Research

How we observe, map, and interpret the systems of golf.

Carts & Caddies approaches golf as both experience and structure. Our research examines how rounds unfold, how courses operate, and how decisions shape outcomes. We study the game not as enthusiasts, but as observers—documenting patterns, testing frameworks, and building knowledge that serves the sport.

Methodology

Our approach rests on three interconnected pillars. Each informs the others. Together, they form a cycle of observation, analysis, and refinement.

  • Observation

    We study live rounds, player decisions, pace shifts, and environmental variables. Field notes become the foundation of all subsequent analysis.

  • System Mapping

    We diagram tee sheet flow, course movement, operational structures, and economic constraints. Patterns emerge through structured visualization.

  • Applied Analysis

    We translate observation into written frameworks. Ideas are tested against reality, refined, and documented with precision.
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Insights evolve through publishing and field testing. Each cycle deepens understanding and reveals new questions.

Areas of Study

Our research spans six interconnected domains. Each reveals different aspects of how golf operates as a system.

Tee Time Economics

Pricing models, demand patterns, and revenue optimization.

Pace of Play Modeling

Factors affecting round duration and flow management.

Course Operations Workflow

Staffing, maintenance, and daily operational systems.

Design & Architectural Strategy

Course layout, hole strategy, and playability principles.

Behavioral Decision Patterns

How players choose clubs, lines, and strategies under pressure.

Cultural Ritual & Identity

Golf as tradition, community, and personal expression.

Field Application

Our process moves through distinct phases. A round begins as field notes—observations recorded in real time. These notes become the raw material for system mapping, where patterns are identified and diagrammed. Once a framework is clear, we write. Essays translate observation into argument, testing ideas against evidence. Finally, work enters our archive, where it remains available for reference, critique, and future iteration. This cycle is not linear. Earlier work informs new observation. New observations challenge established frameworks. The archive grows, and understanding deepens.

Publishing Philosophy

Clarity comes from structure. When we diagram a tee sheet or map player movement, we're not adding complexity—we're revealing it. Golf already operates according to systems. Our job is to make those systems visible, testable, and communicable.

Golf rewards attention. The game reveals patterns to those who watch carefully. A player's decision at the tee box, the rhythm of a round, the economics of a course—these are not mysteries. They are systems waiting to be understood.

Intentional publishing builds durable understanding. Ideas that are written, tested, and archived become part of a shared knowledge base. They can be challenged, refined, and built upon. This is how knowledge grows—not through individual insight, but through collective, documented inquiry.

The game reveals itself to those who study it.