Bagger Vance and the Bhagavad Gita - A CADDIE'S ADVICE

In 1567—so the story goes—Mary, Queen of Scots was seen playing golf not long after the death of her husband Lord Darnley. She is the first-known female golfer. This image depicts an artistic impression of how the Queen may have appeared on the golf course.

Golfers who have great caddies improve their own position. With the best interests of the golfer in mind, caddies see things the player may not see: about the swing; about the drive; about the stance. Free to give advice, caddies today can enhance the game of their team mate.

It wasn’t always thus. According to the records at St. Andrews—the place where golf was introduced to Scotland—the word "caddie" has an interesting history. It is said to have come from cadet, the French term used by Mary Queen of Scots, a keen golfer who played in France and Scotland in the 16th century. (Mary was beheaded by order of Elizabeth I in 1587). Cadet was the French word Mary used for "young lad."

It wasn’t only Mary who used the term. In written form, one of the earliest references appears in the records of Andrew Dixon, a ball maker (1655-1729) who lived near Edinburgh and worked for Mary’s grandson, the Duke of York (the future King James II). The term was passed from royalty to the common man, and it is still used today.

It is sad that Mary Queen of Scots did not have the kind of caddie Rannulph Junah had. She (more than most) could have used some Bagger Vance advice!

EDITOR'S NOTE: We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of personnel at St. Andrews for the word origins of "caddie."