Willie Stokes was born May 22, 1920[1][2] at his home on the former grounds of the Fruitlands Nurseries,[3] an Indigofera plant farm[4] where his father had worked.

He and his family still lived there when the tract, 365 acres (148 ha), was purchased by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts to become the Augusta National Golf Club.

[3] Willie Stokes was the youngest caddie to ever be "on the bag" for a win at the Masters—at age 17 during the 1938 tournament with Henry Picard.

Jack Burke Jr. said he was never comfortable taking advice from a caddie and that he always gave them the same instructions before the start of a tournament: "If you will stand two club lengths from my ball at all times, and don't step onto the putting green once, you will get a very nice tip when we're finished.

Willie Stokes died on July 9, 2006, at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home.