#11 at Quaker Ridge.. My favorite hole on my home course
I wrote this for a friend, who is coming to town to give them a bit of a head start on the season... Seemed like it might make for an interesting way for others to think about playing a top-100 course from a different perspective. There is a guide to playing each hole, tips on how to be a really good caddy, and more.
CADDY SURVIVAL GUIDE AT QUAKER RIDGE
... I am sure I will have lots more tricks and things to say on the subject, but this is the best I can do off the top of my head at the moment... I hope you have lots of fun and make tons of money!
Quaker Ridge
146 Griffen Ave
Scarsdale, NY
Schedule
- Fridays and Weekends I try to sign in between 6-6:15 (I always eat breakfast in the caddy yard to save time)
- Weekdays 6:30-6:45 is fine
- Always stay till at least 3:30
- ... The higher on the sign in sheet your name is, the more loops you will get
- ... Try your best to wait out the rain... just make sure you can get a ride home w your bike!
- On Sundays, make sure you ask about outings on Mondays... Outings are the biggest pay days and a reward for good work
Bring snacks or extra lunch... Always need extra energy
- caddy lunch is free, but never enough!
- Lots of caddy's drive to pick up lunch... ask to join or to get you something
Things to always have in locker
- extra socks
- extra towel
- extra khaki shorts and white polo shirt
- Golf shoes
- sunscreen
- battery for laser
- rain gear
- A GOOD BOOK!
Par-3 #9 at Quaker Ridge
Pre Round
- Always have a wet towel
- Must Tees, Scorecards, Pencils, Divot fixer and Ball Markers (loose coins always work really well) in pockets
- Count 14 clubs and clean (finding out you dont have a putter on #1 green is never good)
- Check bag for old water bottles, and take out extra weight garbage.. You can ask to remove rain gear and umbrellas on sunny days
- Ask if you can put the driver and putter head cover in the bag
- Test laser is working
On Course
- Call for provisional on all balls that are close... never feel bad about making a player hit a 2nd tee shot!
- Stand on right side of player with bag
- Clean club after every shot
- Put back divots
- Get pin
- Rake bunkers
- Offer to wipe the ball on every green
- I always give a yardage, I don't pick clubs... they cant blame you!
- If you don't know how a putt breaks... ask what they think, and adjust it slightly
- Try to always be positive.. point out there is lots of room on the right, not that there is a hazard on left
- Good questions to ask members if you are having trouble connecting... Mr. X what is your favorite hole? Ask if they have ever been to Scotland (since you have played so much)... Ask what they thought about the Masters or Tiger Woods.. Ask what they think about the renovation, Gil Hanse and the new greens
Hole #1
- Left side is best on layup
- Bunker is 60 yards short of green
- Add 10 yards to all approach shots
- Add even 5 more yards distance to pins in back right (all carry)
- Hand drivers to players, note if the pin is left or right on #14 when you cut across to forecaddy
- Ask for a bottle of water
Hole #2
- Hard to see in morning with the sun, go further out to see around corner
- Short is better than long
- Drop bags on far side of green, bring drivers onto green so you can forecaddy
Hole #3 (worst hole on course)
- Add 5 yard to approach on right
- Only out of bounds left on golf course, nursery is a free drop
- Green slopes hard right to left
Hole #4
- Line off the tee is the left edge of green
- Make sure you can see over mound and down the hill when you forecaddy on #4
- Be ready to yell FORE on #12!!!
- Layup 60 yards short to avoid slope and bunkers
- Everything breaks to the water side
- Shorter approach on right, longer on left
Hole #5
- Wind is always swirling
- Note if pin is front or back of the ridge
- Best drop zone is from the ladies tee 113 yards
- Trees right of cartpath is Out of Bounds, hit another from tee its impossible to see over there
Hole #6 (no 1 handicap, but 7 is harder)
- Some people go out to forecaddy by 2nd bridge on the left... I always find it super hard to see the ball from over there, so I normally just stay on the tee, but stand all the way on the left... There is still OB right, so you may have to play provisional
- Always add at least 1 club for the up-hill on approach
- Bunkers are 120 yards short of green for picking a layup distance
Hole #7 (The real hardest hole on golf course)
- It is very important for someone to forecaddy on this hole. The tree on left gives the best angle see around the corner
- If you are dropping clubs on the tee, leave both 3-wood and driver
- Subtract 15 yards for the layup to creek. Plays way downhill, its better to be WAY short. To go over the bunkers from the creek, its an extra 40 yards of carry
- Approach shots should add 10 yards, and never play to a front pin
- The telephone poll in middle is always the target... missing right of the right green bunker is KAPUT!
