Golf Ball Rollback 2025: The Impact On Caddies

The goal? To preserve course challenges and prevent the game from feeling 'too easy'.But what does that mean for golfers—and caddies?

✅ Club recalibration – With shorter drives, knowing your distance gaps becomes crucial. We’ll need to plan to hit more shots with longer irons and maybe even woods, especially in to par 5's.

✅ Strategic tee-box changes – Course management shifts. We’ll need to rethink par-4 strategies and approach play—especially into tougher greens.

✅ Focus on short game – With players having further into the pin, proximity to the hole on approach shots becomes further away, meaning more players will need to get 'up and down' to save par. Caddies must sharpen their advice around wedge play and greenside creativity.

✅ Adapting fast – Whether on tour or club level, quickly adjusting to carry distance loss will separate smooth rounds from blowups.

As caddies, our role is evolving. We're not just reading greens or carrying the bag—we’re data interpreters, strategists, and advisors. This rollback magnifies the importance of those skills.