An Old Caddie Looks Back

Reflections from a Town that Loves Golf … and Tiger.

From the author’s foreword:

Golf empowers. That’s the main message of this book. Much of the action takes place in Rockford, Illinois, a community that has been one of America’s most An Old Caddie Looks Back supportive golf towns for generations. While Rockford embodies fundamental practices that can lead to golf flourishing anywhere, it also serves as a case study in how to keep the game healthy and strong.

An Old Caddie is the first serious attempt to dig beneath the surface of Rockford’s golf story. It is a memoir from my perspective, not a comprehensive history, and while my experiences and conclusions are shared by many who have contributed to the game in town, much is left unsaid here and should be the subject of future stories written by others.

My focus runs from the late 1940s through the early sixties and then picks up again in 1989. That’s when I meet Earl Woods and his thirteen-year-old son. A life-long Rockford buddy of mine, Bill Stark, had by then become a regular playing partner of the Woodses and introduced me to them. As guests of Earl, Bill and I attended the 1998 Masters where Tiger was defending champion. During that April return to a place we experienced decades earlier, we discussed the benefits of bringing Tiger to our old hometown.

Rockford is not only aware of the threats that can diminish the impact of the game, it is committed to addressing them.

Much of my story concentrates on Rockford’s values as they relate to golf. When I was a kid, the community was not a welcoming place for racial minorities who wanted to play the game. Now it is. This transformation became a focal point of my thinking in the book’s early development, and caused me to look back and anew at my past half-century of golf, and America’s.

Ingersoll Caddy - Rockford Illinois The perspective I gained as a young caddie in the 1950s turns out to be powerful in retrospect. Caddying at one time was a step on the ladder toward upward social and economic mobility for countless youngsters in Rockford and beyond. Caddies see the empowerment of golf close up. They also witness sportsmanship, etiquette, good swing habits, bad swing habits, temper tantrums, four-letter words, and a cross section of other behaviors that in the final analysis offer a net benefit. The disappearance of caddies from all but a few elite private clubs has diminished the opportunities of contemporary young aspiring golfers.

However, the disappearance of caddying is not the only challenge for those of us who want folks of all ages to taste a bit of the potential empowerment of golf. And here’s where my old hometown impresses me the most: Rockford is not only aware of the threats that can diminish the impact of the game, it is committed to addressing them. As a callow young fellow generations ago, I thought that Rockford had to be one of the best communities when it comes to golf. I still do. Maybe the very best.

Readers’ Responses to the First Edition of An Old Caddie Looks Back…:

Last night I finished [An Old Caddie] and was so inspired. I would have hit the range at Aldeen had it not been 11 p.m.!”
~ Greg Galen: Rockford

[Warren’s] approach is refreshingly different than most books written around the theme of golf by emphasizing its many life lessons. Wonderful stories, interviews and experiences about the game, history, friendships, sharing teaching, commitment and some sadness… His tales of the departed, including our co-founder Earl Woods, were heartfelt, humorous and a fine tribute…
~ Gregory T. McLaughlin: President, Tiger Woods Foundation

It’s wonderful what Tom has done. He has an incredibly rich history and background and knowledge of the community and golf.
~ Webbs Norman: Rockford Park District Executive Director/CEO/Historian

Tom Warren has done a masterful job of weaving the story of Rockford golf. It is informative, educational, yet entertaining as he combines fact with personal experiences. It is a must read for any golf enthusiast.
~ Roger Lindeman: Former National High School Golf Coach of the Year

Some of Tom’s accounts were so hilarious that I laughed till I had tears in my eyes. His days of caddying brought back memories of my being a caddie and how it opened up new doors for me. His observations about kids and adults playing the game are as true today as ever regarding the joys and disappointments of this great game.
~ Gary W. Anderson: Architect; Chick Evans Scholar

Tom Warren has written a warm, reflective study of golf that honors the game and the community that has allowed us to participate.
~ Steve Hare: PGA Golf Professional; Atwood Homestead Golf Course

This book can be extremely helpful within Rockford and as a way to alert other people to what we are doing here.
~ Doug Scott: Former Rockford Mayor;
Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Tom Warren is more than a student of the game, he’s a scholar who seems to have absorbed every detail of golf’s storied past…Just as there’s more to the game than merely hitting a little white ball around a pasture, there’s more to this book than golf. What we get here is not simply the view from the practice green and the driving range and the tee-box; we get a portrait of America itself ranging from the time when everybody liked Ike to the time when everybody likes Tiger.
~ Clint McCown: Twice winner of the American Fiction Prize, Clint McCown has also written feature pieces for Golf Digest. He teaches in the creative writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University

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An Old Caddie Looks Back – Where to purchase

The Second Editon of An Old Caddie Looks Back: Reflections from a Town that Loves Golf… and Tiger is available at the sources listed immediately below. It sells for $21.95. Its interior photos in black & white which makes it less expensive than its predecessor. A 2 for 1 golf pass, redeamable at four of Rockford’s courses, accompanies each. All profits from the sale of the book go to support youth golf programs.

Rockford Park District:

Amazon:

Barnes & Noble:

Also, Google “An Old Caddie Looks Back”

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The First Edition of An Old Caddie Looks Back: Reflections from a Town that Loves Golf… and Tiger is available at the sources listed below. This edition has many interior color images and sells for $49.95 which includes 2 for 1 pass to Rockford, Illinois golf courses. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to support youth golf program.

Northern Illinois:

Rockford

Rockford Park District
Carlson Ice Arena – 4150 N. Perryville Rd.. Rockford, IL 61111 (815) 969-4069)
Aldeen Golf Course Pro Shop – 1900 Reid Farm Rd., Rockford, IL 61107 (815) 282-4653
Canterbury Books – (Highcrest Centre off of Alpine Road) 1662 N. Alpine Road Rockford, IL 61107 815-398-1454
Golf Shack – 1631 N Bell School Rd., Rockford, IL 61107 (815) 397-3709

Rockton:

Red Barn Golf Course – 829 S Blackhawk Blvd., Rockton, Illinois 61072-2937, pinhi0504@charter.net 815.624.8037

Wheaton:

Center for History – 315 W. Front Street, Wheaton, IL 60187 630.871.6601

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Southern Wisconsin:

Beloit:

Country Club of Beloit – 2327 Riverside Drive, Wisconsin 53511 608.364.9011
Krueger-Haskell Golf Course – 1611 Hackett Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin 608.362.6503

Janesville:

Book World – 2451 Milton Avenue, 608.756.4331
Glen Erin Golf Club – At the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (formerly Rock County Airport) 608.741.1100 (Pro Shop) Toll free 877.843.4536

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An Old Caddie Looks Back