A father of three, Leon Blignaut has been a golf caddy for sixteen years. Just like the game, his occupation can be complicated and stressful. On top of carrying a bag for eighteen holes in any weather, he must inform golfers of the distance to the pin, the lines on the green, and keep a sharp eye on the ball when they miss both. As well as being a highly rated caddie, Leon has established himself as a good golfer, having won two championships in the Premier League. He also represented Western Province, who dominated the inter-provincial caddie’s tournament with four wins in a row.
However, in 2014, the South African golf association put an end to the caddie league, blaming a lack of funds in the industry. Ironically, golf in South Africa has almost tripled in size over the past ten years, suggesting that profits have increased exponentially. ‘The clubs just want to see caddies who pick up bags’, says Leon, and you can’t blame him for thinking like this. With no paid leave, no pensions or fixed monthly salary, caddies’ financial anxieties are constant. ‘You can go to any golf club, and it’s the same; it’s only the members that give you something. The club gives you nothing.’ Leon mentions a caddie who worked fifty-five years on a course and who passed away early last year. It was the members who came together to pay for the funeral.
‘The problem is that there is no caddie committee. We have to talk about policies.’ As it stands, a caddie’s income is hopelessly sporadic for people with families to support. They need a voice, and (having been there in the lean times) deserve a part of the game’s growing success. We need to eradicate the anxiety that good caddies like Leon face of going home with no money and not being able to put food on the table. Caddies like him give their everything to the course because they love the game and their job. That commitment deserves to be reciprocated.
