I was a very poor golf caddy. The problem with this position is that you are on your own, there is no one to show you the ropes, and all the persons surrounding you make the arbitrary assumption that the job is an easy one and therefore you know it completely.
I spoke with my peers who had experience as a golf caddy and they informed me the work was straightforward. You carried the client’s bag of clubs on an 18 hole trek; at the end they pay you the going rate plus a big tip. I enjoyed walking long distances so I believed I met the basic job requirements.
My expectations of the job were not the same as those of my clients. Their expectations included having a caddy who would remove and reset the pin, who would make the right club immediately available to them, who would clean their ball, or replace it if scuffed. Some expected me to maintain their score card, or have me give guidance on the lay of the course and the siting of the bunkers. I understood bunkers to refer to the supply of coal on a steamship and could not fathom the reason I was being asked about steamship logistics while we strolled down a sun washed fairway. All I knew about golf was that it was highly inappropriate to step on the greens if not wearing golf shoes; this misunderstanding created significant problems with clients who expected me to remove and reset the pin.
I also learned that when my client suffered a heart attack on the back nine it was my responsibility to run the mile to the club house to summon emergency medical aid. And then run back to let the group know help was on its way.
Key Required Attribute – Location
My parents happened to live adjacent to the main entrance to the golf course. As a result, I was in constant demand when there was need for a golf caddy and none were available at the club house. I would get an urgent phone call and then run out and meet the group at the tee for the second hole.
Key Take Away
This job drove home the importance of not making assumptions in regard to task expectations. When I later became involved in delivering SAR training, I was careful to make no assumptions about the trainee’s prior level of knowledge. I made sure that every detail of task performance, from the most basic to the most critical, was thoroughly reviewed. Much later still, when I filled an HRD/OD role, I read McKinsey research which indicated the key determinant of sub-standard employee performance was a failure on the part of management to convey accurate job expectations.
Salary
I believe the standard fee was $5.00 for 18 holes (roughly 3 hours so about $1.66 per hour) but this was usually doubled by the addition of a tip. I learned I could easily double my earnings through providing a high level of service delivery. But it required a significant number of disgruntled clients before one aggrieved client finally explained my duties to me.
I doubt this job still exists. I have no way of knowing as I have not set foot on a golf course for over 45 years. When I started caddying, there were only two options: carry the bagged clubs over your shoulder, or rent a two wheeled cart to hold the weight of clubs and bag. I do remember one foursome in which two members of the group rented one of the new electric golf carts. They used it to carry their stock of iced beer.
I suspect most of the persons who hired me were traditionalists (some wore plus fours) and they viewed hiring a caddy as part of the experience of a round of golf.
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This post has provoked a stream of memories about the golf course and the large amount of time I spent walking it after dusk while grappling with the philosophic burdens of youth. I seem to be able to conjure up very vivid memories of this period but I have much greater difficulty when it comes to more recent memory — last week is a blank, my twelve years with HP is just a blur.
I spent this morning thinking of this and realized that conducting a review of all 33 jobs will take well over a month of posts. I need to remember Dr H’s injunction and set priorities.