To really know someone, as the saying goes, you must walk a mile in their shoes. But to really understand a golfer, you've got to work as their caddy. Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly managed to get some very intriguing golfers to let him lug their bag and write what he learned both about the game and the folks who play it. Going hole to hole with them let Reilly know a different side of veterans such as John Daly, David Duval, Tom Lehman, and Jack Nicklaus. But Reilly also went beyond the pros to caddy for Deepak Chopra, Donald Trump, professional gambler Dewey Tomko, and Bob Newhart. In some cases, the portraits that emerge fall directly in line with the popular image but at other times it's just the opposite. Daly is sober but has shifted his addiction to massive amounts of Diet Coke, candy, and marriages; Duval is intensely driven during rounds but surprisingly laid back and friendly off the course; Chopra's inner peace is locked in a mortal battle with the inherent frustrations of golf; and Trump manages to be both an egomaniac and a pretty nice fellow. And although he's on assignment to profile his temporary employers, Reilly emerges as an entertaining figure in his own right as he commits numerous faux pas, breaks taboos, infuriates multiple golfers and caddies, accidentally dumps all of Nicklaus's clubs onto the turf in the middle of a round, and discovers that caddying is tougher than it looks. Reilly walks a nice line with the tone of Who's Your Caddy?: it's reverent to the game without becoming a misty-eyed poetic ode, and it's laugh-out-loud funny without being nasty or low brow. And while golf fans will certainly appreciate it, Who's Your Caddy? is an impressive book for fans of biography in general. --John MoeCustomer Review: Score This One an Eagle
Outstanding look at the whacky, wonderful and seldom thought about behind the scenes life of a caddy on the pro tour. Rick Reilly at his best--humor, sincerity, and warmth...a splice of life, the good life, the real life. You will come away with a new and greater appreciation of those who play the greatest game of all, the "loopers" who help them play it, and, in the last chapter, the game itself, why we all love it so. An excellent book...Don't miss this one!
Customer Review: He phoned this one in
As I finished the book, I realized that it annoyed me that Reilly took up caddying without really trying to learn how to do it. He started at the Masters with no experience and didn't do very well. He didn't seem to improve much . . . even with experience. I thought he showed a fundamental disrespect for his craft, the game and for the golfers he served by taking this approach. Thinking about my reaction, I thought about the responsibility we all have to do our best to serve others when that is our task. I'll try to do it much better after reading this book.
