Golf courses are safe environments when everyone follows the established safety rules. As a caddy, you are responsible for your own safety and for helping maintain safety for your player and others. Most course injuries involving caddies are preventable — they happen when someone is standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The cardinal rule: Never stand in front of or behind a player who is addressing the ball or swinging. The safest position is to the side of the player, slightly behind them — roughly at their 4 o’clock or 8 o’clock position, far enough away that you are out of their swing path even on a mishit.

The two danger zones:

In front of a player — A ball struck off the toe of the club can fly 90 degrees off the intended line. A club that snaps can be released forward. Standing in front of any player at any time is simply never acceptable.

Directly behind a player on the target line — Standing on the target line is a distraction to the player’s setup, and a ball striking a tee on the tee box can deflect backward. Stay off the target line, always.

Watching for errant shots: If a ball is heading toward other people — on another hole, across a cart path, toward a group ahead — yell “FORE!” immediately and loudly. Don’t hesitate because you’re unsure — if there’s any chance the ball could reach someone, shout. “FORE!” is the universal warning in golf and every player and caddy on the course knows exactly what to do when they hear it (cover their head and duck).

Putting green safety:

Never walk through another player’s putting line — the direct path between their ball and the hole. Walking on this line compresses the grass and can alter how the ball rolls. Walk around putting lines even if it means taking a longer route.

Awareness of adjacent holes: Many golf holes run parallel to each other, with tee boxes or fairways overlapping. Always be aware of what is happening on adjacent holes — a drive from the next tee box can travel toward your position without warning.