Kevin Sweeney has moved from behind the plate to behind the counter.

The former Pacific Coast league umpire, stymied by baseball in his attempt to be promoted to the major leagues, is starting a Forecaddie program at Twin Warriors Golf Club.

Sweeney, who lives in Rio Rancho, still umpires - he worked some area high school and college games in the spring, as well as officiating prep basketball games and taking on the odd job here and there, including driving a limousine. But his real passion, at least now, is golf, and he hopes others will share that fervor.

It could lead to big bucks.

Sweeney, caddying in Las Vegas, Nev., for brothers Greg and Mike Maddux, received a $500 tip from that duo - "They wanted to be treated like regular guys," he said - Sweeney recalled while detailing how Forecaddie works.

Of course, not all bag-carrying, ball-seeking operations end that happily: "Mr. Rick Barry stiffed me."

Yep, Barry, the former NBA star, seemingly couldn't part with anything green after Sweeney caddied for Barry and a foursome at Joe Montana's golf tournament. Plus, Sweeney said, "He was throwing clubs around."

Sweeney said he first heard about an opportunity to be a forecaddie from baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. "He talks in the third person," Sweeney said. "He's actually the guy that got me the job in Las Vegas."

That led to the big tip from the Maddux brothers, playing in their hometown, and being "stiffed" by Barry. And, Sweeney noted, a big $500 tip from Jackson, who once referred to himself as "the straw that stirs the drink" when he was playing for the New York Yankees.

Sweeney was the head caddiemaster for courses in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe in 2003 through 2005; "That's where I went every off-season," he said, meaning his days "in blue."

So far, he said, he isn't missing calling balls and strikes, or working the bases, at Isotopes Park and other PCL stadiums, which he did from 2003-06. He began his career as a professional umpire in 1998, but it never provided enough income for his wife and two children.

When a big-league job wasn't in the cards, Sweeney sought other jobs. In fact, after spending the daytime hours at Twin Warriors, he's working at Tamaya most evenings

According to the United States Golf Association and the official rules of golf, , a forecaddie "is one who is employed by the committee to indicate to players the position of balls during play. He is an outside agency."

So think golf "scout" when you hear forecaddie.

Because, as Sweeney agreed, that's the basic duties: Staying ahead of the group, making sure balls don't get lost, and knowing the course well enough to advise golfers in the foursome which club to play.

So if you like golf and enjoy being outside when you work, this could be a good job for you. Probably more important than those, however, is dependability.

According to a 31/2-page document Sweeney had in hand when telling about the Forecaddie operation, Twin Warriors caddies must:

• be in uniform;

• have the proper supplies (ball markers, divot-repair tools, tees, pencils and a laser gun);

• always "run" ahead of the group and know the caddie signals;;

• locate balls "in trouble," repair divots in the fairway and provide the "correct yardage;"

• rake the bunkers smooth, mark and clean every player's ball, plus fix ball marks on the green;

• make sure nobody loses a club and that none of the players takes care of the flagstick; and

• "exceed your customer's expectations."

Obviously, this job isn't for everybody. And these are only a few of the "musts" outlined in the document You'd better be in pretty good shape if you plan to follow through and seek one of these positions: "Caddies, we must hustle!" appears in bold-face copy. "Our members and guests appreciate hustle, which pays off at the end of the round. Caddies must run from No. 9 to fairway of No. 10."

Derek Gutierrez, Twin Warriors golf pro since May 2004, said general manager and director of golf (for Twin Warriors and Santa Ana Golf Course nearby) Roger Martinez originated the idea of providing something special for Twin Warriors golfers, who mostly come from a luxurious stay at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, a mere 5-iron (Forecaddie, is that what you'd recommend?) shot away from the Twin Warriors clubhouse.

"This course out here is just as good, if not better," Sweeney said, hopeful he can find enough forecaddies to have the program running full-tilt by the fall.

"Golf experience is preferred, but not required," Sweeney said.

"We're in the recruiting stage right now," Gutierrez said, confident Sweeney's the right guy to oversee the operation. "It's something more suitable for this facility and with our clientele coming from the hotel. (But) we don't want the locals to not think it's for them; it's something to set us apart.

"You don't have to be a scratch golfer to have a caddie," he said.

Although the Twin Warriors golf carts are equipped with global positioning satellite (GPS) screens, which help golfers get a feel for the lay of the course and the distance they face from their ball to the hole, Sweeney said that's merely a tool.

The wind isn't factored in, nor is the break of the green. And Gutierrez said his best piece of advice for Twin Warriors golfers is "The greens break about half of what you think."

Having completed lunch and an interview for a story about the forecaddie program, Sweeney and Gutierrez headed back to the clubhouse, but not before Gutierrez greeted a few just-arrived golfers with a hearty, "Gentlemen, how are you?"

Divots: Golf Digest, in its July issue, analyzed and ranked the top 40 casino golf courses in the nation. The magazine ranked Twin Warriors Golf Club at Santa Ana Star Casino 10th in the country, and Santa Ana Golf Club (also at Santa Ana Star Casino) was ranked 33rd. Twin Warriors, by the way, ranked 69th on Golf Digest's new list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses."

... GolfDigest.com course critic Ron Whitten recently referred to Twin Warriors' "par-3 fourth, fronted by a two-acre manmade pond and edged by a series of cascading waterfalls that emerge from nowhere and curl around the left front corner of the green ... looks as phony and contrived as a showgirl's cleavage, and I'm sure it's most visitors' favorite hole on the course. That's show business, folks."

... Gutierrez said greens fees have been reduced: New Mexico residents now pay $69 weekdays and $79 weekends for a round; out-of-state residents pay $145 for a round.