In golf, a caddy is the person who carries a player's bag, and gives useful suggestions and moral support. A good golf caddy is aware of the troubles and obstacles of the golf course being played, as well as the best technique in playing it. This includes knowing overall yardage, pin placements and club selection.
Duties
The main duty of a caddie is to carry the player's bag and find the player's golf ball. Other common duties include:
cleaning clubs and golf balls
raking bunkers and sand traps
acquiring yardages
replacing/repairing divots (chunks of the fairway)
tending and removing the flagstick
making small talk
Other duties which caddies are required to do supposing that experienced enough are:
reading greens
helping with club choosing
keeping track of any "salts" made by the golfer
Caddies must be alert all of the time. Any penalty caused by the golf caddie is added on to his/her golfers score. The caddie should be aware of his surroundings at all times, particularly when players are hitting. Standing in other golfers lines of putting or lines of sight while they are hitting a ball is strongly discouraged. Moreover, the caddy is expected to know the rules and point out any rule-breaking on the part of the golf player, such as knowing the maximum amount of clubs a player is permitted to carry. A caddy on the PGA Tour, Miles Byrne, became famous when he forgot to count the clubs in Ian Woosnam's bag (only 14 authorized) before the final round of the British Open. His mistake cost Woosnam two strokes and probably the championship.
