A FILM BY RON COLBY
"The best 69 minutes you'll ever spend
watching anything to do with our favorite game."
Vic Williams, Fairways + Greens Magazine
"Art reveals, and Colby's film reveals a skilled, keen appreciation of caddieing, the game's lost art."
Golf World
Created during a month-long trip to Scotland by acclaimed filmmaker and avid golfer Ron Colby, Scotland's Caddies features the wit and wisdom of the country's famous bag men and breathtaking scenery from golf's most revered courses. This 69-minute visit to the game's homeland will delight not only golfers, but those who've never teed it up.
Colby, director of the award-winning documentary Pirate for the Sea , filmed interviews with thick-brogued caddies at St. Andrews, Turnberry, Prestwick, Royal Troon, Royal Dornoch, Machrihanish, Royal Aberdeen, Gleneagles, Kingsbarns and Brora . The caddies offer tales -- sometimes flattering, sometimes not -- of numerous celebrities including Jack Nicholson and Catherine Zeta-Jones, as well as former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
Highlights include an off-color anecdote involving Cheryl Ladd, the caddies' takes on American, French and Japanese golfers, and stunning visuals of the Scottish seaside. Colby sprinkles in some enlightening golf history as well.
"The caddies themselves were very forthcoming, regaling us with jokes, insights on the game, and stories about celebrities who gave them bad tips," says Colby, who grew up caddying at Long Island's famed Fresh Meadow Country Club.
"I think golfers and non-golfers will enjoy the beauty of the courses and the quaint Scottish villages that serve as a backdrop. But the caddies' large personalities really carry the film."
Golf tournament organizers, travel planners, course operators and others interested in bulk purchases, please send us an email or call (310) 578.1317
"I absolutely loved it. It makes me want to jump on a plane for Glasgow right now." -- Peter Jacobsen
A lifelong labor of love
Ron Colby has always held a soft spot for caddies. That's only natural, since Colby himself caddied as a boy on Long Island.
At age 12, Colby began carrying bags for his father at Brookville Country Club. Two years later, the youngster struck out on his own, looping at nearby Fresh Meadow Country Club. Colby's most memorable customer? That would be Tommy Armour, the legendary "Silver Scot" whose victories included the 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA Championship and 1931 British Open.
"He was an elderly gentleman by then," Colby recalls, "but I remember well both him and the clubs in his bag, especially the stunning finish on his persimmon woods. I was so inspired I started swinging one.
"After observing me for a time, he left his Scotch and soda at the snack hut at the 11th tee, came over and told me, 'You've got a beautiful swing, but move your right hand over a little.' He returned to his drink, and I glowed for days with his compliment and my new knowledge."
Colby played often and landed a spot on his high school team; he went on to make the freshman squad at the University of Maryland (alongside future PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman) and the varsity at Hofstra College.
Besides golf, Colby soaked up other Scottish traditions while tagging along with his father, President of the local Robert Burns Society and an officer in the St. Andrews Society.
MAKING THE PILGRIMAGE
Colby would experience Scotland firsthand while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Air Force, using leave time to make a pilgrimage to St. Andrews, Muirfield and North Berwick. The links left an indelible impression, as did the caddies -- just not on the course.
"I couldn't afford to hire a caddie," Colby says, "but I did rub elbows with some at the local pubs and listened attentively to their colorful stories."
Colby eventually found his way to Hollywood as an actor, producer and writer. He even penned a screenplay based on Michael Murphy's classic novel, Golf in the Kingdom . After years attempting to get a film version made, Colby was heartened when Warner Bros. purchased his adaptation for Clint Eastwood. The project languished on Eastwoods desk, however, and a different treatment of Golf in the Kingdom was later produced.
INSPIRATION TAKES FORM
Colby made another visit to Scotland in 1999, alongside sons Trevor and Dylan. This time, he notes, "We could afford to take caddies."
"We were impressed by their wit, attitudes, and dedication to the job," Colby adds. "Several caddies told us tales from their experiences and in particular, one caddie by the name of Jimmy Kelly at Gleneagles shared some amusing stories about Sean Connery and Jack Lemmon.
"Although I didn't fully realize it, at that point an idea began taking shape."
That idea, of course, was Scotland's Caddies . Colby's inspiration took form in 2009 when his filmmaking partner and fellow golf enthusiast Patricia Van Ryker suggested a vacation. "I'll take time off," he told her, "if we go to Scotland and make a documentary on caddies. And we did."
Released in 2010, Scotland's Caddies features 69 minutes of footage from their treks to the country's most hallowed golfing ground: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Aberdeen, Royal Dornoch, Turnberry, Brora, Machrihanish and more.
"Miraculously, filming just seemed to fall into place," Colby says. "The caddies were very forthcoming, regaling us with jokes, insights on the game, and stories about celebrities who gave them bad tips."
