What Does It Take to Be a Golf Caddy?

Thinking about becoming a golf caddy involves more than just enjoying walking golf courses. This job is a unique blend of physical endurance, deep knowledge of the game, and a bit of on-course psychology. This guide will walk you through exactly what it takes, from the fundamental skills you need to master to how you can land your very first loop on the course.

What a Caddy Actually Does (Hint: It’s More Than Carrying the Bag)

Let's get one thing straight: if you think caddying is just about hauling a 40-pound bag for five hours, you’re missing the bigger picture. A competent bag carrier is the absolute minimum requirement. A great caddy, a professional caddy, is a player's on-course partner, strategist, and confidant. They make the game smoother, less stressful, and a lot more fun for their golfer.

On any given day, your core responsibilities will look something like this:

• Manage the Equipment: Yes, you carry the bag, but you also enhance the experience of a round. Part of a wonderful golf outing means keeping all of the clubs clean after every shot, organizing them in the bag so the player can grab them easily, and ensuring nothing gets left behind.
• Find the Ball: A player's focus on a tough shot can be narrow, so at its most simplistic, you'll feel like just an extra set of eyes. You watch every shot like a hawk, noting where it lands and where it bounces to minimize the time spent hunting for lost balls.
• Provide Yardages: You are the human GPS. You’ll be responsible for calculating the distance to the hole, as well as to hazards like bunkers and water, so your player can choose the right club.
• Maintain the Course: As a golf course caddy, your mission will also be about protecting an asset. This role includes replacing player divots, raking bunkers properly, and fixing ball marks on the green.
• Offer On-Course Intelligence: This is where you elevate from a simple bag carrier to a great caddy. You’ll point out the wind direction, note how firm or soft the greens are, and even read the subtle breaks on a putt.
• Act as a Moral Compass: Some of your players may have good days and others will have bad days. As a caddy, you're there to uphold the rules of golf, guide the player in understanding the game fully, and provide calm emotional support during their round.

Mastering the On-Course Essentials

To perform these duties well, you need to develop a specific set of skills. This isn't about having a perfect golf swing yourself, it’s about understanding the game inside and out, from the ground up.

Physical Stamina and Preparedness

A round of golf, or a "loop," is a serious walk - often five miles or more, up and down hills, sometimes in sweltering heat or windy conditions. You’re doing all that with a heavy bag on your shoulder. Don't underestimate the physical demand.

• Break in your gear: Before your first day, make sure you have extremely comfortable, broken-in shoes. Blisters are a caddy’s worst enemy.
• Hydrate and fuel up: Always carry water and a snack. Dehydration can sap your energy and your ability to focus, which is just as important.
• Learn to carry the bag correctly: Most bags are double-strapped. Learn to adjust them so the weight is distributed evenly across both shoulders. A good caddie master can show you tricks to make the bag feel lighter.

Deep Golf Knowledge

You have to be a student of the game. Players will lean on you for advice, and your credibility comes from knowing your stuff.

• Rules of Golf: You don't need to memorize the entire rulebook, but you must know the common ones. Know the ruling for a ball in a penalty area or how to take relief from a cart path. "I don't know" isn't a great answer.
• Course Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules: This might be the most important knowledge you can have. It’s what separates amateurs from professionals. The advice for new caddies is solid: "Show up, Keep up, and Shut up." Master these, and you're already doing great.
• Pacing Yardages: While handheld rangefinders are common, the best caddies can pace yardages with their eyes and their feet. Learn your stride first to calculate any distance confidently on the course.

Refined Observational Skills

A caddy has to be hyper-aware of everything happening on the course. You need to see things your player might miss when they are focused on their swing.

• Become a Ball-Hawk: When your player hits a shot, don't just watch the ball. Pick a reference point near where it lands - a specific tree, a bunker edge, a different-colored patch of grass. This simple habit will save countless minutes searching in the rough.
• Learn to Read Greens: This is a true art form and takes years to master. Start with basics like observing the slope of the green, water drainage, and the grain of the grass to improve your reading skills.

The Soft Skills: The True Art of Caddying

Once you have the technical skills handled, the next level is all about how you interact with your player. This is what truly earns you respect and builds your reputation at a club.

Subtle Communication

Learning your player is half the battle. Some golfers want a constant stream of information and friendly chat. Others prefer stone-cold silence to focus. It's your job to figure this out quickly.

• Listen More, Talk Less: On the first couple of holes, stay quiet and reserved. Let the player initiate the conversation. This will give you clues about their personality.
• Give Information Simply and Clearly: When giving a yardage, be confident. Avoid wishy-washy language. Be concise and assure your player.
• Know when to offer advice: Don’t give swing advice unless you're explicitly asked. Stay in your lane, but if you notice changes like wind direction, it's good to speak up.

On-Course Psychology

Golf is a frustrating game. A great caddy is a calming presence who knows how to keep a player grounded, whether they're playing the round of their life or having a total meltdown.

• Stay Positive and Neutral: Your job is to have a short memory. After a bad hole, don't dwell on it. Encourage a fresh start on the next hole.
• Be an Echo, Not an Opinion: Reinforce a player's good logic by echoing smart decisions. You're giving them the confidence to trust their instincts.

How to Get Started: Your Path to the First Tee

Ready to give it a shot? Getting started as a caddy is usually a straightforward process, focused on proving your reliability and willingness to learn.

1. Target Local Private Clubs: This is the most common path. Many private clubs have established caddie programs. Call them or check their website for the caddie master in charge.
2. Inquire About Training: Most clubs won't just throw you out there. They offer training programs covering the specifics of their course and standards of service.
3. Start at the Bottom and Prove Yourself: Initially, your loops might be with junior golfers. Show up on time, have a great attitude, and avoid mistakes to earn better opportunities.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a great caddy involves a blend of physical stamina, deep golf knowledge, and sharp interpersonal skills. It's about being a silent partner who makes the game easier and more enjoyable for your player, a role that goes much further than just carrying the bag.

As a human caddy, your job is to provide that expert guidance – reading lies, suggesting strategy, and building confidence. We built Caddie AI to give every golfer that same level of support, even when they don't have a professional caddy right there with them. From instant answers about how to play a tricky lie to smart course navigation for every hole, our goal is to put an expert golf brain right in your pocket, making sophisticated advice accessible to everyone.