Straight Down the Middle

Who's Your Caddy?: Looping for the Great, Near Great, and Reprobates of Golf

by Rick Reilly

'Who's Your Caddy?: Looping for the Great, Near Great, and Reprobates of Golf' by Rick Reilly is an enjoyable look at the world of golf through the eyes of one who has seen and heard much. Many 'names' are mentioned and lots of secrets revealed. Reilly, a competent, articulate author, writes with rich humour and energy, and his anecdotes are candid. My favourite, which features me, a prominent golf pro, an entertainer and a state senator, appears on page 53:

'It was 1972. Augusta. A skins game. I was caddying for Frank Sinatra. The other three players were Lee Trevino, Frank Leemydear and a senator from Michigan. The senator had skinned most of the cash, and with one hole to play, the pot stood at $25,000. As we approached the 18th green, with Ol' Blue Eyes about to take his 17th stroke, Trevino offered to pay for the round when it was over. Sinatra, who had witnessed the senator pencil in a 1 at the par-5 15th, was having none of it. 'Get the round now,' he said as he grabbed a .45 from his bag, 'and I'll load it. I've shot a lousy score so now I'm gonna shoot a lousy politician. Hey! Get back here ya bum! Trevino, stop with the Desi Arnaz impersonation and get after him!'

I think the senator's still running, although not for office.'

'Who's Your Caddy?' is a book that will be enjoyed by avid golfers and those just out for a walk with a really heavy bag.