The Challenge 

Beyond the TOUR event, the week of the Sony Open features two Pro-Ams that reward tournament sponsors as well as a practice round and post-tournament day. To avoid wear and tear on the turf, no carts are allowed throughout the week in order to preserve the best possible conditions for the PGA Tour Players. As such, a full slate of caddies is needed throughout the Open’s events. Waialae Country Club does not have an active caddie program to fill the need; in fact, no active caddie program exists on the island of Oahu.

Historically, a volunteer committee managed by the club’s professional staff was charged with recruiting and vetting caddies for the Open. But this process left a lot to be desired in terms of caddie professionalism, training, and quality, as well as an overly-complicated back and forth with club staff.

The Solution 

To better facilitate caddie recruiting and training, Waialae Country Club partnered with CaddieNow to fill the caddie requirements for the Sony Open in 2023. CaddieNow was responsible for recruiting, training, and paying caddies as well as placing an ops manager onsite for the week of the event to manage the craziness that can ensue when 300+ caddies show up for a large event.

The Results 

Kevin Carll, Head Professional at Waialae Country Club, said CaddieNow was instrumental in the Open week’s success. “There’s no way we could have filled the caddie requests without the help of CaddieNow,” he says. CaddieNow was able to fill 100% of the event’s caddie requirement, recruiting 300 caddies for the week of the Open.

Recruiting qualified caddies can be a daunting prospect, but CaddieNow’s robust experience in the staffing and recruiting industries has seamlessly translated into the golf space. A full-time recruiter helps find the right caddies for a club or event, vetting caddies for strong golf knowledge and a personality that enjoys serving others.

Caddie Recruiting

For the Sony Open, CaddieNow’s on-staff recruiter led the campaign to engage and vet prospective caddies through a variety of outreach methods:

• A social media campaign targeting the island’s military bases, local universities, and area golf courses.

• Posting and distributing flyers at area golf shops, driving ranges, and golf courses.

• Reaching out to past caddies for referrals.

• Tapping into the company’s industry experience and the 9,700+ caddies on its platform.

Interested caddies then completed an online intake form and participated in an introductory Zoom call that laid out requirements and expectations. The next step was to participate in a series of online classes through CaddieNow’s Learning Management System to become certified and meet with the CaddieNow representative prior to the tournament.

CaddieNow’s exclusive software platform and mobile app streamlined communication, payments, and management for the event’s caddies. Caddies were notified of their hole and player assignments right in the app, where they could also accept their base payments (golfers still had the option to tip in cash). Golfers could also rate their caddies and even select them as a preferred caddie for future rounds. Once certified and onboarded, caddies can be automatically notified about future events and loops.

Caddie Feedback

Jesse Rhymes, Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 and 2022 USGA Mid-Amateur Participant, has caddied for the Sony Open for several years. He developed a strong relationship with an amateur team from Sony USA Nintendo at the 2021 event and has caddied for the group ever since. Since the Open made the switch to CaddieNow, Jesse says the process to accept payments and loops is so much simpler for the event.

David Silva is a longtime Sony Open caddie, working the event for 12 straight years. He says using CaddieNow has really helped the process run smoothly and makes life easier on prospective caddies.

Joey Bloomfield lives in Los Angeles and regularly caddies at a CaddieNow partner golf course in the area. In 2022, he decided to combine a Hawaiian getaway with a new caddie experience at the Sony Open. He was hooked, returning for 2023 and recruiting some caddie friends to join him during Open week.