My Little Caddying Experiment – Thinking About Joe LaCava
So, I got thinking about caddies the other day. You see guys like Joe LaCava on TV, right? Always there with the big names, Tiger Woods for ages, now Patrick Cantlay. Looks pretty straightforward from the couch, doesn’t it? Carry the bag, hand over a club, maybe wipe the ball. Seemed like a decent way to spend a day outside.
Years ago, probably longer than I care to admit, I actually tried caddying. Not professionally, obviously. Just for a buddy of mine, let’s call him Dave, in a local club tournament. Dave’s a decent golfer, but gets hot-headed. I figured, hey, I watch golf, I know the basics. How tough can it be? I’d seen LaCava look cool as a cucumber next to Tiger on Sundays, thought I could bring some of that calm.
What I Planned vs. What Happened
My plan was simple:
- Keep up and shut up, mostly.
- Hand Dave the club he asked for.
- Look professional (whatever that meant).
Yeah, that didn’t quite work out. First hole, Dave asks for yardage. I stare blankly at the sprinkler head, trying to remember if the number meant front or middle of the green. Guessed wrong. He flew the green. Not a great start.
Then came the club selection advice I thought I should give. Saw LaCava and Tiger having those intense chats. So, on a tricky par 3, I confidently told Dave, “It’s gotta be the 7-iron, bit of wind helping.” He looks at me funny, takes the 8-iron anyway, and sticks it ten feet from the pin. Okay, maybe I don’t know as much as I thought.
Reading putts? Forget about it. Every line I suggested seemed to do the opposite. By the back nine, Dave wasn’t asking for my opinion anymore. He just wanted the bag near him and maybe a towel. My “calm influence” plan? Out the window. I was sweating buckets, mostly from embarrassment and trying not to lose his expensive clubs.
Realizing What Guys Like LaCava Actually Do
We finished the round. Dave didn’t yell, but he had that tight-lipped look. We didn’t talk much about my caddying disaster afterwards. But it really hit me. Watching someone like Joe LaCava isn’t just watching a bag carrier. It’s seeing a psychologist, a strategist, a weatherman, and a logistics expert all rolled into one.
They know the courses inside out. They know their player’s game, their mood swings, everything. They manage the pressure, not just feel it. That calm demeanor LaCava often has? It’s probably hard-earned, comes from knowing exactly what you’re doing in a high-stakes game.
My little experiment was a joke, really. Made me appreciate the real pros. It’s a tough job, requires a ton of skill and trust. So next time I see LaCava walking the fairway, I’ll know it’s way more complex than it looks on TV. Much respect to those guys.
