Saturday, March 24, 2018

CaddieNow Hires Shannon Kneisler as Marketing Manager

Popular Caddie Service Adds Seasoned, Industry Expert to Oversee Brand Initiatives, Support Continuing Expansion

(Haymarket, VA) – CaddieNow, the popular app bringing caddies back to the game, announced today it has hired former LPGA Tour player and experienced industry star Shannon Kneisler as CaddieNow’s national Marketing Manager.

Shannon Kneisler
Kneisler has been involved the golf industry for over 25 years as a LPGA Tour player, LPGA Class A instructor, writer, speaker, marketing consultant and golf business owner.  In joining the Executive Team at CaddieNow, America’s fastest-growing, caddies-on-demand platform, she’s overseeing the company’s national branding campaign as well as marketing initiatives to support partner courses and clubs.

CaddieNow also assigned Kneisler a dual title, as she will be the Regional Lead in Dallas-Fort Worth, which just became the latest expansion market to get the service. Kneisler lives in Fort Worth.

“We are proud to have someone of Shannon’s caliber join CaddieNow,” said Dave Cavossa, CaddieNow Founder and CEO. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of the industry from virtually every perspective.  She has a unique focus on the end user. Because of her great background, she understands the challenges facing golfers, caddies, clubs and courses and we will leverage that expertise to the benefit of our partners and everyone working with us.

“People like Shannon will help CaddieNow carry golf into the “Gig” economy, which is the future of the industry,” Cavossa added.

Kneisler said, “CaddieNow has proven to be a win-win for golfers and golf courses from California to Florida and from New Jersey to now Texas, so I am extremely excited to bring my abilities to the national leader in this field. As a native Texan, I’m also proud to be the lead in the thriving DFW area.  There is tremendous growth-opportunity here and that matches what’s going on at CaddieNow.”

Kneisler is well regarded in the industry. She found success quickly at the age of 14, when winning her first Junior Golf Tournament only three weeks after holding a club.  She credits her late father, Roger, in having the largest influence on her love of golf. He was even her tour caddie at times.

Possessing a natural swing led to receiving a NCAA Division 1 Golf Scholarship. She eventually competed on the LPGA Tour until a near-fatal car accident changed her life. After recovering from serious injuries and unable to play competitive golf again, she redirected her efforts to her business and marketing background.  She has supervised a cross-functional team of marketing/creative directors, circulation multi-channel web, advertising strategies and operations, many related to the game. She has appeared on the Golf Channel, Fox Sports and written articles for golf magazines.

Most recently her career has revolved around being an agent of change within the industry, promoting increased diversity and inclusion in golf.  

One of the main reasons Kneisler signed on with the company is she agrees and believes in the CaddieNow mentoring aspect, especially youth who want to caddie. Since its founding, CaddieNow’s stated mission has been to bring caddies back to golf and grow the game through youth caddies and make them easily accessible to golfers of all skill levels at lower costs at any course.  The company’s goal is to engage the youngest generation in golf by providing them exposure to the game and entry to multiple courses as caddies.

Her hope is golfers will not only enjoy their CaddieNow experience, but they will also impact and affect the youth they encounter.

“Caddying has so many positives.” Kneisler said. “It’s a new life experience and personal education. It provides immediate income and opens networking opportunities that can help teens and college students with their future careers. The lifetime effect can be immeasurable.”

She and her husband, Matthew, have a four-year old son, Boaz, and now live in Fort Worth.

Founded in 2015, CaddieNow is a shared-economy app, in the model of well-known ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft. The user-friendly virtual service has gained popularity nationwide because it’s easy for golfers to book caddies, for caddies to find work, and for courses -- with or without existing caddie programs -- to offer caddie services.

As part of its launch in DFW this month, CaddieNow is still meeting with and signing agreements with partner courses – and looking to work with more – while also searching for potential caddies to staff its demand.

CaddieNow has made it easy for either youths or adults to become caddies. Candidates can sign up and register online at to http://www.CaddieNow.com. Each caddie joins the team after going through a three-step process with video and on-course orientation.

To use the service, golfers simply download the free CaddieNow app, which is available for iPhone and Android devices, and register. After golfers enter the course, date and time they plan to play, they receive a confirmation notice from their looper, who will meet them at the course. Fees range from $30 - $80, plus tip, depending on the golfer’s desired level of caddy experience. CaddieNow continues to offer four levels of caddie service: JR LOOPER, LOOPER, FORE-LOOPER and PRO-LOOPER. The company is currently operating on more than 100 courses.

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