As a former caddie for 12 years you see all kinds of golfers on the course. It’s always scary when you get a loop for a new person and don’t have any idea what type of golfer they are. Between playing golf for 20 years and experiences as a caddie, there are typically some themes on the course which suggest someone might be a good golfer. If you are new to the game, want to determine if the person you are paired up with is any good or if you just want to look good on the course, below highlights 11 tell tale signs that someone is a good golfer.
Name on their bag - Every golf professional has their name on their bag for a reason. Most people with their name on the bag are pretty darn good at golf
Walk the golf course versus ride – You ever wonder why the best golf courses in the world are walking only? How come the pros walk versus ride? If you are too lazy to walk, then you are most likely also lazy to score.
They use a divot tool and fix ball marks – All good golfers respect the course and typically fix their ball marks and other peoples ball marks on the green.
The towel on their bag hangs on the clubs and they do not use a clip towel – When’s the last time you saw a good golfer who had a towel clip?
Dress to impress - Looking good on the course starts by tucking in your shirt. Is it that hard to tuck in your shirt on the course? Untucked = bad golf. Have you ever noticed that golf professionals are always wearing pants? If you want to stand out as a good golfer, wearing pants during a round in Florida during the summer can certainly do it. Good golfers often standout as they are wearing pants when everyone else is wearing shorts.
Tournament Marks, bag tags, or clips - Good golfers are pretty superstitious and often use a special coin to mark their ball, have a bag tag from a tournament they won or use a lucky money clip from a recent championship they played in. Good golfers play in tournaments.
Only carry 1 sleeve of balls in their bag – It’s a little risky to only have 3 balls, but when you are that good you won’t be losing any balls
Has blade irons and can hit them – As wise man once said only God can hit a one iron. Only good golfers would be able to hit butter knives like these.
Using a stand bag over a cart bag – The type of bag you have makes a big difference. As a former caddie, you dread getting an old cart bag knowing the golfer behind the bag is probably not any good.
Remember other players names – Don’t you hate it when you play with someone new and they don’t remember your name? Good golfers always remember their fellow golfers names and talk often during the round.
Pick up the tee before the ball lands – People who are good at golf don’t need to follow and watch the ball when it goes right down the middle.