The pros and cons of being a golf caddy

The farmer’s tan and early mornings are worth it

I know you’re surprised, seeing a girl write a story about how she’s a caddy. It may be taboo to some of you. It’s taboo to most of the men I work for too, but if they’ve gotten used to it then so can you. For the past four summers I have woken up before the sun rises in order to be at work when it does. Red Run Country Club is the private golf and social club in Metro Detroit where those who are wealthy enough and have the right connections come to play golf, tennis, swim and hang out. It’s sort of like college Greek life for adults. Similar to the “Who do you know where?” thing. I say this because if you want a membership at Red Run you have to show financial support and have two letters of recommendation from current members who are in good standing at the club.

This summer I won’t be slaving away out on the course, but I will still be at the club working in the  pro shop. So I felt it was necessary to write up a pros and cons list of working at a country club during the summers.

Pros:

THE MONEY

The money is amazing, if you work hard enough. Having worked at the club all throughout high school, I know which days to go in or not. And sometimes this means staying for two loops. At this point, I know all the members who frequent the first tee often. And if I have members who request to have me as their caddy, it increases my tip.

The business relationships 

I can’t even begin to tell you how many of the guys I worked for were doctors, lawyers or successful business owners. They have all given me advice about school, work and other personal things. And in the world of business, connections are everything. I am a journalism major wanting to work in TV and although none of the members I’ve worked for are in this field,  when I tell them I want to be on TV, they put me in contact with their friend who is in the business. In the past, I have been offered shadow jobs and possible intern positions through friends of their.  Building relationships with the people you work for definitely pays off.

Getting out of work early

There is no better feeling than getting done with work at around 1pm and being able to go home and nap or eat or sleep or swim or do whatever it is I want. It definitely compensates for having to get up so early.

Getting to play for free (sometimes)

Red Run is closed on Mondays, and when there isn’t intense grounds work or a private outing the caddies get to play for free! Now I’m not the best golfer, but it’s so much nicer playing on a private course than a crappy public one.

Cons:

The farmer’s tan

Oh the beautiful differentiation between my normal pale Irish skin tone and my summer glow. Sometimes when I look at my feet in the middle of August I think to myself, “How the hell was I ever that pale?”.

I’m a girl

As much as I hate to say it, there are a select few members at the club who hate having a girl work for them. I don’t know if it’s an inferiority complex or they’re just stuck in the 1700’s but it’s true. But beside the three misogynistic men that are members, everyone else treats me pretty well.


In most situations, the good outweigh the bad. Thanks to some cool bosses and people I work with (including my younger brother) bad situations become tolerable. I’m thankful for my years as a caddy because they taught be determination and how to work for your money. It’s also one of the few jobs that you can work before you turn 16, which for me was key. If you’re lucky and smart enough, you can also win a full scholarship to college like many of my friends have. For more info on that check out the Evans Scholars website.

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