Carrying the Bag
Trust Your Bag to
the Best!
Marvin, aka Looper, is another one of my college buddies, who earned extra money during the
summers as a caddy at the local golf course. I started calling him Looper for carrying the bag 'a loop',
or 18 holes. The more loops he made, the more money he had in his pocket.
He was a great golfer, the captain of our golf team, and everyone thought he was 'the most likely to
succeed' at becoming a PGA pro. We could all visualize his name in bold letters on
a big leather golf bag, as he and his caddy strolled past the cameras toward the 18th green at
Augusta National. He would sink his 10 foot putt and become the first amateur to win the Masters!
But things didn't work out exactly that way. To meet financial obligations for his education, Looper
joined the Navy and served six years sailing around the world. After his discharge he hit the road, chasing his dream of becoming a pro, only to learn it was a hard life. Being a little older, and
maybe wiser than most of the hopefuls, Looper changed the direction of his career to carrying the bag.
Only a Caddy?
Most folks think that Looper settled for less when he decided to become a caddy. But he has
taught us the importance of a "bag man" in the success of a professional golfer. It is a little
like being a parent, coach, confidant, analyst, maitre 'd and psychologist-all in one. He must understand the rules of play; observe the course layout, design, distances, pin placements; anticipate
any obstacles or hazzards that might effect the stroke, flight and landing of the ball; and be prepared
for whatever situation that can go wrong and will go wrong. He does all this while carring a 1,000
pound bag up and down terrain that would challenge Hercules. The greatest challenge, however, after
managing the course and equipment, is knowing when to talk, when to listen and when to keep his
mouth shut!
Life as a caddy has brought Looper little notoriety, but he has earned a comfortable living and wouldn't
trade his career for anything. It has given him the opportunity to travel and play golf at the most famous
courses all over the world and converse with celebrities and professional golfers who were his idols
growing up.
Looper has agreed to share some of his experiences and course management tips. Click on his bag below to read them.
Click here to go back to the Pals.
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