Hole #8
- Left side of tee is safer
- 250 yards to carry the mounds w drive
- Only go right for a left pin
- Green is super flat
Hole #9
- Plays like redan, Right is dead
- Always play middle distance, to center of green... Never play to front pin, and it is longer carry over bunker to the left side
- Use the big American flag to check what the wind is doing by green, cant feel on green
- If someone offers you something from the halfway house, always say YES and THANK YOU ... get a gatorade or banana or power bar... never feel bad about taking them up on their offer
Hole #10 (A very under-rated golf hole, this one grew on me a lot)
- Check American flag for wind
- Green slopes HARD left-right
- Add 1/2 club to pins on right because of green angle
- Never play to front pin... always play past
Hole #11 (My favorite)
- Sometimes people forecaddy from the forward tees across the creek
- Do not need driver from tee for good players
- Be ready to yell FORE on #16
- Most balls end up by shagging tree between 11-16
- Aim for right 1/2 of fairway
- Aim for left side of green... its a shorter carry and the slope of green helps
- In front of green, the creek is YELLOW, you can drop as far back as you want on line it went into water
- Missing green way right is actually a good angle for chipping
- Don't drop bags in the creek!!!
Hole #12
- Sometimes people forecaddy from the end of the cartpath
- Make sure you can see the pond on the left... lots of hooks in!!... RED STAKE drop from point of entry 2 club lengths
- Add 1 club on approach uphill
- Do not miss long
Hole #13 (Tillinghast template called the Reef Hole)
- I do NOT think it plays downhill
- You can run it only green with a punch over bunker 40 yards short of green
- Miss left
- Right is dead
- Green is faster uphill
- Everything breaks to the front right corner
- If there is nobody in front, sometimes tee shots on #14 are played to save a walk back before you putt on #13
Double Dogleg par-5 #14 at Quaker Ridge
Hole #14 (Double Dogleg par-5... Tillinghast Template of Bethpage Black #4, Baltusrol, Fenway #3 and Pine Valley )
- Always Forecaddy near the creek
- Best layup is on Right ... fairway ends at 145 yards
- Add 40 yards to carry over bunkers for uphill and angle... shorter on left
- Approach from short of the bunker looks uphill, but plays FLAT
- Remember where pin is from forecaddy on #2
- Use the U shape gap in the trees to help aim
- Hidden break on very left side of green... moves to the center of the green, away from bunker
- If your players are on the green, you can drop the bags for #15 walk back, GRAB 3-WOOD and DRIVER
Hole #15 (Great fairway, new greenside bunker shapes are not my favorite. Tree clearing behind green has significantly improved the hole)
- 250 to creek from tee... DOWNHILL... hit 230 max
- 125 + 1 club from end of fairway
- RED STAKES Left of fairway
- Be ready to yell FORE ON 17!!!
- Always play for middle or left of green... Right pin is sucker
- Never miss long
- Putts over mound, never come back all the way
Hole #16 (16 and 18 are boring)
- Sometimes people forecaddy on left by creek
- Be ready to yell FORE ON #11!! ... sometimes play down #11!!
- Left is dead
- Add 1 club on approach
- Is the pin on back shelf?
- Hidden break uphill middle left side
Hole #17 (I hit 3-wood)
- Do not need driver
- Sometimes people forecaddy by read tree
- 210 to stay short of bunkers
- Everyone misses and gets blocked by trees on right... just chip out!... sometimes play down #18!
- Wind always seems to be in face on approach
- Add 1/2 club for left side of green... lands on downslope and kicks
Hole #18 (The other best hole on the course :) !!!! ) ... right greenside bunker is not original, members wont let Gil take it out
- Forecaddy at the end of the ridge where you can see down the hill
- Should NEVER be in the fairway bunker
- Add 1 club uphill to green
- Lots of room left to layup
- Balls always seem to run through green
- Take off hat, and shake hands with everyone
After Round
- Ask the player to check the clubs
- Ask if they clubs are staying or going
- If they are a guest, ask if they would like the clubs left out or taken to the car (TRY TO TAKE TO CAR... you get more tips!)
- Double check head covers, and clean clubs
- Put clubs back on rack
- GET PAID
- Grab lunch ticket
- Wait for 2nd loop
- Repeat!!!
