Mark’s Kaddy Korner

The Augustine blackjack dealers chased me from the tables about 4:00 a.m. and as I was driving back to my buddy Todd’s place the sky was gurgling above the mountains between Palm Springs and L. A. The clouds were swirling, lightning flashing and the L. A. area was experiencing the worst torrential downpour in a half century. Jimin hadn’t texted about Monday practice time, ahh, maybe a caddy holiday was on the horizon. I forgot, I’m working for a young Korean, there’s no such thing as a day off. She texted me at 7:30, wanting me there at 10 but I negotiated for 11, enough time for the two hour drive from the desert.

If you’re going 36 on Sunday a caddy can’t pick a better track than Waialae CC. It’s short, flat, has a temperate climate and the scenery ain’t bad next to the ropes, up the mountain slopes, and along the shore. If you pay attention to the wind, grain on the greens, nibble on a couple of PB&J sandwiches along with some fruit and suck down a few bottles of H2O you should be okay.

 

Hey all,

Bittersweet, that’s all there is to say about last week; home without a job but it’s really not home any more. Shawn and Cindy were gracious; they let me and Alaskan Dave crash at their place for the week while we searched for work. It was nice, I guess, seeing some old friends, my dog Zach, but I was ready to get out of their Tuesday after a futile job search. On Monday I thought my prospects were good but Tuesday morning there was large gathering of experienced caddies in the parking lot.

Searching for Work after the Firing

A couple of days on Mackinac Island were good for the soul, I hated to leave, but a new job search was necessary. The PGA was in the Quad Cities and the Champions Tour was in Minnesota, I figured I could split my week and talk to a few guys on each tour. We headed for Illinois on Sunday, arrived Monday evening after checking on my van in Milwaukee, and spent a couple of days roaming the parking lot, practice facility, and clubhouse area talking with anyone who would listen.

A Caddie’s Lament

Every caddy, excluding those top few, has one wish. They are looking for that one big tournament each year. It doesn’t have to be a win; a top five will help the bank account and keep you going a few more years. Without that one good tournament each year you lose a bit of motivation and your positive attitude dwindles. When a caddy languishes below the top twenty every week, spends a lot of time in the parking lot job hunting, and checks out of motel rooms on Fridays more often than Sundays; the job gets old.