PCA Worldwide Caddie Apprenticeship Program Is a self-study course to educate participants about caddying; to give a golfer a better understanding of the Game through the eyes of a caddie, to educate you to become a better student of the game of golf and how it was designed to be played.

     The caddie's role in golf is as old as the game of itself. The caddie toils for their players and clubs under all sorts of conditions, suffer extremes in temperature and weather conditions, walk side by side with us each day and share our joy of the game!

     For the past 500 years people who have played the game of golf realize what a valuable part the caddie is to the game. A caddie is a professional, and is one of the most overlooked aspects of the game of golf today. In the early 19th century, the caddies were a very necessary part of a round of golf. Courses were not as neat and manicured as they are today and the distance from the tee to the green was typically a large field of unmowed turf. Large numbers of caddies were needed since each player had typically employed two of them. One caddie carried the clubs under his arm, the other caddie more typical of a bag toter or Jr. caddie, worked as a forecaddie who would be stationed up ahead to mark the spot where the ball landed. Before the wound ball was developed, the Golf ball was made of leather and feathers. These balls were so expensive that the forecaddies's job was to find it and keep it dry. Caddies were as much a part of the game as the clubs and balls they watched over. It has been almost 50 years since the golf cart came onto the golf scene and with its appearance came the beginning of a vital change in the game and the history of the caddie!

     Everyone will agree that the golf cart is a blessing for people who otherwise could not play the game of golf. Clubs have found it is economically attractive for a Club to have a cart program. One by one we have seen the caddie yard turned into a cart barn to store cars. It is estimated today less than 10% of the clubs in America employ caddies. Even in Scotland, the birthplace of the caddie the clubs are turning to cart programs and thereby reducing the need for caddies and endangering the profession of the caddie in the game of golf.

     The PCAWorldwide Caddie Certification program is a three part educational experience to train individuals to become professional caddies at Clubs, Resorts and Municipal Facilities. The PCA Worldwide Apprenticeship school is a self-study program, which when completed will give you a complete understanding of the profession of Caddying and the Caddies responsibility on the course.

     The PCAWorldwide Apprenticeship is the first of a three level program that covers the following topics:

• History and Perspective of the Game and the Trends in Golf today.
• Introduction to Caddying Showing up for work.
• Team work with other caddies and players.
• Forecaddying Responsibilities on the Course.
• Yardage book and Caddy Signals.
• Course Management and Maintenance.
• The Rules of Golf that apply to Caddying.
• Golf Terms, Health and Nutrition.

     You will be required to pass an exam and write a short paper on one of the following subjects from a recommended list of readings that is provided to you in the manual or on this website.

Topics include:

• History of the Caddie
• Caddie Experiences
• The Psychology of the Game