"Caddies aren't just for private clubs anymore."

Jason Scott Deegan at GolfAdvisor.com posts a pair of stories on signs of caddie programs popping up at more than just country clubs. While it's too early to say there is a renaissance taking place, the likely inclusion of caddies at Bandon Dunes as well as new caddie businesses like CaddieMaster, Looper and Premier Caddie, may keep the "upswing" going.

A couple of Deegan's numbers stood out:

•    Nearly 100 public/resort facilities and/or private clubs with some public access offer caddies in America. Since many of the 97 facilities I found feature multiple courses, that adds up to slightly more than 150 courses around the country where public golfers can hire caddies.
   
    •    21 states don't offer caddies at any public-accessible facility: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia.
  
    •    17 states offer caddies at more than one public-accessible facility: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin       

He also files a companion piece on the ten best destinations for caddies worth checking out.