I once had a
acquaintance, a man-child who lived in his parents basement into his third
decade (and may still be there) slyly admit to me the he “carried other men’s
golf bags for money.” It seemed an odd admission at the time, but when I
learned that he actually ventured from the basement to shag a bag for a pro on
the sub-PGA, Nike Tour and that his cut of the winnings amounted to thousands
of dollars, I found a new appreciation for caddie. I can’t say the
caddie/writer Oliver Horovitz has done much to elevate that opinion with his new
book, An American Caddie in St. Andrews, but
he has spawned an appreciation for his ability to create a career out of an I
don’t wanna grow up approach to life.
While other
caddies have penned books they mostly fall into one of three categories; a pure
golf tip guide, a tale of shagging a bag for a pro and a critical championship
round, or shagging a bag for a pro who turns out to be real a-hole. Horovitz
gives us a different take with his insights into classic St. Andrews, Scotland,
Old Course and the crusty world of veteran caddies, trainees and the pursuit of
acceptance in an insular world.
While golf
is a steady focus throughout the book and the Old Course characters play
primary roles in the tale, An American Caddie
in St. Andrews is really a coming of age story. It’s a fish out water tale full
of personal growth, humor and real life Caddyshack
antics.
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