Paul Payne: From St. Andrews To Black Creek, Jordan Douglas Shaped By His Scottish Golf Roots

The hallowed turf of The Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland always ranks near the top of most golfers’ bucket list of desired destinations. Long considered the birthplace of golf with origins dating back six centuries, words are inadequate in capturing the emotions when first visiting the iconic coastal layout carved into the rugged landscape by the seas and the winds.

Golf is not simply a recreational diversion in St. Andrews. It is St. Andrews. The two are forever inextricably linked.

Golfers come from across the globe to experience the near-spiritual awakening of playing at the hundreds of unique courses that dot the Scottish countryside. But St. Andrews remains the sport’s mecca, a golfer’s wish list never fulfilled until his resume’ includes a round at the Old Course.

But for Jordan Douglas, the director of golf at Black Creek Club, he has a different term when describing St. Andrews. It was simply home for him.

Douglas grew up in the quaint town of 17,000 residents on the coast of Fife overlooking the North Sea, his home only a short walk from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. For the modest annual sum of 175 pounds, Douglas was able to enjoy near-unlimited access to the seven courses that comprise the St. Andrews Links.

“My family was born and raised in St. Andrews,” Douglas said. “I tell people every day I really didn't know how lucky I was. Whenever I go back and walk around town, it just has an aura and a vibe about it you can't really explain to someone. There's a passion and a respect for the honor of the game. There's no more traditional place that is all about preserving the history of golf.”

Golf is everything to St. Andrews and drives the thriving local economy via tourism according to Douglas, who estimates he has played more than 600 rounds at the Old Course.

“One of my sisters is a travel agent there, another works for the Rusacks Hotel alongside the Old Course, and my brother is a golf course superintendent at nearby Cupar,” Douglas said. “My dad is an avid golfer and the whole town runs off golf. The golf IQ is so high because it's so easily accessible for us over there.”

Like every other Scottish lad, Douglas had early dreams of playing competitively as his career path.

“My aspirations were obviously to play professionally,” Douglas said. “I was a good player within the St. Andrews area during my teenage years. We don’t have the college golf opportunities like here in America, so I hoped to play the full-time amateur circuit backed by the Scottish Foundation. I was a one or two-handicap, kind of right on the cusp of having a chance. Ultimately, it didn't work out.”

Douglas also started caddying at St. Andrews when he was 15, earning respect among the hierarchy of grizzled veterans who had been carrying bags for years.

“It was quite an education being a teen in the caddie shack with those characters that have done it for 40 years,” Douglas said. “Barely anyone talked to me for the first two years, but then you get a little bit of respect from the seasoned guys where at least they say, ‘Hey, how you doing?’”

Serving as a caddie is a revered profession in St. Andrews, and Douglas opted to pursue the occupation full-time after graduating from the University of Edinburgh. He joined some buddies who would relocate to Naples, Fl. to caddie through an exchange program at the exclusive Old Collier Club during the winter months, then return to St. Andrews for the summer.

“As a Scottish guy, that sounded like a pretty attractive option to spend wintertime in Florida,” Douglas said. “You’re carrying a single bag for each member down there and all their caddies are Scottish from either St. Andrews Kingsbarns or Carnoustie. The club takes care of all the visas and all the expenses, so it was a pretty cool opportunity.”

Douglas followed this seasonal transition between Florida and Scotland for four years, during which time he had many memorable experiences while toting a golf bag. One of those took place in the 2011 Walker Cup staged at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

The Walker Cup is a prestigious international match bringing together the leading amateur golfers from Great Britain and Ireland and the United States. The Americans were heavy favorites, featuring a loaded team with future PGA stars Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley.

Douglas was on the bag for GB&I’s Steven Brown, and he had a good feeling when blustery conditions greeted the golfers for the final round matches.

“No one expected us to do anything,” Douglas said. “I remember being on the range for the Sunday singles and one of the Americans was whining and complaining about the weather. It was overcast and 50 degrees, and it was blowing hard. He was like ‘I can't believe you play in this. This is a joke.’ We knew then we might have a chance.”

