I was lucky enough earlier this week to be able to play golf in one of the most beautiful locales i've ever played golf. Beneath the shadow of the Andes mountains lies Club Campestre; one, if not the only, country club in Bucaramanga with a golf course.
The grass wasn't as manicured and nice as a country club in the States would be and it definitely wasn't as hard as the at the country club where I used to work. But, it was nice. Real nice.
There was only one perplexing thing about the golf course: Not a single riding golf cart. If you wanted to play a round on the golf course, you had to do it on your own two feet and not four wheeled vehicle.
And, you can't carry your own clubs. No matter how old you are or how young you are, you had to use a caddie. Honestly, I saw an older gentleman who was walking the course with the assistance of his cane (his caddie looked like he was about as old as he was) and a girl who couldn't have been more eight-years-old both with a caddies.
Things like this would not fly in the States. I know that I may be making a horrible generalization about people in the States, but, kids in the U.S. would never be able to use a caddie for various reasons and the majority of older people tend to use motorized golf carts. I guess they've earned this right and privilege.
Now I've caddied for my fair share of people, including hundreds of times for myself, but I've never taken a caddie along for a round. I wish this fate on no one. (Well, not so much, because after the first few holes i found my rhythm. I even scored pars on the final three holes).
My caddie was one of the most knowledgeable caddies I've ever seen. He knew yardages without even checking posted yardage markers, picked my clubs for me each time I took a shot and even instructed me on my swing at different times throughout the round. He read all my putts for me and, if I hadn't been wearing a skirt while I was putting all day, I would've made 70 percent of my putts.
He was also a bit older then me. In the States, unless you work to become a professional caddie, caddies are usually younger kids and early aged college kids who are just looking to work a good paying summer job. But for people like Dario (that was my caddies name) and the rest of the caddies here, this is their profession. This is what they do. This is how they support themselves.
I also have to assume that they have a love for the game of golf as well and they surely seem to enjoy themselves as much as I remember enjoying myself when i was a caddie. But, because of their lack of money, they don't have the opportunity to move any higher then just being someone's caddie.
Dario could probably work as a teaching professional in the United States. When I was duffing 60 yard chip shots, he grabbed the club and ball and showed me exactly what I was doing wrong. He knocked his ball within 10 feet of the pin. He had a real pure swing.
He also knew exactly where I needed hit the ball every time i stepped up to the tee and corrected my aiming when I was aimed incorrectly.
The caddie uniform was completely a completely different entity then it's American counterpart as well. It consisted of long pants, long sleeve shirts and a required caddie hat that many of the caddies wore over a different cap. I felt bad that i was wearing shorts because it was really balmy out. Every caddie's shirt had padded shoulder pads, their first names embroidered on the front left pocket and their full name on a patch on the back their uniform. The shirts also were apparently sponsored by the local super market and Aero Repulica because they also had patches for both.
The most interesting thing about the uniform was the list of six values on the right sleeve. I can't remember them all off the top of my head but two i do remember were honesty and service. We as caddies never had a list of values we were supposed to abide by. I think I remember learning about some values at caddie classes when i was twelve-years-old but after caddie classes ended and you started working, you forget about creeds and such and just start working.
The best thing was, the caddies seemed to abide to all these values. It was really a neat thing.
It's unlucky that people here don't have the chances like people in the States. Hell, the current assistant golf professional at the country club where I used to work used to work in the bag room when I was a young caddie. He had a vision and spent hours practicing his game to get to that point and now is probably the best golfer I know personally. Keep swinging, Colombian loopers.
Also, kids in the States who work as caddies, be VERY happy with how much money you make. I'm not going to comment on how much caddies here make but trust me. You make really good money. And, be happy that people still enjoy taking caddies when they play golf because one day. Your caddie master always threatened you with this but you all know it may come true one day: be courteous to the people you caddie for because one day, you all may be replaced by golf carts.
(Caddying was my favorite summer job that I ever had. Can you tell?)
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