Bandon- Caddy or No Caddy

[KSI]

If money is not an issue then you should definitely get one. If it doesn't work it out, you can request another caddie or go without one. A good caddie at Bandon will save you strokes as they will know the correct part of the green to aim/hit in order to get a ball close to the pin which you cannot always see with your eye or in a yardage book.

[mallrat]

GET A CADDY. It just seems to make for a more enjoyable round to me and helps a small local economy. Brandon is a very small town and with 400 caddies (i believe that is what i was told) the money they bring into the town makes a huge difference.

 

For those saying it changes a group dynamic, not always and it can enhance or make the group dynamic better. Never met a caddy there who took away from a group I was with in and that's in 6 trips there. If the caddy ruins the group dynamic, maybe the group is the problem.

 

Quick story about taking a caddy, i was playing on a windy day, pretty darn windy. I asked my caddy how hard it was blowing and he said 3-4 clubs but in the typical summer direction, not the normal winter direction. Was on Pac Dunes and sat 130 out in the fairway, it was my 3rd round with the caddy and he was basically handing me clubs and telling me where to aim, hands me a 6 iron and says "you can go after it a bit." Now i thought it was windy but no way would i hit a 6 from 130. Anyways i just said ok and let it rip. Made the 8 ft. birdie putt and put a smile on the caddies face.

[duffer987]

 

For those saying it changes a group dynamic, not always and it can enhance or make the group dynamic better. Never met a caddy there who took away from a group I was with in and that's in 6 trips there. If the caddy ruins the group dynamic, maybe the group is the problem.

 

 

We all have our own perspective on things and what we like and do not like, but are you seriously blaming a group of golfers for not getting on with a caddy? Also I didn't read anyone saying a caddy 'ruined' a group dynamic, just that they prefer to not add that variable to it, as they enjoy playing the game however it is they currently do.

 

Seems pretty simple, if they have a great time with their current set up, why change?

That's great you do something that works for YOU, but that's all it is. That you would blame these golfers is obtuse at best and something less nice at worse.

 

It's the caddy's role to provide a service, including fitting in with the players they are looping for, no group should need to acquiesce to their caddies.

 

At various places over the years we've taken caddies (not a Bandon though) and we've had and seen great ones, good ones, average ones, and absolutely sh1te ones. That people are happy on their own, in their group, and don't want to add that element of chance is absolutely fine :)

[mallrat]

Sorry, didn't mean to say or imply anyone should not be free to do what they want, are comfortable with or that it was/is a groups job to get along with a caddy. I also didn't mean to insinuate that a group should acquiesce to their caddy. Was more trying to say that I've played with a couple groups who thought they were having a great group time and they weren't as enjoyable as some of them thought they were.

 

Everyone going is free to do as they see fit with regards to caddies. I also understand that not everyone can afford to get a caddy, I just highly recommend them. I have also had a couple good caddies, a great one (who i use now when i go) and a poor one (wasn't necessarily bad, just not for me).

 

Apologies if that offended as that was not my intention.

[tnord]

i've been going back and forth on this for a while....not sure what i'm going to do.

 

i'm not going to say "money is no object" for us, but it's not an obstacle in this situation. regardless, i'm still an accountant, and $ is $, and for the same price i'd rather do a replay round that take a looper. however, when i was at pinehurst i loved having caddies around and thought they were really fun...especially since it was a work deal that i didn't pay for.

 

i anticipate playing at least 6 rounds in 4 days, and an extra $600+ for caddies does get to be a decent amount of money. however, if the caddie is helping me carry my bag and save my energy so i can really enjoy that second 18....then it's probably worth it to get the most out of a $5k+ trip.

 

i think for me, it's only worth it if we can get somebody that isn't double bagging. i'm really just looking for somebody to add to the experience, and don't care so much about saving a couple shots, so if he's running all over the place it's not providing a lot of value for me personally.

[jkd9977]

I figure I'll take a caddy for the morning rounds if that ia what the rest of the group is doing and then hoof it on my own the rest of the time. I'm planning on playing every replay possible.

[tnord]

i'll be right there with you....for that replay rate i'm actually SAVING money compared to what i'd spend in the bunker.

[jkd9977]

That's the truth. I'm thinking about trying a 54 hole day. We finished early enough one day last year that I could have made most of a round.

[C. Spackler]

Bandon courses are an easy walk (with the exception of a spot or two on Trails), not at all penal, and with a few exceptions the holes are wholly laid out in front of you. So IMHO it's more about whether you want a 'caddie experience' with your golf or not.

 

I've played 30+ rounds there on 5 trips and not used a caddie and we've never once said, hmm... maybe should have had someone loop for us today. TBH I don't want the interference, just me and my mates playing the most fun public access golf in the US.

 

We've been other places over the years where a caddie has been a welcome addition and unfortunately places where they've not. I've played with a few caddies at Bandon and had a few in groups when paired up and they've all come across as stand up guys and gals, so I am sure they're all good pros, so I doubt you'll get a bad one if you choose to go that way.

 

Couldn't agree more, specifically with the bolded....especially if playing alone. I enjoy the walk and learning the lay of the land without any outside influence. I travel, for business, quite a bit so I play a a lot of solo golf so I think I've become accustom to appreciating all the intricacies of a course while chasing balls in and out of trouble. :rolleyes:

[dave willie]

Bandon is a beautiful place, about as natural a setting as you can get on a golf course. I even like the sound of the place, where the steady roar of the ocean muffles the voices of players on adjacent holes. I've played it a few times where it almost felt like we were out there by ourselves, with a good gap ahead and behind us. Even a good caddie would diminish the feeling of relative solitude, which is one of the aspects that makes Bandon so appealing to me.