Two Caddies, Two Stories, Two Great Books

I have a great brother. Even though he continues to kick my ass each time we tee it up together he’s always a wonderful playing partner. His dominance over me is especially difficult seeing as it was I that introduced him to the game over thirty years ago.

But one of the advantages of having him in the game is that he keeps me well stocked in books on golf. He’ll show up with a few books when he comes down for a round or two and is especially generous on those occasions when I am laid up with shoulder surgery which I’ve had twice in the last few years.

I recently delved into my backlog of golf books (courtesy of my bro) and came out with two winners, Loopers by John Dunn and An American Caddie in St. Andrews by Oliver Horovitz.

Both authors are caddies that also write…or is it writers that also caddie? Anyway both books are interesting and give the reader rare insights into the world of processional caddying.

Dunn tells us of his coast to coast loop that started as a youth in Connecticut and had him traveling the world chasing better loops at better courses with better paydays. Sometimes it worked out and other times it didn’t.

But Dunn wasn’t shy about his affinity for the gypsy lifestyle that had him golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter.

With stops at Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills, Bandon Dunes, Sherwood Country Club and plenty of stops in between, Dunn is the epitome of the rolling stone. No moss grew on him as he moved on from one great spot to another leaving girlfriends, family and friends in his dust.

The life of a professional caddie, not a tour caddie, is full of ups and downs. One of Dunn’s ups was spending summers playing Shinnecock and National Golf Links. One of his downs…getting kicked out of Sherwood for swinging Tiger Woods’ clubs in the bag room.

All the time Dunn was dealing with his father who wanted him to live a more mainstream life. Like getting a real job. In his eyes caddying wasn’t a real job.

But to Dunn, a lifer on the links, it was his job and a job he loved.

Oliver Horovitz looked to have his life all set up for him. He was accepted into Harvard after a stellar academic (and golfing) career at New York City’s Stuyvesant High School. And we all know a Harvard grad usually has a step up on the rest of the masses.

But Horovitz was accepted into the following years class so he had that rare and cherished “gap year” to deal with. He choose to spend it in St. Andrews, taking classes and caddying. And he choose well.

He gives us a behind the scenes look into the life of the caddies that are lucky enough to walk the links of St. Andrews. Now, it’s not Caddyshack, but it’s close.

His fellow bagmen are old, young, gamblers, drinkers, philosophers, hard cases and of course wise-asses.

And Horovitz loves all of it. After a rough start he revels in his ability to be a good caddie, be accepted into the inner circle of the older lifers and of course he gets to play golf at St. Andrews. Not a bad gig.

It’s a coming of age story and he shares his heartbreaks and big breaks with us.

He fell in love and made friends from all over. He caddied for Huey Lewis and Larry David. He did shots with Paula Creamer and spent his summers while at Harvard jetting back across the Atlantic.

It was a love affair with St. Andrews and so much more.

Horovitz spent plenty of time with his great uncle Ken, an eighty something, proper gentlemen who lives in St. Andrews and who becomes Ollie’s best friend. It’s a special relationship and by far the most interesting of all of the characters in the book.

Like Dunn, Horovitz is a writer and filmmaker that can’t get caddying out of his system.

But with a life that has him in St. Andrews for the summer why would he want to.

Both Loopers and American Caddie are wonderful reads and I definitely recommend them both.

Thanks brother.