There’s a moment at Manhattan Woods when you realize the course is doing more than testing your golf.

It might happen early, when the morning sky opens above the property and everything is quiet enough to hear your own thoughts. Or standing behind a player while he studies a shot that looks simple until you notice where the trouble really is.

That’s the caddie’s view of Manhattan Woods.

I used to think caddying was mostly about knowing the course.

Turns out it’s about noticing it.

The clouds above the fairway.
The way the light changes through the trees.
The nervous player who needs fewer words, not more.
The member who has walked these holes a thousand times and still stops occasionally to admire the view.

We see the things a scorecard doesn’t record.

We see the fox wandering through a freshly raked bunker, apparently unconcerned with pace of play.

We see the divots from hundreds of swings—little reminders that everybody who comes through here leaves a mark.

We see three golf balls scattered around a flag and know that three players are about to tell three completely different stories about how they got there.

And sometimes we get to stand beside someone having a day he’ll remember for a long time.

That’s the privilege of carrying a bag.

A good golf course gives you shots to remember.

A special one gives you moments.

Manhattan Woods has given me plenty of both.

And the nice thing about being the caddie?

I don't have to make the putt.

I just get to walk beside it.

Tomorrow, we do it all over.

—The Mad Caddie

The best rounds aren't always the ones we score. Sometimes they're the ones we notice

P.S. In the coming posts, I’ll be sharing more of my perspective ‘From The Woods.’ Walk with me!

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are not representative of the views of Manhattan Woods. Content herein published with permission.