{"id":23286,"date":"2015-09-10T14:54:47","date_gmt":"2015-09-10T13:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/?p=23286"},"modified":"2015-09-10T16:11:45","modified_gmt":"2015-09-10T15:11:45","slug":"the-ins-and-outs-of-hiring-a-caddie-at-st-andrews-and-why-you-should-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/the-ins-and-outs-of-hiring-a-caddie-at-st-andrews-and-why-you-should-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ins And Outs of hiring a Caddie at St Andrews and why you should do it"},"content":{"rendered":"[dropcap]W[\/dropcap]hen it comes to making the pilgrimage to St Andrews to tick the Old Course off your bucketlist, there are a few \u201cDos\u201d & \u201cDon\u2019ts\u201d that are sure to make the experience all the more enjoyable.<\/p>\n

Booking a Caddie is one that YGT customers commonly recommend so we thought we\u2019d have a chat with Robert Thorpe, who is the Caddie Manager for the St Andrews Links Trust, to bring you guys the ins and outs of booking a caddie for your round on the Old Course.<\/p>\n

1st things 1st…<\/h5>\n

\nOn the course, the caddie will give the player detailed information about the technical aspects of the course strategy as well as locate shots, calculating exact yardage, clean the clubs and golf balls, replace divots and read putts if requested. All that will cost \u00a350 for a fully qualified caddie, while trainee caddies will set you back just \u00a330.<\/p>\n

NB<\/b> – Gratuities are at the player’s discrection and, needless to say, should be based on the level of service received during your round. As a general guide though, tips usually start at the \u00a315 mark.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what he had to say…<\/p>\n

How far in advance do you need to book?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cAs early as possible really. As soon as you\u2019ve got a confirmed tee time then you can pop a request in. The earlier the better but we can handle requests up to 2 hours previous before the tee time.\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

And how do you become a caddie at St Andrews?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cIn general you apply directly with the St Andrews Links Trust. We put a link on the website in January and February each year and there\u2019s a training programme to complete. We also accept applications from experienced caddies who might\u2019ve caddied elsewhere. But it\u2019s all dependent on how many vacancies we have.\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

We imagine there are some pretty handy golfers in amongst the caddies at St Andrews. To your knowledge, what\u2019s the lowest handicap in the caddie ranks?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cThere\u2019s quite a few but probably scratch. He\u2019s called Hamish Ireland and he actually won the Gold Medal at the Local Clubs\u2019 Competition this year.\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

So Hamish is the best golfer, but how long has the longest serving caddie been doing the rounds at St Andrews for?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cThere\u2019s plenty of experience among the guys but one of our caddies has been here for 40 years. He knows the course like the back of his hand.\u201d[\/quote]\n
\n\"st-andrews-old-course\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Like all classic links courses, the Old Course at St Andrews takes some getting used to so it’s always a good plan to have someone on your bag who’s got a wealth of experience on the links. You never know…it might be the difference between having to cough up for the winner’s drinks or having one bought for you!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your Golf Travel clients often say their best recommendation for golfers playing the Old Course for the first time is to make sure you book a caddie. What would you say a caddie brings to the St Andrews experience?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]”Well we\u2019re now trying to offer a sort of full experience which includes course information and yardages, as well as some history on the way around the course. Advice on other courses is useful information too and really it\u2019s about tailoring it all to what the individual golfer\u2019s looking for rather than just giving information required for the shot. The guys are all very good at adapting their personalities to the customer so they enjoy every minute, from the 1st<\/sup> tee to the 18th<\/sup> green.”[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

In terms of the advice the caddies do give the players on the course, where would you say they save players the most shots during a round?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cThey\u2019re very good at club selection and will usually have you pegged within a couple of holes but lines off the tees to avoid the bunkers and putting lines. I mean, the greens don\u2019t really look like they have many breaks but there are triple breaks out there sometimes.\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

Obviously we watch the guys at The Open taking some aggressive lines in places such as from the 17th<\/sup> tee. Where would you say most handicap golfers should aim their tee shots here?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cHaha yes…maybe a little bit left of where those guys are aiming! It depends on where the tee\u2019s set up as this can vary the preferred line completely. I mean sometimes in the winter the tee are so far left none of the buildings come into play so you shouldn\u2019t be going anywhere near the writing on the shed in that case! Generally over the lion rampant is a safe line but I guess it depends on how far you hit it too!\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

Is it fair to say some golfers playing the Old Course for the first time might be a bit baffled by some of the advice they get from caddies?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cYeh exactly yeh. I mean standing on the 12th<\/sup> for example; you\u2019re getting to told to miss a fairway which can seem strange to some! But they all know the course so well that if you trust them they really will save you a few shots if you\u2019re playing well.\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

So we\u2019ve mentioned the Road Hole but out of the many iconic spots on the Old Course, where would you say caddies act as cameraman the most on the course?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cOh the Swilcan Bridge for sure. The Road Hole Bunker\u2019s another popular spot and the 1st<\/sup> tee as well. You can\u2019t really play the Old Course and not get at least one of these pictures can you?!\u201d[\/quote]\n<\/p>\n

And do you get many people wanting to recreate iconic moments from St Andrews while they\u2019re playing?<\/h5>\n

\n[quote]\u201cWe don\u2019t get too much of that but we\u2019ve had a few people do Seve\u2019s celebration on the 18th<\/sup> green![\/quote]\n