Caddying On the Color Line

How Black Caddies Defined and Redefined Golf in the South

Craig J Gill

• Publisher: Back Nine Press
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781956237283
• Subtopic: North American History

" The story told in  Caddying on the Color Line  is painful, inspiring, and ultimately beautiful. Thank you, Craig Gill and Back Nine Press, for getting this story out and in the open, where it belongs. I stand in awe of the people Gill portrays, for the pain they endured to make a living at the game, to play the game, and to find homes in the game." — MICHAEL BAMBERGER New York Times-bestselling author of  To the Linksland,  Men in Green, and  The Second Life of Tiger Woods " Caddying on the Color Line  illuminates a profound yet long-overlooked chapter in golf's history, weaving together the stories of men who carried not just golf bags, but the weight of systemic inequity on their shoulders. Through meticulous research and intimate storytelling, Gill reveals how Black caddies navigated the complex social dynamics of a white game, developing an expertise that shaped the sport while confronting daily indignities with quiet resilience. By amplifying these long-silenced voices, Gill offers not just a historical account, but a deeply human story of dignity and fortitude against the backdrop of America's struggle with racial justice."   — JOEL BEALL Senior Writer for  Golf Digest, author of  Playing Dirty " Deeply researched and beautifully told,  Caddying on the Color Line  adds a rich new chapter to the story of how African Americans helped shape the game of golf."   — STEPHEN PROCTOR Author of Monarch of the Green and The Long Golden Afternoon " Caddying on the Color Line expands our understanding of the history Black caddies. Gill moves beyond the stereotypical role these caddies played on the golf course. He shows that caddying was a labor choice that African American believed was an improvement over the drudgery of exploitative farm labor. Similar to Black jockeys in horseracing, Black caddies used golf to create new labor and athletic opportunities.  Caddying on the Color Line  reminds readers that Black caddies were bag carriers, but also experts, labor activists, and