Empire Caddie - Handle

The George G. Bussey & Co. club carrier was designed to carry between six and eight clubs - the standard complement of the day. It consists of a board with a truncated oval canvas bag, a smaller canvas pouch, a carrying handle and retractable wooden legs. This particular example was discovered at the rear of the clubhouse at Northbridge Golf Club in the late 1990s.

Before golf bags appeared in the late 1800s, clubs were carried under the arm of the caddy. Early bags were made from wicker or canvas. Caddies were responsible for carrying a golfer's clubs, for teeing up their balls, locating lost balls, and numerous other menial tasks that might detract from the player's enjoyment of their game.