Forecaddie program at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Dove Mountain spot on

MARANA, Ariz. – I’m not always a big fan of forecaddie programs, but the one at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain deserves kudos.

Our forecaddie, Shaun DeSilva, went above and beyond in a quiet, unobtrusive manner. He was there when you needed him, at the right place at the right time, but you hardly noticed him otherwise. On each hole, he let you know the down and distance, then gave you info on landing areas, and he was a ball hawk if you hit it in the desert.

On the greens, his reads were right on nearly every time. And the most important part of those reads – trying to figure out whether you were putting uphill or downhill – was really crucial.

More than that, his help didn’t slow us down – as some forecaddie services tend to do – and that also may be in large part due to the other members of our group as well. We played with head professional Jeff McCormick, who shot a 34 on our back nine with a double bogey and two other writers who understood pace of play and didn’t ask for a read or advice on every single shot.

I asked Silva, a recent college graduate who returns to the Northeast in the summers to caddie, if he planned on entering the golf business. His response was insightful.

“I think I like to play golf too much to do that,” he said.

For now, he’s enjoying working as a caddie, which keeps him in shape running down the fairways, and getting in as much golf as he can.

Nothing wrong with that.