GOLF CADDIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 9

GOLF CADDIES

QUESTION OF PAYMENT :: r-^-AN UNHAPPY POSITION. AUSTRALIAN WRITER'S VIEWS As a reaction of the Christmas spirit, and because about this time in Victoria several events are arranged for caddies, those who carry clubs for those who play golf come a little prominently under notice, states a writer in & Melbourne paper. Bub as the years go by, little is done to improve the lot of "// - these boys, youth's and men. . J.;': The position of the caddie is not s . happy one. Normally a player requiring j a caddie buys a ticket from the caddie master for 2s. At the end of tie round this is handed to the carrier, who on . . returning the ticket collects Is 9d. Some . give the caddie a tip, some do not. Some r ,.Xj believe in the principle of tipping, - 1 others do not. Some say they do not. I For the money paid to him the caddie | is expected to carrj' an hag weighing from 101b. to 301b. over at , I least five miles, irrespective of weather. . ' j and give advice and service that as a .| rule is most valuable to the player. I Seventy Miles for 24s 6d j If over a week a caddie has two '. j rounds a day—an extremely rare ex- |

perience—he would walk more than 70 \ . miles, and expend more energy, and perhaps more intelligence, on his job__.; ( . than most of those who play golf. All ••• he would be entitled to receive for-this -3 -

work would be 24s 6d. As four-ball games are more popular than any - other form of play, he probably would ■ . ;

work at least a 42 ; hour week. He would have to secure transport to the out-of-the-way places in which th® links are situated, feed and clothe himself, and contribute something to dependants, the latter in some cases in- , eluding wife and children. \ Last year in Great Britain considerable space was given in almost every . newspaper, and in every golf magazine, to this golf problem of the caddie. , It was made very clear that this was a labour, economic and sporting problem of far greater dimensions than ~ most people imagine. It is a real pro- - blem, particularly, from the caddies

end, in Australia. In a normal week-end in Melbourne there are at least 6000 rounds of golf played. All who can obtain caddies Tise them. But the supply is not equal to " the demand. That really is not surpm- •• • ing, considering the inducement. For hs most regular players the advantage »- of a carrier is ■worth considerably mor© v-_-than the fee charged. A Serious Matter In the case of the casual caddie, -that is, the youth or boy who -has , " either his school or another job for his mid-week, the problem is not serious. But for those unfortunates, who ■, include several married men and some who have given war service, and whose regular job is that on the links, the matter is serious. - At the Commonwealth drib there, were 96 competitors in the Victorian, caddies' championship. These were specially selected carriers who had proved their quality as players at their courses, and who, in addition, had qualified by competency and conduct, tothe satisfaction of their caddie masters, ; that they were worthy to compete. The . field represented only a. small proportion of Melbourne's caddies. 5 It was made very apparent on that —~ occasion that the caddies and the caddie masters, are doing a grand job. From experience and information I know that •*- the efficiency our caddies, now show in • their work is greater than at any other > period in ,golf. "V Economic Situation

Anyone present at Commonwealth 7,. ■would appreciate the difficult position . z of thesd caddies, All certainly were neatly attired. But it would ijend heart to see the number of bare feet - . that came through broken shoes and • socks. It was not less affecting to note v the manner in which all went heartily - into the job of disposing of the pies' and soft drinks provided. r> , , The meal seemed far more real than most seemed accustomed to. The field" ;'; « was made up of boys from 13 to men of well beyond 40. Jsot only were there returned soldiers in the ranks. Even some of these had been students at. some of our most famous schools.

Quite apart from the economicLsituation of the caddies,® it must Toe ap- f-: parent to any reasonable person that" ** the present regulation fee, which all that is paid by many, is a sweat- - - ing rate, an unfair thing. That this'y.' is realised is apparent by the custom r ? of tipping. ■■ Tipping Wrong Procedure

Tipping generally is considered the*-,"' wrong way of mending a wrong. Some will give Is, -while others give as much •"£ as 10s or £l. Several well-known members of clubs never give a carrier \ less than 10s. They naturally get service and then a little over. The "good- r : pays" are, well known, and. rushed—' and serviced. The. ''bad . pays" better known than the others, and most ingenious methods of avoiding or ; dealing with, them are resorted to. ■ It would bo a far better and fairer 'J thing, and more helpful to the caddies in general, to set a regulation fise and forbid tipping. No actual "over . all" fee of a set sum "would be justi- * fied. But caddies could be graded and- A." events graded. The properly qualified caddie would bo worth on such an j occasion as a championship far more to a competitor than just "a carrier." > Hence, according to their and according to the occasion, should ;;V the sliding rate be. • ..v.