Meet Stevie Shapiro: Learning the Smart Game at Bethpage Black
Some golfers discover the game later in life. For Stevie Shapiro, golf has been part of his story from the very beginning.
"My dad had me swinging clubs before I was old enough to really hold them," Stevie says. "Getting started that young built the muscle memory that's still with me today."
Growing up on Long Island, Stevie spent countless summer days at Sunken Meadow Golf Course, where he, his older brother, and two close friends would get dropped off with ten dollars in their pockets to walk nine holes. Those endless rounds became the foundation of his game and taught him lessons that still influence the way he approaches golf today.
His path into caddying followed his older brother's lead.
Stevie began looping at Wheatley Hills Country Club, a prestigious Long Island club where PGA Tour star Keegan Bradley maintains a locker and where many members helped support Bradley's journey to professional golf. As a young caddie, however, opportunities could be inconsistent, leaving plenty of downtime in the caddie yard.
"Whenever work was slow, we'd always talk about going over to play Bethpage Black," Stevie recalls. "Eventually I thought, instead of waiting around, why not ask if they needed caddies?"
That simple question changed everything.
Just two weeks later, the Bethpage Black caddie master called. They needed additional caddies for the 2023 New York State Open, and Stevie has been looping at one of America's most demanding public golf courses ever since. Four seasons later, Bethpage Black has become both his office and his classroom.
Working hundreds of rounds on a course that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens has shaped Stevie's philosophy on golf.
"The smart game is the right game."
"Laying up when you need to. Staying out of trouble. Taking your medicine when the course demands it," he explains. "A lot of golfers think that's playing scared. It isn't. It's playing smart."
Bethpage Black has a way of teaching humility.
"The Black doesn't let you get away with careless golf. You have to respect every shot. Once you learn how to manage your way around a course like Bethpage, you start scoring better everywhere else."
While course management is a huge part of caddying, Stevie believes the job extends well beyond reading putts and picking clubs.
"A good caddie reads the group just as much as the golf course. You have to know when to offer advice, when to stay quiet, and when a little humor is exactly what's needed."
He laughs while referencing one of golf's most famous caddie sayings, often attributed to two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange:
"Show up. Keep up. Shut up."
"I'd add one more thing," Stevie says. "Know when to make them laugh and know when to just let them play. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a golfer is read the moment."
For Stevie, that's what makes caddying so rewarding.
"Every loop is different. Every golfer is different. I love helping people enjoy the game, and I love meeting new people every day."
We're proud to welcome Stevie Shapiro to the CaddyTips Caddy Collective, where he'll be sharing his firsthand knowledge of Bethpage Black, Long Island golf, and the strategic mindset that comes from caddying one of the toughest courses in America.
Whether you're preparing for your first round at Bethpage or simply looking to become a smarter golfer, Stevie's insights will help you play the game the way it was meant to be played—one smart decision at a time.