In golf, a caddie is a person who supports the player during a round by carrying their bag of clubs, providing useful insights about the course, and offering general support much like a coach. Caddies and golfers work together and compete in tournaments at the highest level. The first caddies appeared in Scotland in 1817. The word derives from the 17th century French word "cadet" which originally referred to a student in the military and later to someone who did odd jobs
Caddies often wear one-piece white zip up suits that fit loosely one the body and have big useful pockets for carrying tees, course maps, score cards, and more.
The concept of a caddie provides a valuable metaphor for life. By caddying for another player, one puts the other person first and commits to helping them as much as possible. They take a behind-the-scenes role to contribute to someone else's success.
We made our caddie jacket by imagining what a caddie might like to change in to after they complete a round of golf. It's designed to be a piece that wears equally well dressed all the way or down, from any street corner to the nicest golf course clubs where anyone may find themselves.
It’s important to remember that some participants in the game of golf used the role of the caddie to prevent other races from playing the game, specifically black people in America. Clifford Roberts, the racist founder of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the prestigious annual Masters golf tournament, said "as long as I'm alive, all of the golfers will be white and all of the caddies will be black" when he spoke about his new course. Beyond Augusta National Golf Club, nearly all the caddies on the PGA tour were black during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. While this subjugation should disturb anyone considering the history of golf, we still can appreciate the fact that many black caddies were some of the best to do it. As Ricky Hampton editor of The African American Athlete, says, "A great caddy is priceless. He must not only know every inch of the course and every break on the green, he must also be a psychologist. And black caddies have been some of the best ever."
Some of the best black caddies include:
Herman Mitchell
Dolphus ‘Golf Ball’ Hull
Carl Jackson