Looking Fore! A Career Change
By Joe Donatelli
The day a $10 million investor pulled out of Richard Dooda's young publishing company was one of the best days of Dooda's life.
He just didn't know it.
With no job, the longtime publishing executive caddied at Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley, Calif., while he looked for another job.
Then it dawned on him: this should be my job.
"It's a magical game," said Dooda, who caddied as a teen-ager growing up in New Hampshire. "If you understand golf, it gets in your blood very quickly and it never leaves. Golf is about the constant pursuit of perfection. You also have camaraderie and you build relationships and you can really see your personality come out while you're playing."
That's certainly the case for Dooda, 55. While he enjoyed being an executive vice president for sales at HarperCollins in New York City, it wasn't until he returned to the golf course almost two years ago that he felt complete — like he was doing the right thing with his life.
"Richard was one of our best caddies," said Corey Ludwig, a golf pro at Lost Canyons. "We've had a number of different people who fall into Richard's category, who had successful jobs in the past and gave it all up to come out caddyng. The reason they do it is for their love of golf and for the change of lifestyle."
Said Dooda, "If you want to enjoy life you have to pursue your passions. What I do makes me happy."
Dooda is now program manager for Caddie Services Inc., at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, Calif. He works sunup to sundown, totes the bag at least twice a week and golfs nightly for free. At CordeValle, an exclusive club that caters to Silicon Valley execs, he rubs shoulders with Cisco CEO John Chambers, pro golfer Annika Sorenstam, former pro golfer George Archer and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Dooda estimates that he worked 4,500 hours last year — an average of 12 hours a day, every day of the week.
"I never get tired," he said. "Every day passes so quickly when I'm on the golf course. There is no sense of time. I can't describe it. It's an illness."
What does he do in his spare time? Golf, of course. But he's also writing and collecting stories for a book he'd like to write on — you guessed it — caddying.
Dooda said that family support has been key to his career change. He said his wife Diane is still in shock, but his three adult daughters and three grandchildren are all behind him. As is Diane.
"They understand my passion for the game," he said. "I have a great family."
What's next? Dooda is hoping to return to Southern California so he can be closer to his daughters and grandkids. He'd also like to rise through the management ranks at Caddie Services.
"I want to oversee more. I want more responsibility in the company," he said. "But I don't want so much responsibility where I would have to relinquish the ability to caddie and play golf when I want to."
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