The caddie and the rules: what is allowed, what is not, and what you are responsible for
A caddie carries more than your bag: they may advise, rake and lift your ball on the green. But there are limits, and you take the penalty when they cross them. The rules laid out.
In this article
The caddie is one of the most visible figures in professional golf: the person who carries the bag, helps read the line and consults with the player at crucial moments. In recreational golf in the Netherlands you rarely meet one, but it is worth knowing how it works, because the core rule applies even when a friend simply walks along and helps.
In short: a caddie may carry your bag, advise, rake bunkers and mark and lift your ball on the green. They may not concede a putt or hole, drop a ball when taking relief, or decide to take relief. Whatever they do wrong costs you the penalty.
The key principle
The rule that sums it all up: you are responsible for your caddie's actions during the round. If your caddie breaches a rule, you get the penalty. And what your caddie knows is treated as your knowledge; you cannot hide behind ignorance if your caddie knew.
One caddie at a time
You may have only one caddie at a time. Changing during the round is allowed, but not temporarily just to get advice from the new one. A breach means the general penalty for each hole where you were helped by more than one caddie at once.
What a caddie may always do
Carry and handle your clubs, pull a trolley or drive a cart; search for your ball; give information and advice before the stroke (the caddie is the only person from whom you may take advice during the round); rake bunkers and care for the course; remove sand and repair damage on the green; tend the flagstick; on the green, mark the ball's spot and lift and replace the ball; clean the ball; remove loose impediments and movable obstructions; and lift your ball once it is clear you will take relief.
Only with your authorisation
Two things only with specific permission each time, not generally for the round: restoring worsened conditions that arose after your ball came to rest; and, off the green, lifting your ball under a rule requiring it to be replaced.
What a caddie may never do
Concede a next stroke, a hole or the match, or agree the match score; replace a ball, unless the caddie had lifted or moved it; drop or place a ball when taking relief; and decide to take relief under a rule (such as treating a ball as unplayable). The caddie may advise it, but the player decides. The thread throughout: the caddie helps and advises, the player decides and acts.
Where the caddie may stand
Once you begin taking your stance, your caddie must not deliberately stand on or close to the extension of the line of play behind the ball. This is the rule that occasionally costs a professional a penalty on television. Step away from your stance and set up again, and there is no penalty.
Frequently asked questions
Do these rules apply if a friend carries my bag? If you name them as your caddie or they handle your clubs, yes.
May my caddie read my putt? Yes, advice before the stroke is allowed. They just may not stand on the extension of your line behind you while you take your stance.
Who gets the penalty when the caddie breaches a rule? You do. You are responsible for your caddie's actions during the round.
At Zalm Golf, the Handicap 54 course teaches the rules that matter in everyday play, with on-course guidance from professionals who know where the limits lie.