JUEVES & MAMI CUY

I don't have a picture of Jueves, but
this sketch resembles him well

The Rules state that caddies are “part of the match”. Caddies have a two-way job, on one hand, they are supposed to carry your clubs, keep them clean, replace divots, rake bunkers, pick up trash, know the course so they can give you the best possible information, etc. On the other hand, they are your silent partner and friend, they are supposed to know when to open their mouth and when to “zip” it. They are supposed to help you keep focused. Your trusty advisor and best friend for four and half hours. There is no better experience than that of playing golf with a caddy. I’ve been on both sides of the bag, and loved every minute on both sides.

Think of this: a round of golf takes an average of 4 hours (240 minutes), a swing takes 2 to 3 seconds tops, say 2.5 seconds. That means you are actually swinging the club for about four minutes, what is the best way to spend the rest of your three hours and fifty-six minutes? It better be with someone you trust and like!

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"Mami Cuy"

Jueves (translated "Thursday"), a teenager about my age, was a caddy at Club Cocoyoc, a nine-hole golf course south of Mexico City, where we started playing golf before joining Club de Golf Mexico a couple of years later. “Jueves” was my caddy from the first time I played there. Jueves was a kid with a big, big smile. 

Jueves took everything related to caddying very serious, from knowing the basic rules, to knowing etiquette, to being honest to a fault, to protecting his player from other players and/or caddies who cheated, to never saying a negative word. Ever. We had great conversations on the course about just about everything: sports, golf in particular, the local town, people, other players or stories of matches, about how he wanted to finish high school and be an accountant one day (there was no high school in this little town), etc. He had a great sense of humor, and I've got to say this, I never saw him not smile, and even when in pain, which was often, he'd just smile and with a big smile would say, "oops, that one hurt!" and then continue walking.

Caddying creates memories

 See, Jueves was often in pain because he had a bad leg, a really bad leg. A few years earlier he had been struck by a car, and the "doctors" in this town of about 1,000, had somehow fused his bones in such a way that in order to walk, Jueves would spin his hip left and forward to literally throw his bad right leg forward around him; once he'd plant the right foot, he would drag his good leg around the left side and forward, because there was not enough strength in his right to really be steady and lift one foot (in this case his left) off the around.

Caddying creates memories

He would caddie 18 holes or more doing that every step of the way, and never, ever, uttering a complaint, and as I said above, always with a smile. Jueves taught me that no matter what cards you are dealt, you have to play with them and do the best you can. He had optimism and determination, and he was born to be a good role model.

Here is the ending to the story. An ending that shows compassion and love on one side and determination, will power, gratitude and love as well on the other. After my family had joined a private club in Mexico City about two years after we took up the game, we still visited Cocoyoc a few times a year. One day, a lady known as “Mami Cuy”, brought Jueves to Mexico City to be checked by a friend of her family who was an orthopedic surgeon. This doctor helped Jueves with his leg to where he could walk almost normally, he still had a tiny limp, but not longer did he need to drag, twist and throw his leg around. On top of that, this lady’s husband gave Jueves a part time job and a place to stay until he graduated from high school. That was nice! At the time, I was first helping the family business in Brownsville TX, and then, attending college in Kingsville, TX. So, I just knew more or less what was going on.

Caddying creates memories

I went back to Mexico in 1976 for a while, and have not seen Jueves him since 1979, when was working at a new course owned by the same people who owned the old hotel. Shortly after, in 1980 I permanently moved to the United States and never heard from him again (Note: in 1999, I visited Mexico and looked for him, but he was no longer working at the same place and no one knew how to find him).

This day in 1979, he was sitting at a desk full of papers. He had short sleeves and a tie and the title of “Head Bookkeeper”! The day before, he had left this desk to caddy for me in a one day tournament at the old course just for the sake of it. This day, when I stopped to say good bye, he said, “please give a hug to ‘Mami Cuy’, I will never forget your family” and we hugged. See, Mami Cuy, was indeed, my mother!