The Start of Something New

So it begins, my summer searching for the heart of golf.

My Dad (left) and I (right) at this year’s Masters Tournament. I’m not in a white Augusta National jumpsuit yet, but maybe one day…

First, a Little About Me:

Whenever I introduce myself to someone over email, I always write something along the lines of:

“My name is Jake Patterson, I’m originally from Hendersonville, NC, and I’m currently a second-year Morehead-Cain Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill. I’m majoring in public policy and economics, with a minor in American studies.”

However, this is my blog, and I can introduce myself however I want. Thus:

“I’m Jake Patterson, proudly originating from Hendersonville, NC and now a passionate UNC Tar Heel. I love American politics, public policy, and sports, specifically the intersection of policy and sports. On campus, I’m an active member of the Lutheran Campus Ministry and have a blast working for UNC’s Athletic Communications Department. In my free time, I’m a middling golfer, a news junkie (with a particular fondness for long-form journalism), and an avid fan of trivia nights.”

If I didn’t lose you with my non-email introduction, this summer you’ll be hearing a lot more about these aspects of my life and the people and experiences that have brought me to Looper’s Line.

What exactly is a looper?

A looper is a colloquial term for caddie, which is defined by Wikipedia as, “the person who carries a player’s bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support.”

It’s what I’ll be this summer! Alyaa Abdulghany, a professional on the Epson Tour, has graciously given me the opportunity to carry her clubs around the US for five weeks. We’ll be hitting Orlando for two weeks, Denver, the UP of Michigan, and Albany.

I’ve played golf for about a decade, and I always knew I would never become a professional golfer. Yet for some reason, I have always had a strange desire to be a caddie.

I’m not sure if it’s the history of the profession, their vital role in the game, or the cool jumpsuits they wear at Augusta National. Regardless, it’s safe to say I’ll be living out a dream.

Why caddie this summer? And why chronicle it on a Substack?

Over the past year or so, I’ve become disenchanted by the battle between the PGA and LIV tours that is dominating the broader narrative about golf. Outside of the Masters, it’s the only thing that non-golf fans hear about. While the battle is interesting, and rightfully draws media attention, people are not getting a sense of the true heart of the game.

It’s not the millions of dollars in appearance fees and the designated events that make golf a beautiful sport, it’s the grinders who toil away in anonymity searching for their shot at glory. It’s the parents and their kids who bond over a shared love for evening nines at their local courses. It’s every individual who plays simply because they love the game so freaking much.

Through caddying on a tour that (unfortunately) receives sparse attention, I believe I’ll be able to meet many people who are playing and working because they truly love the game. Of course, their goal is glory, but there’s more to every story. They don’t have to be out there week in and week out, but they are. I want to tell those stories, and understand the “whys” that players and caddies have for loving the game.

I’m chronicling my summer on a Substack for two main reasons:

1. Its interface is seamless, and it’s extremely easy to use for a non-tech whiz like myself.

2. Substack gives me the creative freedom to write what I want, when I want. I am going to try to let this blog have it all. Profiles of the people I meet, chronicles of my experiences on the bag, and other miscellaneous stories that define my search for the heart of golf.

The majesty of a sunset and the trials of a practice bunker. I can’t think of many images that better define the heart of golf. (Photo taken at Kenmure County Club in Flat Rock, NC).

I’ve been given the tremendous opportunity to pursue this project as my Global Perspective experience with the Morehead-Cain Scholarship. Through the generosity of the Foundation, I’ll also be able to travel to Scotland during a three-week period I’ll have off of Alyaa’s bag.

There, I’ll visit the Home of Golf and get a chance to attend part of the Genesis Scottish Open. My search for the heart of golf will also take me to my hometown of Hendersonville, and other courses that you won’t read about in travel magazines but still define the sport.

To incentivize some use out of the Nikon D200 I bought to get me into the White House last September, I’ll be Instagramming my feeble attempts at professional photos with the account @Loopers_Line. The account will also feature updates that may not make it to the blog, and other content that I simply find funny. Just go ahead and call me Jake “Influencer” Patterson.

I’ll be in a lot of places this summer, and I hope you’ll join me (the easiest way to keep up is by subscribing!). I’m just gonna try not to screw it up.

I’ll talk to you soon.

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Questions, comments, ideas, and feedback can be directed to jpatterson@unc.edu. You can find me on Twitter @JakeWPatt or my Instagram @Loopers_Line. If you really want to get to know me, check out my LinkedIn.

Special thanks to Bethany Phillis for serving as my creative project mentor. Additional thanks to Caroline Maness for designing Looper’s Line’s logo.