Caddie

Golf Glossary

Caddie

In short

A caddie is a person who helps a golfer during a round. The caddie usually carries the golf bag and gives advice on club choice, distance and reading the green. In German, the word Caddie or Caddy is also used informally for the two-wheeled cart golfers use to pull their bag.

Caddie in golf: the meaning explained

A caddie accompanies a golfer around the round. The classic job is carrying the clubs, but in practice the caddie is often the most important adviser. They know the course, judge distances, watch the wind and help choose the right club. On the professional tour a caddie is part of every player's team.

In German the word has two meanings. The first is the person. The second is that many golfers say ‘Caddy’ or ‘Caddie’ for the two-wheeled cart they use to pull their bag around the course. Dictionaries list both. Anyone searching the internet for ‘Caddy Golf’ therefore sometimes means the cart. This article is mainly about the person. For the cart there is the term trolley.

Both spellings, ‘caddie’ and ‘caddy’, are in use. In English ‘caddie’ is the usual spelling for the person, in German both forms are common.

The duties of a caddie

What a caddie does depends on the level of play. For professionals the work goes far beyond carrying. Typical tasks are:

For recreational players the caddie is mainly a gain in pace and course management. Anyone who decides every shot together with the caddie often plays more carefully and makes fewer mistakes. On many German courses, however, players carry their own bag or use a trolley or golf cart.

What the Rules of Golf allow a caddie to do

The Rules of Golf of the R&A and USGA, in force since 2023, set out the caddie's role in Rule 10.3. A player may have a caddie who carries their clubs and advises them. Allowed without further agreement are, for example:

Only with the player's authorisation may the caddie restore conditions that have worsened, or lift the ball anywhere other than on the putting green when it must be replaced or the player is taking relief. For lifting, the authorisation must be given each time, and a general authorisation for the whole round is not enough.

What is not allowed is for the caddie to concede a hole or a stroke on your behalf, drop a ball or decide on relief themselves. These decisions stay with the player.

Limits and responsibility: what you need to know

Two principles go with the topic of caddies.

One particular point concerns the caddie's position (Rule 10.2b(4)). Once the player begins taking their stance for a stroke, the caddie must not deliberately stand behind the ball on or close to the extension of the line of play. If the player hits the ball while the caddie stands there, the general penalty applies: two penalty strokes in stroke play, loss of the hole in match play. The reasoning: the caddie should not help the player align.

Distance information is not a problem either. It does not count as advice under the Rules but as public information that anyone may ask for.

Example: a par 3 with a caddie

A par-3 hole is 150 metres long. The flag is at the back of the green, about 12 metres behind the front edge. A light headwind is blowing.

The player normally hits a 7-iron over that distance. The caddie measures the distance to the flag with a rangefinder, 150 metres, and points out the headwind. Their advice: one club more, so a 6-iron, and aim at the middle of the green because there is a bunker in front. The player follows the advice, hits and finds the green.

Afterwards the caddie walks to the green, tends the flagstick and marks the ball if asked. The player reads the putt, and the caddie adds an observation. The caddie only advised and helped, and the decisions stayed with the player.

Without a caddie the player has the same tasks and does everything alone. The example shows that a caddie saves time and gives confidence but does not replace skill.

Origin: where does the word caddie come from?

The word comes from Scotland. It goes back to the French ‘cadet’, meaning ‘younger son’ or ‘military trainee’. The Scots took over the word and spelled it, for example, ‘cadie’ or ‘caddie’. In the 17th century it first meant cadets, later in Scottish English odd-job workers and errand boys. For golfers' companions, the meaning is recorded in standard dictionaries by the middle of the 19th century at the latest.

It is often said that Mary, Queen of Scots coined the word. The Queen of Scots played golf in the 16th century and is said to have seen young cadets carry clubs in France. The story is popular but regarded as a legend. The word ‘caddie’ is not recorded for that period, and the exact development is uncertain.

All that is certain is that helpers who carry clubs and advise have been part of golf for a long time, especially on the Scottish links.

Caddie, trolley and golf cart: the differences

Three terms are often mixed up.

Which help you use depends on course and season. On some courses trolleys are banned in winter to protect the turf. A caddie in the sense of the Rules does not have to be a professional, and a friend or family member may carry the bag and advise too. A companion who merely walks along and carries other items such as a jacket is not a caddie under the Rules, as long as they do not handle the clubs or are named as caddie.

As a beginner you do not need a caddie. First learn the basic rules and etiquette. Carrying the bag yourself or pulling it with a trolley works well on short courses and nine holes.

Try it at Golf Lounge

On the Golf Lounge's 9-hole 'Black' course you can play with a DGV Platzreife and carry or pull your bag yourself. A seasonal rule applies to trolleys: from 1 November to 31 March trolleys are not permitted on the courses. The course is playable from April to December, and up to four players can book at a time. From May to October a qualifying 9-hole competition takes place on Saturdays at 9 a.m.

View the 9-hole course

Frequently asked questions

What is a caddie in golf?

A caddie is a person who accompanies a golfer during the round. They carry the bag, work out distances, watch the wind and advise on club selection. The player makes the decision for every stroke. On the professional tour a caddie is a fixed part of the team, in amateur golf caddies are rarer.

What does caddy or caddie mean?

The word comes from Scotland and goes back to the French ‘cadet’, meaning ‘younger son’ or ‘cadet’. In golf it means a player's companion. In German, ‘Caddy’ is also used informally for the two-wheeled cart that pulls the golf bag. Both spellings are common.

What may a caddie do under the Rules of Golf?

Under Rule 10.3 a caddie may carry clubs, advise before the stroke, search for the ball, smooth bunkers, tend the flagstick and mark and lift the ball on the putting green. Anywhere else the caddie may only lift the ball with the player's authorisation. Conceding holes, dropping or deciding on relief is not allowed.

Can a player have several caddies?

No. A player must not have more than one caddie at any one time. The caddie may change during the round, but not just to obtain an extra piece of advice. Several players may share one caddie. The player is responsible for the caddie's actions and receives the penalty for breaches.

Do I need a caddie as a beginner?

No. Beginners first learn the basic rules, etiquette and their own game. You carry the bag yourself or pull it with a trolley, which works well on short courses and nine holes. A coach is the better choice for technique and strategy, while a caddie mainly helps with course knowledge and decisions during the round.

As of: October 2026

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