Cast of Caddie Characters Volume 1

In my time playing golf across the USA, I’ve been lucky enough to have some great caddies.  I wanted to share this cast of caddie characters with you.

As you might expect, I have some thoughts on caddies.  I love taking a caddie when I can.  I’m not made of money and cannot take them all the time but I’ve rarely regretted having a looper.

I think the game would be in a better place if there were more caddies around golf.  Ideally, these would be young adults who can learn the game and do the job for a reasonable fee.

It’s a hard sell to me when a caddie fee is $100-$160 in addition to the green fee.  I understand and appreciate people making a living but that price basically assures many courses will never have a caddie program.

Alright, rant over.

A good caddie can immensely improve your golf experience.  Additionally, you can learn some cool things about their life.  This first volume details some of the interesting people I have encountered in my travels so far.  I hope to do subsequent volumes of a cast of caddie characters in the future.

Ryan – Bandon Dunes

Ryan was formerly in a finance job in California.  We were about the same age, so I was shocked when he said he was having serious health problems due to the stress of the job.

He decided to quit and head to Bandon to caddie.  He has to be one of the most chill people I’ve ever met.

Joe – Whistling Straits (Straits)

Originally from Maryland, Joe has caddied all over the country.  He mentioned stops in his home state, Arizona, Florida, and of course Wisconsin.  He’s caddied in professional events as well as for us hackers.  He’s done a lot for being a younger guy.

Jezz – Milwaukee Country Club

Jezz was a solid guy and clearly in good shape.  After some inquiry, I found out he had played basketball in college.  At 6’1″ he was a forward!  That’s pretty short for that position but he said he more than made up for it.

His career hadn’t gone like he wanted so he had transferred schools to finish up his degree.

As an aside, he was not on the Milwaukee Bucks bandwagon.  He was a Lakers fan (ugh) and was hoping they lost!

Richard – Milwaukee Country Club

The other caddie in our group at Milwaukee was Richard.  He was, self-proclaimed, the best green reader at the club.  I’ll take him at his word.

He had a gregarious personality and was always interested in having a conversation.  Sometimes that can be annoying but not with Richard.

He was going to school for radiology.  He’ll have excellent people skills.

Shaq – Hudson National Golf Club

I could listen to Shaq talk all day!  Originally from Jamaica, his accent was very smooth.  We joked on the first tee that he was much smaller than the other Shaq.

As a caddie, he was forceful with his instructions but very supportive.  I asked him if he played golf and what kind of player he was.  He said he was one of the worst at the club (about a 15) but that he was practicing to avoid losing money!

On a more serious note, he told me he left Jamaica due to the violence he saw every day.  It was a reminder to be thankful for the privileged life I’ve led.

He also has two kids in the Navy!  Quite a story!

Robert – Caves Valley Golf Club

Originally from New Jersey, Robert started out with his own detailing business.  He had retired to caddying and moved to Maryland for his wife’s job.

He had the most one-liners I’ve heard in a round of golf.  They kept us laughing even if they were a bit blue.  The subjects included Taylor Swift, the Kardashians, and Barbara Streisand.