It's the kind of stuff only a fellow caddie could capture.
About Ron Colby
A film-industry veteran with a
wealth of writing, producing and
directing credits, Ron Colby is a
Peabody Award winner who has
worked with some of Hollywood's
most respected names.
Colby began his career in the
1960s with Francis Ford Coppola's company, American Zoetrope, as Vice President. Colby worked on such films as Finian's Rainbow , The Rain People , The Godfather: Part II , Hammet, and The Outsiders , as well as George Lucas' first feature, THX-1138 .
Colby also collaborated with the late director John Hughes on She's Having a Baby and Some Kind of Wonderful , and produced four films for Mobil Masterpiece Theatre's "American Collection." The final film in the series, Almost a Woman , won a Peabody Award and a pair of Imagen Awards.
With his company Artists Confederacy, Colby has released two acclaimed documentaries, Jones Beach Boys and Pirate for the Sea . The latter film has aired regularly on Discovery Channel's Planet Green and won best-of honors at festivals around the globe.
View Colby's complete filmography at IMDb.com
About Artists Confederacy
Founded by Ron Colby, Artists Confederacy is dedicated to making evocative, thought-provoking films carried out in a graceful and creative manner. The company also strives to encourage, assist and foster the growth of young and emerging talent.
Since 2006, Artists Confederacy has produced four well-received documentaries: Jones Beach Boys , Pirate for the Sea , Twenty Five Hundred & One , and Scotland's Caddies . The company's films have been featured at festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards from both critics and audiences.
Colby's primary partner is Patricia van Ryker. Since joining Artists Confederacy in 2005, she has co-produced each of Colby's films; she also wrote and directed Twenty Five Hundred & One .
Artists Confederacy has many projects in production, pre-production and developmental stages, including documentaries and feature films.
For more please visit www.artistsconfederacy.com
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Pirate for the Sea
A biographical film about Paul Watson -- called the most daring and adventurous marine environmental activist ever -- this acclaimed documentary follows Watson as he sinks illegal whaling ships, saves seals and generally raises hell with those who would take more than the law allows from our oceans.
World Premier: Telluride Film Festival 2008. Winner: Best Feature Documentary, Boulder International Film Festival 2009; Best Environmental Film Award, Canada International Film Festival 2010; Best Environmental Film Award, Byron Bay (Aus.) Film Festival 2010; Award of Merit, Festival International du Film Maritime (Toulon, France) 2009; Environment Award, San Francisco Ocean Film Festival 2009; Best of the Festival Award, Ellensburg Film Festival 2009. Official selection: Berlin, Dublin, Seattle festivals.
www.pirateforthesea.com
Jones Beach Boys
Meet the Jones Beach Boys, 60-, 70- and 80-year-old lifeguards living the best years of their lives. It's been more than 35 years since filmmaker Ron Colby worked as an ocean lifeguard on this same Long Island beach. He may have left, but many guards from his days are still there -- one for 64 years. Revisiting these guys, he discovered the lure and determination that keeps them "keeping on."
Winner: Best Documentary, Long Island Big Fish Film Festival 2007; Storyteller Award, Redemptive Film Festival 2007
Twenty Five Hundred & One
Teococuilco, Mexico, birthplace of Oaxacan artist Alejandro Santiago, is a pueblo of grandparents and children. As in countless villages across the globe, working age men and women have been forced to leave in search of jobs. Twenty Five Hundred & One chronicles Alejandro's passion to create a legacy for those who are gone. Over six years he sculpted 2,501 life-size ceramic Migrantes. These lost souls speak to global issues we must confront.
Winner: Grand Prize, San Antonio Film Festival 2010; Outstanding Documentary, Sacramento International Film Festival 2010; Royal Reel Award, Canada International Film Festival 2010
To learn more and order visit www.artistsconfederacy.com
"The scenery is splendid, but as it always is with golf, it's the people that carry the story." -- WorldGolf.com
The Old Course, St. Andrews
The Machrihanish Golf Club
Town of
St. Andrews
David Joy, as Old Tom Morris
Sales, Distribution & Promotions
Retail outlets, golf course operators, golf vacation planners, tournament organizers and others interested in bulk purchases of Scotland's Caddies , and any company or individual interested in sponsorship or other partnership opportunities, please contact:
Artists Confederacy
Phone: (310) 578.1317
Fax: (310) 578.7399
rc_artistsconfederacy.com
pv_artistsconfederacy.com
12540 Rubens Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Media Inquiries
Media interested in reviewing or featuring Scotland's Caddies , obtaining high-resolution images or interviewing Ron Colby, please contact:
Daniel Mitchell
Communications Director
(561) 313.4658
agamegolfmedia_gmail.com
