one stroke, (a) drop within two club-lengths of where the ball lies not nearer the hole, (b) drop any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or (c) replay the shot. If your ball is in a bunker you may proceed under (a), (b) and (c). However, if you elect to proceed under (a) or (b) you must drop in the bunker.

Conclusion

A good score may be spoiled, or a match lost, due to a penalty incurred through ignorance or confusion concerning the Rules. A sound knowledge of the above summary should aid the golfer in tackling a “Rules problem”. Nevertheless, the complete Rules of Golf as approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the United States Golf Association, should be consulted where any doubt arises.

For Complete Rules of Golf to here.

Golf is a game in which a ball is struck with a club from a prepared area, known as the “teeing ground”, across fairway and rough to a second prepared area, which has a hole in it, known as the “putting green”. The object of the game is to complete what is known as a hole by playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole on the putting green in the fewest possible number of strokes. A “round of golf’ consists of playing 18 such holes.

There are basically two forms of play, one which is decided by holes won and lost (match play) and the other which is decided by the total number of strokes taken to complete the round (stroke play).

There are three important principles to remember when playing golf:

• Play the course as you find it. Play the Ball as it lies.
• And if you can’t do either, do what’s fair.
• To do what’s fair you need to know the Rules. Read the summary of the Rules of Golf.

Etiquette

Etiquette covers both Courtesy and Priority on the Course as well as Care of the Course. Whilst the following points are not Rules as such they are an important part of the game.

• Don’t move, talk or stand close to a player making a stroke.
• Don’t play until the group in front is out of the way.
• Always play without delay. Leave the putting green as soon as all players in your group have holed out.
• Invite faster groups to play through.
• Replace divots. Smooth footprints in bunkers.
• Don’t step on the line of another player’s putt.
• Don’t drop clubs on the putting green.
• Replace the flagstick carefully.

Definitions

The Definitions section of the Rules of Golf contains over forty Definitions which form the foundation around which the Rules of play are written. A good knowledge of the defined terms will help in the correct application of the Rules. These include:

• Teeing Ground – the starting place for the hole, defined by two tee-markers.
• Through the Green – the whole area of the golf course except the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played and all hazards.
• Hazards – any bunker or water hazard.
• Putting Green – an area specially prepared for putting and containing a 41/2 inch diameter hole.
• Out of Bounds – ground on which play is prohibited i.e. not part of the course. A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.
• Loose Impediments – natural objects such as stones, leaves and twigs provided they are not fixed or growing, are not solidly embedded and are not sticking to the ball.
• Obstructions – any man-made object, except:
  • Objects defining out of bounds;
  • Any part of an immovable man-made object which is out of bounds; and
  • Any construction declared by the Committee in the Local Rules to be an integral part of the course.
• Casual Water – any temporary accumulation of water on the course which is visible before or after the player takes his stance (dew and frost are not casual water).
• Ground Under Repair – any portion of the course so marked by the Committee. Also includes material piled for removal and a hole made by a greenkeeper, even if not so marked.