Stepping onto the first tee with a bag on your shoulder is about much more than just carrying clubs, it’s about becoming a partner, a strategist, and a player's most valuable asset. This guide will walk you through the essential duties and unspoken rules of great caddying, giving you the practical knowledge to not only serve your golfer but to genuinely help them play better and enjoy their round more.
A great round for a caddie begins hours, or even days, before the golfer hits their first shot. Proper preparation is what separates a professional from a simple bag carrier. When you show up already in command of the situation, you inspire immediate confidence in your player.
If you have the chance, walk the course before you're scheduled to caddie. If not, arrive early and get a yardage book. Your job is to become a temporary expert on this specific piece of land. Look for:
Your golfer's bag is your office for the next four hours. Make sure it's set up for success before you head to the first tee. Run through a quick but thorough checklist:
Once the round starts, your role becomes incredibly dynamic. You’re a navigator, equipment manager, and a pacing coach all at once. The rhythm you establish in the first couple of holes will set the tone for the entire round.
An old caddie mantra perfectly boils down the fundamentals of your job on the course:
The way you manage the bag sends a message. Stand it up carefully, don't just drop it. On the tee box, stand off to the side, out of the player's line of sight. When they select a club, hand it to them handle-first, and you take and hold onto the headcover.
When you approach the green, identify the location of the next tee box. Leave the bag on that side of the green. This simple act saves time and energy, preventing a long walk back across the green to retrieve the bag and clubs after the hole is finished.
The routine after a shot is simple but vital: give a quiet word of praise or encouragement, take the club they just used, wipe it down, place the headcover back on if it's a wood or hybrid, and put it back in the bag. A smooth, silent process keeps things moving and the player focused.
This is where you can provide massive value. Getting an accurate yardage is a primary responsibility. When you get to the ball, use a rangefinder or walk to a sprinkler head to get the number. Provide three key distances:
For example: “We have 160 yards to the pin. It’s 152 to get on and 170 to the back.” This gives the player all the information needed to select the right club and prevent a big mistake, especially if they mis-hit the shot. Also, provide yardages to clear hazards: "It's 135 to carry that front bunker."
Beyond the simple number, learn to give the "playing" number. Factor in elevation and weather. A 150-yard shot that's significantly uphill and into a breeze might play like 165 yards. Saying, “It’s 150 on the laser, but with this wind and the slope, it’s going to play closer to 165,” is expert-level advice.
The job's biggest challenges and rewards are found in navigating the mental side of golf. You're not just providing numbers, you're offering calm, strategic counsel and acting as a steadying presence.
As you approach the green, start looking at the slopes. Your opinion on the putt's break is valuable. You don’t need to nail the read every time, but offering a suggestion like, “Looks like it slopes a little left-to-right to me,” gives your player a good starting point. Let them make the final decision.
When tending the flag, etiquette is everything. Stand still, make sure your shadow isn't across the player's line, and be ready to pull the pin as soon as they strike the ball. Pull it and immediately step away from the hole and out of sight lines of other players who are still to putt.
A good caddie can be the voice of reason that prevents a great round from blowing up. If your player is thinking of hitting a hero shot to a tucked pin, you can be the one to offer a smarter alternative.
For instance: "The flag is only five steps over that bunker. The smart play is to aim for the middle of the green here. A par is a great score on this hole."
It's also your job to reinforce good decisions and keep spirits high. Golf is a hard game. When your player hits a bad shot, offer perspective. Often, the best thing to say is simply, "Bad break, shake it off. We’ve got a lot of golf left.” Never display disappointment or frustration. Your emotional state should always be steady and positive.
The job doesn't end when the ball is hit. What you do after the swing communicates your professionalism and respect for the game.
Think of yourself as a steward of the course. Whenever your player takes a divot, you should be the one to retrieve it and replace it, or use the sand/seed mixture on the cart to fill it. When you enter a bunker, not only should you rake your player's footprints, but you should also smooth over any other marks you see. Finally, on the green, fix your player's ball mark - and always look for at least one other to fix as well. This is the mark of a true professional.
From the moment the ball leaves the clubface, your eyes should be locked onto it. losing a player's ball is one of the biggest mistakes a caddie can make. It slows down play and frustrates your golfer. Watch the ball's entire flight and, most importantly, watch where it lands and comes to rest. Pick a landmark - a specific tree, a bush, a dark patch of grass - near where it landed so you can walk directly to it.
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Becoming a great caddie is not just about knowing distances and carrying a bag, it's about being prepared, attentive, and consistently supportive. You are a player's guide and partner, helping them navigate every challenge the course throws at them so they can focus on simply hitting great shots.
Developing these skills takes time and experience on the course. For those moments when you are playing on your own and need that same level of expert advice, we've seen how powerful instant strategy can be. This led us to develop Caddie AI. It places the knowledge of an expert caddie right in your pocket, ready to offer strategic advice for any hole, help you choose the right club given the conditions, or even analyze a photo of a tricky lie to recommend the best way to play it. It’s built to give you that same sense of confidence and clarity, making smarter golf accessible anytime, anywhere.
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Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
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