Trust a caddie to show you the way fairway fare

I met a really interesting gentleman at the Inter-Business Council Networking Event earlier this week. John Wilson is a top executive at one of the leading design and building companies in the Middle East and also an avid golfer with an impressive handicap who has seen golf courses in the UAE go from sand to grass greens over the past 33 years.

John had of course many stories to tell about his golf experiences, but the one I enjoyed the most is the story about the golf caddie they ‘recruited' during a golf game years ago on a ‘self-built' nine-hole sand course at a construction site they were working on off-base. Not only did this caddie assist in carrying the golf bags but he would also run for the golf ball every time John and his friends teed off, fetching it and bringing it back.

Defining role

This story had me thinking: just what exactly is the role of the golf caddie? Swing coach? No. Psychologist? Possibly. Scapegoat? Sometimes. No doubt about it, a successful tour caddie is a special breed.

Soon we will be welcoming many professional tour players to the UAE competing at the Dubai World Championships, the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, most of whom will be accompanied by their personal golf caddies. We often don't hear enough about the caddie behind the professional players. They are hardly in the limelight and, in most cases, they have to remain content being in the shadow of their golfing counterpart.

I would imagine a similar scenario I see in horse racing — you get to hear everything about the horse, its pedigree, owner, biography, and victories — but not as much as you'd expect to hear about the skilled jockey behind the success of the horses' win. I get the impression the media interview the jockey only to speak on behalf of the horse.

The game of golf is a partnership between the player and his or her caddie. All the top pros acknowledge the importance of the caddie's role in their success. Even for amateurs, a good caddie can save a golfer strokes and make a round of golf an even more enjoyable experience.

Demanding job

The caddie has a difficult job which can be demanding mentally and physically. They have to know each and every nuance of the course that the tournament is being played on and they must also know their ‘employer's' game temperament and tendencies at all times, enhancing the pro golfer's confidence, stabilising their mood and raising morale on the golf course.

For the amateur golfer, a trained caddie can be a source of valuable information about the golf course. If you are visiting a new course, reading the greens can be the hardest thing to do. An experienced caddie will have seen every possible putt on that green several times and be able to advise on line and speed which will save you shots on the putting surface. Giving you tips on the right line for the drives, slopes on the greens and distances to hazards can provide you the much-needed mental boost.

Caddies are usually very good golfers themselves and this job lets them make the most of their own golf experience. So next time you visit the golf course, don't underestimate the golf caddie's knowledge, park the golf cart and hire a caddie. You might just learn things about your golf course you would not have known otherwise.