A few weeks back, Ultiworld ran an article about how to “think like a caddie.”
If you missed it, click here to check it out.
Steve Andrews, the guy who penned the piece, is a gifted writer. As I understand it, he’s an academic – it shows in his writing. He knows his stuff. Still, after reading his 2,000-word post, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Man, caddies literally do next to nothing in disc golf.”
As I see it, here’s what they do:
- Role #1 – They carry a disc golf bag.
- Role #2 – They wipe dirty discs with a towel.
- Role #3 – They turn around for ease of disc access.
- Role #4 – They say nothing – like, ever. And this is good.
* Note: Don’t come at me with this “strategy” stuff – that doesn’t happen, and you know it.
Over the past decade, you’ve seen grocery stores replace cashiers with self-checkout lines, right? The disc golf cart’s pretty much done the same thing. The only difference is that caddies have never been a big deal in disc golf, whereas cashiers were once a staple at supermarkets …
So there’s that.
In “ball golf,” a caddy’s greatest asset is carrying a set of clubs – hardly anything to write home about. But even their most beneficial skills don’t really have much of a place in disc golf:
- Role #1 – They know the course. Disc golf courses are comparatively short.
- Role #2 – They know hole distances. Disc golf now has access to Bushnell.
- Role #3 – They fix divots and rake bunkers. Disc golf doesn’t have these.
- Role #4 – They watch the ball once hit. Disc golf frisbees are plenty big.
There’s no denying, however, that caddies are a mainstay of ball golf. My personal opinion is they’re a fixture of the sport to keep golf’s “look” clean, refined and professional.
At least right now, that’s not disc golf – yet another reason they’re unnecessary.
I will concede, though, that there is one (and only one) massive benefit to having a caddy, whether it be in traditional golf or disc golf – it’s tiring hauling around so much weight.
Still, you will see caddies being used out on the Pro Tour – and it appears to be somewhat of a regular occurrence. Let’s pump the brakes on this, though: The disc golfer-caddie relationship isn’t of “Mr. Miyagi” proportions – the caddie’s more of a “packing mule.”
See above: again … excess weight.
This is evidenced by some of the world’s best golfers using “convenience” as the biggest factor in choosing a caddie. JohnE McCray’s wife has always been by his side. Paul McBeth made a tradition out of a 14-year-old kid toting around his bag at the European Open. Heck, Gannon Buhr’s mother “caddied” her teenage son’s way to a near win in Las Vegas last month …
I love that Gannon Buhr’s mom is his caddy.
— Cardzilla (@Cardzilla_) February 27, 2022
See what I mean?
In a magical, fairytale land where the wheel’s not been invented and disc golf carts don’t exist, caddies are a must-have out on the course. Thankfully, we don’t live in Candy Land …
Want to hang with a close buddy? Have him caddie for you – otherwise, you don’t need one.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Luke warm take at best. Caddies have a role and place in our sport.
Eh, not right now …
No money. Friends. Family.
RARELY do you see a partnership out there on the bag that TRULY makes a difference …
Has it happened? With the right duo and personalities, probably.
But as I see, it these instances are few and far between …
Could that change?
Yes, there’s a good chance of it – and when it does, I’ll be the first to admit I’m wrong 🙂
You’ll need to be there to remind me, though, Donovan …
Thanks for reading, brotha!
I will acknowledge that caddies are not as important in disc golf as they are in traditional golf. But they can play a beneficial role or roles, and let’s not let the fact that most players don’t use caddies effectively be the basis for determining that caddies aren’t useful.
I played the A-tier side of the Waco Annual Charity Open a few weeks ago and the Las Vegas Challenge a few weeks before that. I had a friend caddie for me all 3 rounds I played in Vegas and 2 of the 3 I played at Waco. At 60 years of age, it was helpful for me to have someone other than myself tote the bag. I was much less tired after playing on the caddied rounds. At both events, my caddies took some photos and videos of my throws and putts, which I used in social media posts that my sponsors request I make. That’s extremely useful. Did they help me read putts or give me distances to the hole like ball golf caddies do? No. But keeping me from getting tired, taking some photos, making sure I didn’t run out of water, reminding me to recognize the wind and just being a friendly calming influence – priceless to me.
Hey, Allen!
Dude, love your comments – always so insightful 🙂
You bring up an interesting point that I haven’t yet heard …
Social media.
Hadn’t even considered that, TBH.
Given where disc golf is and what the player-sponsorship relationship looks like, that’s SUPER important.
Still, I’m not certain a manager (think Ricky Wysocki) couldn’t take care of that …
And at many DGPT events (maybe all of ’em, for all I know), touring players can’t actually take pictures or videos – weird, I know.
Also, the “tired” thing – which is a bonafide issue, mind you – can most often be resolved with a simple cart.
Do I think the value of caddies is blown WAY out of proportion in disc golf? Heck, yeah …
BUT, you raise some very good points, and if another person on the bag raises morale, by all means …
Do it to it.
The player-caddie relationship will change as the sport grows – excited to see what it looks like 🙂