From: kim@guppy.uucp (Isaac Kim)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf
Subject: Re: Caddie-ing
Date: 28 Sep 1992 22:15:05 GMT
Organization: UC San Diego
NNTP-Posting-Host: guppy.ucsd.edu

In article <BvAKG4.LuK@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Perry G Ramsey) writes:
>In article <1a6aaiINNo0k@network.ucsd.edu> kim@guppy.uucp (Isaac Kim) writes:
>[A very informative post on being a caddy that raised a few questions
>worthy of a net.argument.]
>
>>Most of the players I have caddied with either have replaced their 
>>own divot or just kicked it in (which I personally think is much
>>more effective since most divots die after being replaced).
>
>Heresy!  (But is it true?)

Although we have always been told since birth to replace our divots,
I believe it it much more effective to kick in the grass aroung your divot
with your spikes, and then tap down the pile (sort of like fixing a
ball mark on the green).  The grass where your divot was will be a little 
rough, but the grass will have a much better chance to grow back.
Also any future ball that rolls onto the area will have a decent lie.
It seems that most divots, especially bermuda, will die it they are 
replaced.  Have you ever tryed to hit a shot when your ball sits on a
dead divot?  It is very difficult to predict what is going to happen.
I think that is why most courses now prefer you to fill up your divot 
with sand that they usually provide in a bottle on your golf cart (if
you are riding).  Sand bucket are now appearing on the tee of many
Par 3's.  Hitting a shot from a sand-filled divot is much more consistent
than hitting from over a dead divot.  I really hope that kicking in
from around a divot with your spikes will catch on as the way to fix
divots.  It can be a little difficult at first and it requires a 
little practice and coordination.  Maybe someday somebody will develop 
a tool like a ball mark fixer to make this easier for the average golfer.

>
>>If your player is in a bunker, you will have to rake it once he is
>>done.  Try to make sure that no other player is about to hit before
>>you start raking.  
>
>Something tells me that the other player would want the trap raked before
>he swings.  Are there really players so impatient that they would rather
>hit toward an unraked trap than wait for the caddy to rake it?

Normally, most good players move through a course together.  Because 
of the "your away" order of hitting, a player will never have to hit 
towards a bunker which another player in the group has just hit out 
of, except for opposite bunkers around the green.

If players are opposite bunkers, try to rake as fast as possible
before the player on the other side blasts away.  He usually won't
get too upset and will let you finish the job, since you are doing 
him a favor.

>
>> As soon as you player hits his putt, pull the flag out and walk to the edge
>>of the green.  It is actually a penalty if your player's putt hits 
>>the flagstick.  
>
>What about touching the line of the putt beyond the hole?  Didn't the
>armchair officials try to nail John Daly at the PGA for that?

You keep the pin in the hole but tip it back slightly.  You never 
should tip it back so far so it touches the putting surface.  I think
it is OK for you feet to touch your player's line beyond the hole.
I think in the Daly incident, his caddie pulled the pin
completely out and was pointing out where Daly should aim his putt
with the end of the pin.  The caddie accidently placed the pin down 
on the green at the aiming point, which I believe was the reason 
for the penalty.

>
>>NEVER wear golf shoes when caddieing.  They will only add additional
>>unnecessary spike marks.  If I remember Capilano, it is a pretty hilly 
>>course, so wear a comfortable pair of sneakers.  If it is wet,
>>an all leather low cut basketball shoe usually does the job.
>
>I was always told never wear anything but golf shoes on a
>course.  Spike marks are much less offensive to the line of putt than 
>the bumps that 'sneakers' (particularly running shoes)
>leave behind.  Who's wrong?

This is a REALLY debateble issue.  I also have been told that you
should only wear golf shoes on the golf course.  I also realize that
some jogging shoes with the waffle soles will do more damage to the
greens.  But your traditional tennis or basketball shoe sole do
have the features which stick out of the sole, and I believe do
much less damage than spiked golf shoes.  What I really don't like
are those "spikeless" golf shoes which are basicly a tamer
football cleat.  If you watch a professional event (PGA, LPGA,
or Seniors), all of the caddies are wearing some sort of sneaker.
  
>-- 
>Perry G. Ramsey         Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
>dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu  Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
>perryr@purccvm          Life is short ...
>N9LFF                   Don't waste it folding underwear.

Isaac (kim@bull.ucsd.edu)

Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf