Why does every golf offseason in Minnesota seem longer than the previous one? I’m pretty sure that’s darn near chronologically impossible, but that’s how it has felt again in 2015-16. Anyway, while all of you wait to play the game again, and while I wait to track down another lost course or three, I thought I would share an email I received recently regarding caddying in the days of yore.
The message came from a fellow familiar with the lost Westwood Hills golf course in St. Louis Park. (The 27-hole course, adjacent to Minneapolis Golf Club, closed in the early 1960s, its land now occupied by housing, a schoolyard and a nature center.) I am not mentioning the fellow by name because he neither granted nor declined permission to use it. Regardless, I appreciate his passing it along.
The email, unedited:
“I started Caddying at Westwood in 1938 at the age of 11. I used to hitchhike to the course from North Mpls. The rates for caddies at that time was 75 cents for 18 holes and 45 cents for Nine. Two of my older brothers also caddied there. A caddy sandwich (mostly peanut butter on white bread) sold for 15 cents.
“After my first year in order to continue caddying, you had to by a medal pin with a number on it. The lower the number, the caddy had told how long he had been caddying.
“On nights before holidays a lot of the caddies would get there the night before so they could get two ‘loops’ in. There were certain code words we used for each other such as flytrap for a lousy caddy, Bagrat was another word and ball hock for caddies who would rather hunt for lost balls and then sell them to the players. I found out that you could make more money ball hocking. Balls like new could be sold for 50 cents. Po-do was one of the real cheap balls. Wilson, Spalding were the primo balls.
“Monday mornings caddies could play free. I bought a set of hooks fo 10 bucks. The only way I could break ninety was to cheat. It was a great way to make some money as my Dad had never known what allowance meant. I’m 89 now and living in Northern MN but gave up golfing years ago.”
Latest posts by Joe Bissen (see all)
- Island courses: Photo gallery - February 24, 2024
- Island outposts: Coney Isle and Circle Lake - February 24, 2024
- Lost courses, or just my imagination? - February 7, 2022