Case Study - New Courses

CaddieNow: Making the Best Better from the Ground Up

Before a new golf course is molded from the landscape, there is meticulous planning, from the slope of the greens and the width of the fairways to the species of grass and location of the clubhouse. And before any hole is ever played, the best new golf clubs turn to CaddieNow to build their caddie program from the ground up.

Top-tier, exclusive new construction clubs like The Covey at Big Easy Ranch, Lost Rail Golf Club, McLemore Club, and GrayBull Club, have partnered with CaddieNow during the construction phase to ensure the highest level of caddie services. From recruiting and training caddies in the club’s area to comprehensive on-site program management, CaddieNow is the chosen partner for clubs that want to be the best.

The Best Choice for the Best New Clubs

Opening a new golf club comes with a unique set of challenges. When building a caddie program from zero, while literally building the course, it's crucial to have the right partners on board. “Opening a new course is a challenge and starting a new caddie program from scratch makes it tough,” says Blake Schroeder, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Lost Rail Golf Club.

The team at CaddieNow has a deep understanding of how premier clubs operate. That knowledge, combined with skilled recruiting, training, and technology, gives CaddieNow a unique advantage in helping golf clubs build and scale their caddie programs to provide members and guests with the best possible experience. In the case of Lost Rail, Blake says they knew it was going to be a special club, so they needed a caddie program that matched the vision. “CaddieNow helped us create a program that allowed for flexibility,” he says.

Charlie Rymer, Executive Vice President at McLemore Club, did extensive research on caddie management options to prepare for The Keep’s opening. “All great golf courses have two things in common, beauty and strategy,” he says. “I did my research to find the right caddie partner for McLemore and once I spoke to CaddieNow, I knew they were who we wanted to be our partners,” he says.

Tyler Hadden served as the Head Professional at Arborlinks, part of the exclusive Dormie Network, for four years before making the move to General Manager at GrayBull club. His team at Arborlinks successfully partnered with CaddieNow, so it was only natural to lean on them as GrayBull finalizes construction. “Having a history with the CaddieNow team and the program itself is a major benefit to us at GrayBull as we start from ground zero,” he says. “We were able to leverage CaddieNow over the past four years and see it as an incredible tool for any golf professional with a caddie program.”

GrayBull Club, Maxwell, Nebraska

The Covey at Big Easy Ranch: The 18-hole championship course in Columbus, Texas opened in March of 2023. Part of Big Easy Ranch’s hunting, fishing, and golf amenities, The Covey is a par 72 course that challenges golfers of all skill levels.
Lost Rail Golf Club: The first new private golf course in the Omaha, Nebraska area in over 20 years opened in September 2023. Lost Rail was built to focus on golf—no homes, no event space, no country club amenities, no outside outings. Just golf and unspoiled views of the Platte River Valley.
The Keep at McLemore Club: The newest course at McLemore will open in the fall of 2024. Its setting along the eastern cliff edge of Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn, Georgia and links-inspired design will make it a premier destination in the Southeast U.S.
GrayBull Club: The seventh Dormie Network golf club will open in 2024. Built on a pristine stretch of land in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, GrayBull will open on day one to the Dormie standard of first-class facilities.

Lost Rail Golf Club, Gretna NE

Recruiting Expertise

As it preps for opening Day, McLemore Club is searching for more than 400 employees to service a new hotel and The Keep 18-hole golf course. CaddieNow shoulders the burden of hiring and certifying caddies but is also able to introduce other potential new employees to the operation.

Tyler echoes the sentiment—GrayBull is located in a remote part of Western Nebraska, so filling its slate of caddies was a concern before their partnership with CaddieNow. “The reach CaddieNow has makes a huge difference for a club like GrayBull,” he says. He points out that destination golf clubs, like GrayBull, are typically found in an area where the labor pool is scarce. “CaddieNow allows us access to hundreds, maybe thousands, of great candidates for our caddie program that we otherwise would have trouble reaching.”

“CaddieNow is the expert in recruiting and educating the right caddies, but more importantly, they are committed to giving the caddies the right resources to become our ambassadors.”

— Charlie Rymer

Education & Certification

Finding caddies to fill loops is crucial, but those caddies need to be the right fit for elite clubs. Caddies spend hours with members and guests and are on the front lines of providing excellent customer service and hospitality.

Charlie says the training CaddieNow provides for caddies at The Keep is just as important as their ability to advise on a shot. “CaddieNow teaches caddies new skills, improves their green reading knowledge, and most importantly, educates them on how to provide exceptional customer service,” he says. “Our partnership with CaddieNow will allow our caddie program to offer a level of hospitality that matches our commitment to our members and guests.”

Allowing CaddieNow to take over training and certifying caddies saves golf staff a tremendous amount of time. Blake says having CaddieNow take Lost Rail’s caddie training off of his plate has been huge. “Having CaddieNow manage the recruiting and caddie certification classes allows me the ability to focus on other services.”

The Keep at McLemore Club, Rising Fawn, Georgia

Technology

CaddieNow was the first to introduce Uber-esque technology to the caddie industry. The platform has expanded its robust capabilities. Caddie managers can assign caddies through their concierge dashboard and members can request specific caddies through their existing tee sheet. CaddieNow gives caddie managers the most efficient scheduling and payment tool in the business, giving them extra time to serve their members.

That’s been the experience at Lost Rail. Blake says that once the club was open, CaddieNow’s tech boosted their caddie program’s efficiency from top to bottom. He says, “Once the club was open the technology allowed our staff to efficiently schedule caddies and allowed us to focus on servicing the membership.”

It’s also good for caddies—they can accept loops and payment right in the CaddieNow mobile app. Tyler saw its usefulness in his years at Arborlinks, making it simple for part-time caddies to work loops into their schedules. “CaddieNow allows even those with a job to pick and choose their schedule, when they want to caddie and when they can’t with no consequences,” he says.

Commitment to Service

World-class service and hospitality are part of what sets elite clubs apart from their peers. That’s certainly true at McLemore Club and what is planned for The Keep. “With the addition of The Keep at the McLemore Club, we knew that a top ranked caddie program would be essential for players to enjoy the beauty of our club and have the extra level of service as they strategize to play their best golf,” he says.

CaddieNow’s goal for working with the best clubs is to streamline their caddie programs and give golfers the best possible experience. Understanding that caddies are a huge part of that experience, they provide hands-on training that emphasizes services. “The team at CaddieNow is hands-on,” Tyler says. “They’re here to help us create a program that we can feel confident putting in front of our members and guests.”

Blake at Lost Rail says CaddieNow was instrumental in the club’s success right out of the gate. “I couldn’t imagine introducing and managing a caddie program without the help of CaddieNow.”