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“At 26, I quit my job to become a caddie. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.” That’s how a viral Reddit post by FrontBlunt222 began, racking up 3,400 upvotes, 350 comments and the attention of countless jealous golfers. We reached out to the now-Internet-famous golfer, otherwise known as Collin Woods (no relation), to find out more about how someone goes from hating their job to becoming a full-time caddie at The Keep at McLemore.
At 26, I quit my job to become a caddie. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
byu/FrontBlunt222 ingolf
A mid-20s bartender and screen printer (someone who puts graphics for companies and bands onto shirts), Collin felt that he was in a rut, “miserable” with his day-to-day in Chattanooga, looking for something else to do. Once a skateboarder who was essentially dragged out onto the course, he had gotten obsessed with golf a little less than a year earlier and figured he might as well keep a lookout for gigs in the industry, most notably caddieing.
“I got hooked. I started going to the range, started playing rounds, and probably about six months after that, I had a golf simulator in my basement,” Collin said. “I was searching for months to try and find a caddie job. And then, you know, one day I came home from bartending and was just ready to give up. I decided to go check a job site, and there was a job listing to be a caddie at a resort course about 45 minutes away from me.
“I went and interviewed. They told me that they liked me as long as I can get through training. I went back to the bar the next day and told them that I would start training to be a caddie in a few days, and this is an opportunity that I can’t pass up.”
Training to be a caddie is probably not far off from what you think it is: Learning on the course under more-experienced caddies over an all-intensive three-day run, focusing on single-bagging, double-bagging and being a forecaddie. The Keep is still technically in preview play, but it’s taking reservations for walking-only rounds in the fall and is right next to the top-ranked Highlands Course. Not a bad starting gig in golf.
Speaking of walking, Collin’s doing a lot of it. But he can’t complain about being outside, thinking about golf full-time and trying his best to guide players from all over the world.
“The physical part was surprising, walking 18 with a bag, or two. It’s certainly a lot,” Collin admitted. “After one day of single bagging, my legs and shoulders were definitely feeling it. I’m walking around seven miles a round. I wasn’t outta shape, but I definitely was not in caddie shape. That’s for sure.”
A self-described outgoing guy, Collin has tried to bond with his players and is never happier than when he gives a good read for someone on the green. It’s the part of his own game that Collin feels the most positive about, and he’s still riding the high of one specific recent call.
“ Last week, I was with a lawyer from Florida,” Collin explained. “Me and him just hit it off. Together, we were just on fire. We got to one hole, and he had a birdie putt, and it was his first birdie putt of the day. I gave him a read and, you know, he took the advice and he sank it.
“As soon as that ball went into the cup, he just started running up to me. Came up to me, gave me a hug, telling me just what a great read that was. I get just as excited to see them do well as they get excited for them to do well. That’s by far the most rewarding part, just being somebody fun to be with or helping them shave some strokes off.”
Collin Woods at The Keep
So, you’re probably wondering the same thing the Reddit commenters were: Is there enough money to make this all work? That would, of course, depend on what job you’d be in line to quit, but Collin has no regrets and is making a good chunk more now than in his previous life.
“If you have a wife/kids/house etc sure it might not be enough,” Collin wrote to one inquiry. “But as a single guy, no kids, roommates, I’m more than happy with what I’m making so far! My first 3 loops (all double bagging), I made $700. About 15 total hours of work.”
Collin loops four to five times a week, sometimes more when things are busy, and even gets in some free rounds when things are light. He’s still a 29 handicap—a far cry from his fellow stick loopers—but has 150-plus rounds under his belt over the past year, including a recent run of 16 days in a row.
In fact, on the topic of more golf, he’s thinking about venturing south when golf dries up over the cold months and looping in Florida, Texas or Arizona through Caddiemaster. His coworkers thought he was a little crazy for making the switch at first, but his mother wanted him to try it out. And things seem to be working out pretty dang well. Mothers always know best …
In terms of future goals, Collin has no desire to split from golf and even aspires to caddie professionally, perhaps on the Korn Ferry Tour. He also shouted out Joel Dahmen, a pro he connected with while watching “Full Swing” and knows is looking for a caddie.
“Joel’s definitely my first pick for sure,” Collin said about the dream scenario. “I relate a lot to that guy, and we’d just hit it off. Me and him together could be a problem.”
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Main Image: Michael Svoboda
