Caddying Questions?

Question

What should I say to the golfers? How do I spark a good conversation, but at the same time, not seem nosy.

Answer 1

First you should ask your golfer what his distances are with a few clubs to help you gauge them during the round if they ask for advice.  i dont think you should "spark a good conversation".  If the golfer you are carrying for wants to talk he will talk.  If he wants advice he will ask.  You can share what local knowledge you have if the golfer asks or if they clearly dont know, but the less you say the better.  All you need to do is watch the ball and find it.  if the golfer hits to the the woods it isnt your fault the ball is lost.  Replace the divots and fix the ball marks on the green.  I wouldnt engage your golfer you should let them engage you.

Answer 2

What i do when there's a awkward silence i say stuff like i like how the course is looking this year or if you don't want to start it walk right next to your player and he will probably start talking about something

Answer 3

Show up, keep up, shut up.  I never initiated conversation.  Each player will expect/want something different when it comes to conversation.  The key is identifying what he's looking for and then deliver just that.  Ask a simple open ended question early.  He will either give a short, to the point answer, or elaborate.  This will give you a quick clue as to how much he wants to speak to you.

Answer 4

Talk about the golf they've played. Courses they've played. What they do for a living. Just general stuff you would with any other person. Most people haven't had a caddy so you might tell them how you can help them. If you are a good golfer you might suggest clubs or strategy. Here's a great tip - the better golfer you caddy for, the less help you should be giving them.

I remember an older gentleman (high handicap) at the course where I grew up telling of going to Mexico and playing golf. They had three levels of caddies. A, B, C. He selected an A caddy not really knowing what the difference was. During the round the caddies talked in Spanish to each other.  Late in the round he asked what the difference was between the caddies. The A caddies were excellent golfers 5 handicaps and less. He was impressed. At the end of the round he paid his caddy and then started carry on a conversation with him in Spanish. You see during the round the caddies were all talking about how bad these American golfers were.

Answer 5

My advice is to let the player take the lead on any conversation.  Just politely answer his questions.  Usually people will ask you early in the round where you go to school, stuff like that.  After that, the player is there to play golf and enjoy the time with his foursome.  You are there to carry his bag, find his balls, clean is clubs and repair his divots.  Don't annoy them by asking them questions because you feel like silence is awkward.  Silence is golden on a golf course.