Slow and steady wins the race, and at Kent Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., it’s also the formula for a successful caddie program. What was once a massive roster of participants has since been fine-tuned to better suit now only its recruits, but also membership and golf pros.
As clubs gear up for the season, they are wise to re-examine their caddie vetting and hiring procedures and consider enhancing training opportunities to ensure that golfers’ needs are properly met. Assistant Professional Tyler Kapcia, who manages Kent Country Club’s caddie program, explains how the club cultivates its newest trainees and maintains productivity year-round.
Consolidation for preservation
Having a glut of caddies at the ready may seem like a good problem to have, but when they are not working consistently, it goes against the very notion of efficiency. Kapcia sought to change the roster when he came aboard in 2024, pairing down the list from 98 to 28 caddies.
“Demand at that time was insufficient to provide enough loops to keep caddies consistently engaged,” he explains. Now, Kent’s program is the right size for optimal usage.
When hiring caddies, the club relies on recruitment exclusively, including from The First Tee of West Michigan, local college teams and leagues, and word of mouth. These channels, ensure that the club sources high-level, experienced caddies who demonstrate tremendous knowledge of the game that can be passed down to trainees. As Kapcia describes, “these individuals are brought in not only to meet member expectations, but to mentor and develop younger caddies.”
Kent Country Club’s caddie program boasts a high interest rate, with trainees aspiring to be part of the Evans Scholars, which the club is known to produce. (High school seniors and college freshman who demonstrate financial assistance vie for a spot to earn full tuition and housing.) According to Kapcia, more than a dozen Evans Scholars have hailed from Kent Country Club, including three caddies from the 2014 season.
On-the-job training
Spring marks the start of training season, a one-on-one operation where new caddies are paired with individual instructors. Course knowledge, etiquette, pace of play, and member interaction are all given equal emphasis. Hands-on learning is made up of three nine-hole sessions, followed by one mentored loop with an honor or captain caddie (a distringuished role earned via exceptional member feedback and the completion of an advanced loop with Kapcia.)
Additional mentoring takes place in the off-season—a style he describes as “informal but ongoing, with experienced caddies continuing to provide guidance and feedback to support deelopment and preparedness for the upcoming season.”
Clubs that invest in a solid caddie program will have to establish a preferred hiring classification: independent contractors or employees. Kent Country Club opts for the former, allowing members to take responsibility for payment and caddies to handle their own insurance.
But when it comes to caddie scheduling, the club takes ownership of this process. Requests are managed not through an app, but a private reservation system used by the golf pros.
“When a caddie is requested, a message is sent to all approved caddies to fill the assignment efficiently,” explains Kapcia. Caddies secure their spots on a first-come, firstserve basis, and members also have the option of communicating directly with their preferred caddie to set up their loops. This method has proven its value in helping to expedite tee time management and enhance overall golf operations.
Because no system is completely foolproof, the club must still contend with challenges as they arise, particularly with the growing popularity of push carts. Kapcia has seen a rise in their usage over the past five years and has developed a strategy to thwart its infringement on caddie turf.
“We have invested additional time and resources training caddies to deliver a substantially enhanced member experience,” he says. “The focus has been on ensuring that caddies add meaningful value to each round—providing insights, course management support, and personalized service—rather than simply carrying the bag.”
As a result, Kent Country Club’s member golfers have responded in kind over the past two seasons, supporting this approach and supplying excellent feedback. Kapcia does not plan to grow the club’s caddie program in 2026, but will add high-level caddies as he sees fit going forward.
