Philadelphia Main Line’s St. Davids Golf Club Modernizes Its Caddie Program with CaddieNow
Partner: St. Davids Golf Club - Wayne, Pennsylvania
Partner Snapshot
St. Davids Golf Club is rich in history and tradition. The private club was founded in 1897, part of suburban Philadelphia’s Main Line, and the first iteration of a golf course was completed in 1898. Several temporary golf course locations culminated in the purchase and construction of a permanent location in Wayne, Pennsylvania, which opened in October 1927. Caddies have played a large part of the club’s history, with thousands of caddies taking loops since its founding.
The Challenge
The Philadelphia area has long been one of the strongest caddie markets in the U.S., with more than 100 clubs in the region boasting robust caddie programs. What’s more, the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust provides financial aid to qualified caddies as they pursue higher education, helping grow caddie programs across the area. Caddies are simply part of normal golf operations in the Philadelphia and Tri-State (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Southern New Jersey) PGA Sections.
Though caddie programs may be the norm at Main Line and other area clubs like St. Davids, efficient caddie management hasn’t been. While other caddie-heavy regions around the country (the Northeast, Florida, Texas, California, and Chicago) have transitioned to more modern options to manage caddie programs, many storied clubs in the greater Philadelphia area haven't outsourced any type of caddie program management, leading to inefficiencies and extra costs.
Photo credit: www.stdavidsgc.comDesigned by Donald J. Ross, St. Davids is full of subtle challenges for golfers of all skill levels. Meticulously maintained fairways and greens keep St. Davids approachable yet challenging. The club recently underwent a restoration project that returned the course to Ross’ original vision, with firm and fast putting surfaces and additional bunkers.
The Results
Once the partnership was in place, CaddieNow got to work immediately, setting St. Davids up with a custom version of its powerful CaddieTech offering. The platform streamlines caddie operations for club staff, saving time and money and providing members with a great caddie experience. Next, CaddieNow focused on recruiting, vetting, and training over 100 new caddies for St. Davids in the early months of the golf season.
The full-service software platform comes with a club management dashboard that seamlessly integrates into their Members First tee sheet system. St. Davids’ newly hired Caddie Manager, Greg Myers, says CaddieNow has transformed the program, making management and implementation easy and efficient.
Greg and the club’s staff are also able to communicate with caddies in one fell swoop, instead of relying on individual text messages.
Caddies also see trickle down benefits of partnering with CaddieNow. St. Davids can keep the best caddies engaged with the club, while caddies can schedule and accept loops and receive payments right in the CaddieNow app.
“It’s been a win-win all around,” Greg says.
Photo credit: www.stdavidsgc.comThe Solution
CaddieNow has worked in the Philadelphia area since 2016 and understands the inner workings, needs, and culture of these traditional, high-end private clubs. Tyler Santacroce, PGA and Head Professional at St. Davids, reached out to CaddieNow in the spring of 2023 to forge a partnership, with the goal to modernize and improve its caddie program all around.
“It’s been an easy transition for St. Davids,” Greg says. “CaddieNow works exactly like I hoped it would, making the caddie program even better for golf staff and our members.”
Making the Best Better
Caddie Now’s unique approach to caddie management blends hospitality with top-notch caddie training, technology, and club protection, making CaddieNow the best choice for the best golf clubs. Click here to get in touch or email info@caddienow.com.