Having recently watched the Masters Tournament it always strikes me as interesting that the one
person closest to those “master golfers is their caddy. Why?
Couldn’t anyone of reasonable size carry the bag of clubs? Why does a caddy deserve even a small
percentage of the winnings? Tiger Woods’ favorite caddy makes a LOT of money. For what? Why can’t
the golfer carry his/her own bag, or use a cart? Why doesn’t the “master golfer just go it alone?
To a golfer this probably seems like a stupid question.
There is probably no game that is lonelier than golf. There is no game that is so dependent upon the
talent, skill, experience, judgement, and wisdom of the player.
ln reality, a caddy is a form of “coach.” The caddy is a second pair of eyes, an additional perspective,
one who sees the course objectively and coaches the player about just about everything from the
topography of the hole, the trajectory of the wind, the distance. He understands the player’s strengths,
weaknesses, and helps him get where he wants to go. He BELIEVES in the player but knows that he can
help only up to a point. And it isn’t the caddy’s job to be critical when the game suddenly “goes south.”
The one thing the caddy can’t do is swing the club and hit the ball. But a true “Master’ knows his game
will be better if he has the benefit of the right caddy (coach), standing behind him, asking the right
questions and letting him figure out the right answer himself.