Chad "Goose" Geese - Shooting Star, Nanea GC
What is your name and where are you from?
Chad “Goose” Geese, Columbus, Ohio
When did you first start playing golf?
Definitely had a club in my hand in diapers. I remember my dad cutting down a 7 iron from an old set and going to hit balls with him at a very young age. I would say I teed it up on an actual golf course around 5.
When did you start looping? Is there a particular reason why you started looping? Did it just seem fun, did you want to be around the game, good money, ect.?
11 years old was the first time I ever caddied, it was with a gal that I played Junior Golf with. She was older and playing in the state junior am and needed someone to carry the bag. We played a lot of golf together growing up so it was an easy sell on her part. After that tournament I kind of fell in love with caddying. Every year my Dad’s fraternity brother would host PGA Tour loopers at his house in Muirfield Village for the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. I remember thinking how cool it was that these guys would travel the world and be in on the action. The next summer I called the local club in my hometown called The Lakes and would go ride the pine for a couple hours to try to get a loop on weekends. Looking back on it, the money was awful, even for a kid. I was mowing lawns in a shorter amount of time for more money, but looping gave me an opportunity to play a private club on Mondays that I was never going to get an opportunity to play.
How long have you looped at your current course? Where else have you caddied?
I’ve worked for 10 summers at Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and 3 winters at Nanea Golf Club in Kona, Hawaii. I’ve looped at The Golf Club (New Albany, Ohio), Double Eagle (Galena, Ohio), Glenwild (Park City, Utah), Whisper Rock Golf Club (Scottsdale, Arizona), Friars Head (Baiting Hollow, New York), The Estancia Club (Scottsdale, Arizona), and Mirabel (Scottsdale, AZ)
Do you live close to the course? What are your mornings like when you get to the course?
The mornings typically always involve bullshiting with the other loopers before going out. That’s where the best stories are told. You either hear about last night's shenanigans or yesterday's nightmare for someone.
Has caddying improved your own golf game?
Wouldn’t that be nice?! I think golf is one of those games if you put yourself around good golfers it rubs off on you a bit and can inspire you. But it can go the other way as well, especially if you aren’t hearing the sound of a compressed golf ball very often.
What are some typical things that players do that drive you nuts?
A bullshit handicap. Repeating a yardage on a par 3 six times for 4 golfers. Not taking pride in their golf course by not leaving it better than how they found it. Walking in the bunker one way and not walking out on the same trail. Don’t worry buddy I have all day to rake this bunker!
What are some typical things that players do that you love?
To the ones that are truly appreciative of being out there. At the end of the day golf is hard but if you can still realize we’re lucky enough to play such an awesome game especially at some of the places I’ve been blessed to work, that gratitude can certainly carry over to some good karma with golf.
Are there any indicators that a golfer will be a good player or bad player?
A light bag because they don’t need too many golf balls would certainly be a sign of a good player. I remember looping for a guy that carried a sleeve of balls in his bag and he always said if he lost all 3 balls he should probably go in and find something else to do anyways. He never lost all 3 btw!... Iron headcovers! To this day I’ve never looped for a good golfer with them. Yet somehow people still occasionally have them. Thanks XXIO!
Are there any indicators that this will be a good loop, or a tough loop?
You can be bad at golf and you can be slow at golf. But you can’t be both.
Do you have any one-liners you like to use on the course?
Whenever someone gets steep and takes a monster divot, I like to respond with; “There’s easier ways to get to China.”
What is the weirdest thing you’ve found in a player's bag?
Other than contraband, I knew a guy that had his dead dogs leash on his golf bag for some reason.
How do you help your players play better? How do you help them have a good time?
I’m certainly not everyone's flavor but if you’re into busting balls, not taking yourself entirely serious and out to have a great time you and I are going to have a ball. I certainly know how to be professional when the situation calls for it, but some of y'all think you’re playing in the US Open every time you’re out there. That’s just silly and probably not healthy either.
Do you like to focus completely on golf or more on the social aspect of caddying?
I like to read the room. If I ask the guy where he’s from, there's a good chance I’ve been there and can relate to a certain restaurant or golf courses in the area that he can relate to. I love golf course architecture so that is definitely a common bond many people I loop for nowadays like to discuss. I’m an avid reader, love to travel, certainly like to stay informed on current events and have a passion for music so I can shoot the shit about many things.
Overall, what is your favorite aspect of looping?
My favorite thing about looping is the connections made. The golf world is a small world and that’s pretty cool if you have a solid reputation. Other than that, I live for the shoulder seasons. It allows me time to travel the world and see different places and cultures.
Do you have a favorite caddy story? It can be anything.
I always said I was going to write a book about caddying, and that the title is going to be “What If There Were Pictures On The Scorecard?”. So I guess you’ll just have to wait for that.
-Have you gained/learned anything from looping?
I’ve learned so much from looping.. I think one of the things I cherish most about the job and dealing with all walks of life is knowing who I want to be as a person and who I don’t want to be as a person. Golf has a way of exposing people’s true character.
Feel free to add anything else.
Caddyshack is a documentary not a movie.
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