Childhood Experience Inspired Upcoming Caddie Film

Contributed by Ron Colby
March 2010

Contributed by Ron Colby

March 2010

Ron Colby is a veteran writer, director and producer of feature and documentary films and a passionate walking golfer. Here he shares the background behind his latest project, a labor of love called Scotland’s Caddies.

At the age of 12, I began caddying for my father and his friends at Brookville Country Club on Long Island.  It was an educational and interesting experience watching grown men play and interact together.

Around age 14, I eschewed caddying for my dad and took my services to Fresh Meadow Country Club.  I could get there without benefit of car, and so be on my own to work the days of the golfing season I wished. The course was designed by the legendary Harry Colt and hosted the 1932 U.S. Open, won by Gene Sarazen. Between Brookville and Fresh Meadow, I managed to get in several rounds a week, and in the spring I played for my high school team.

At Fresh Meadow, I caddied for a wide variety of successful businessmen, but the most important loop I ever had was Tommy Armour.  He was an elderly gentleman by then, but I remember well both him and the clubs in his bag.  I can recall being dazzled by the array, especially the stunning finish on his persimmon woods.  I was so inspired I started swinging one.  After observing me for a time, he left his scotch and soda at the snack hut at the 11th tee, came over and told me, “You’ve got a beautiful swing, but move your right hand over a little.”  He returned to his drink, and I glowed for days with his compliment and my new knowledge.

Although my father was of 100-percent Danish ancestry, he loved all things Scottish.  To qualify himself for being at least a partial Scotsman, he borrowed the little Scottish blood my mother had and claimed it as his own. At different times, he was President of the Robert Burns Society and an officer in the St. Andrews Society.  As a youth, I was annually privileged to accompany my father to a formal banquet at the Waldorf Astoria, where a few hundred members of the society would reverently bring along esoteric bottles of Highland and Lowland whiskey and drink it as they watched the pipers lead in waiters with trays of steaming haggis.

When I was in the Air Force and stationed in Germany, I took some of my accrued leave time and snuck away to Scotland to play many of the great courses.  While I could not afford a caddy, I did rub elbows with some at the local pubs and listened attentively to their colorful stories.

Years later when I began working in Hollywood as a producer and writer, I read Michael Murphy’s book, Golf in the Kingdom.  Inspired, I waited two years until the option became available, took on the book and wrote a screenplay.  I tried for years to get the metaphysical comedy about life and golf going, but to no avail.

But then as things go in Hollywood, suddenly, almost overnight, golf became an important focus with motion picture executives. Unfortunately, I was easily outbid on the option renewal and lost the project.  Another screenplay was written. Clint Eastwood had an interest in the project and after he read both the new screenplay and mine, Warner Brothers bought mine for him.  Then, I watched helplessly as my screenplay lay inert on Clint’s desk for years as he made film after film.

Not too long after that, my sons and I went on a golfing vacation in Scotland and happily could now afford to take caddies at all the courses.  We were impressed by their wit, attitudes, and dedication to the job.  Several caddies told us tales from their experiences and in particular, one caddy by the name of Jimmy Kelly at Gleneagles shared some amusing stories about Sean Connery and Jack Lemmon. Although I didn’t fully realize it, at that point an idea began taking shape.

About five years later, my partner, who had a steady job on a hit television series, had a six-week hiatus and asked me where we were going on vacation. I was not amused as I had no time to be idle, but still smarting from the loss of my project from Murphy’s book, I impulsively pulled forth the idea that had been germinating for some time in the back of my brain. I told her, “I’ll take time off if we go to Scotland and make a documentary on Scotland’s caddies.”

And we did.

Miraculously, filming just seemed to fall into place. We visited many courses and shot a great host of caddies, including Jimmy Kelly of Gleneagles.  We also did extensive interviews with two erudite caddy historians.  The caddies themselves were very forthcoming, regaling us with jokes, insights on the game, and stories about celebrities who gave them bad tips, including George Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, and Sean Connery.

Accessible to us was the beauty of the golf courses, a 500-year history of caddies, and their large personalities.  Now it’s time to put it all together and make it available to golfers everywhere.

For those interested in contributing to the postproduction and advertising of Scotland’s Caddies, please contact: rc@artistsconfederacy.com