Brown’s match turned out to be the clincher for GB&I, and Douglas sensed the drama building as the afternoon unfolded.

“We knew it was close because suddenly we saw cameras following us,” Douglas said. “We tied the last hole with pars. As we shook hands, team captain Nigel Edwards came up and whispered in our ears, ‘You just holed the winning putt.’”

Douglas was also selected to serve as a caddie for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a DP World Tour event for 168 professionals and 168 amateurs competing for both individual and team titles. His assignment his second year in the event not only came as a surprise but developed into a deeper friendship.

“The caddie master said, ‘You’ve done well so I’ve got you a good bag.’ I go up to the tee and it’s Samuel L. Jackson,” Douglas said. “Little did I know back then that I would end up here as he’s from Chattanooga. I always tell people it's the most surreal experience in my life.”

At the conclusion of their first tournament together, the highly acclaimed actor asked Douglas to come by his hotel to pay him for his duties. But the hotel clerk was skeptical of Douglas’ request to be granted access to Jackson’s suite at the Old Course Hotel.

“Mr. Jackson gave me a codename and his room number, and I remember the receptionist looking at me like ‘There ain't no way you’re going up to see Samuel L. Jackson.’ Once I knocked on his door, he invited me inside and we were chatting like we had known each other for years. He paid me, then told me his assistant would be in contact for me to caddie for him the next year. I did that for four years, and that was pretty cool,” Douglas said.

Douglas also caddied for pop singer Justin Timberlake during one of his visits to St. Andrews, but the cold spring weather shortened the round to only five holes. Timberlake then rented out a local pub, The Jigger Inn, and invited Douglas to join him for the evening.

“The whole town knows he's there, and every girl at the university is following around,” Douglas said. “He closes the Jigger down and we're there from early evening to the small hours in the morning drinking with him. I am very thankful for those experiences that I would have never been exposed to with me not growing up in St. Andrews.”

But after four years of splitting time between Old Collier and St. Andrews, Douglas decided he needed to pivot his golf future away from being a caddie.

“Being in Naples I realized that caddies in the U.S. aren’t viewed the same as they are back home,” Douglas said. “Being a caddie is a respected job in St. Andrews. But when you’re caddying for the super-wealthy, they don’t have the same kind of respect for you, and you’re looked down upon.”

Douglas met a girl from Chattanooga while living in Florida, then followed her here 11 years ago, hoping to continue his pursuit of a career in golf. He started off working as an outside attendant at Black Creek, then moved into assistant professional role while achieving his PGA Professional membership work over the next two years.

“I owe a lot to (former Black Creek Director of Golf) Sean Rice,” Douglas said. “He was a big mentor who pushed me. He is the reason that I wanted to grow in golf, to take on more responsibility. Two years ago, I moved into the role of leading the whole golf operation when Sean moved.”

It seems providential that Douglas, 38, would land at Black Creek, given his connection to Scotland. Brian Silva, the respected golf course architect responsible for Black Creek’s design, implemented a modern interpretation of many of Scotland’s most famous holes – known as template holes – that became a staple of noted early American course designers Charles Blair MacDonald and Seth Raynor.

“It’s almost like a perfect marriage,” Douglas said. “This place gives me a connection to my past with our template holes. Our course reminds me of the famed course back home at North Berwick.”

Being director of golf at Black Creek is the culmination of a wonderful journey in golf for Douglas as he enjoys life in Chattanooga with his wife, Victoria, and his daughters, Adelaide and Ainsley. He is thankful for the opportunity to lead the club into its next phase of prominence. But it is also important for him to cultivate another generation of golf professionals as a show of gratitude to all the game has given him.

“It's been a transition for sure. I have learned about building a staff I can trust to perform and execute the tasks of the day-to-day operations. I do have some really good people who allow me to get out and be in front of the membership and make sure everything's going well. But I want my assistants to dream big as well, giving them meaningful tasks, making them feel appreciated. You might be in an assistant role right now, but I don't want you to be here forever.”

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Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com.