The Day Before:
The boys practiced solidly this week. I think. They spent a couple of hours each day except Monday (and Friday for Bear) out there. Perhaps I should be ensuring “smart practice” but there is a limit to my time (and honestly my patience). But Max is on my case about structuring and providing a more holistic environment, so stay tuned to see what I can pull off – at some point.
Rob’s coach worked on his backswing this week – and considers it will be the focus for the foreseeable future. I am always happy to hear he takes direction so well – because he does not from me.
The Day Of:
Bear tees off 12:30 pm and Rob around 3:40 pm. Waiting 3 hours before tee off and then Rob not accepting any correction or advice on the practice range (“you aren’t my coach!”) has me a bit annoyed but its par for the course as far as our warm ups go. Sitting in the Spring sun (still layered up thanks to a late season Arctic blast) I begin to mellow and relax with 10 minutes to tee off – until he plows the push cart down a hill and the bag sprawls all over the place. 8 year old golf ….. where plunging the push cart down a huge hill provides the ultimate rush !!
The boys are called to the tee and one of his companions asks his dad how far the hole is. It turns out dad has forgotten the range finder and hears all about it from his player. Dad : “You could have reminded me to bring it and helped make sure we had everything before we left.” Amen brother.
But, oh my goodness ….. the range finder …… will I ever be 100% prepared on the tee? Scrummage around in the bag while the boys make their introductions. Batteries dead. OK, we need to get this show on the road, will have to find and reload batteries as we go.
Two reasonable (for him) first 2 holes. I’ve found spare batteries for the range finder and am trying to lever the battery case open. Max texts to say Bear has fallen apart completely, I hand Rob his next club, clean the mud off the last, tell him to hit it straight …. text back to say he should leave Bear to caddy himself and we should find a good “head guy” for him ……. where is the range finder now? Lost, somewhere in the bag …….. but we’re walking and I can’t hold up the field with my head in the black hole that is my bag. On the course Rob is scrambling out of trouble – pretty well in fact.
So at the faintest glimpse of water in the far distance Rob changes out his ball (not risking his beloved Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear). Up around the green are two identical yellow US Kids #2 balls and both boys clueless, caddies too unfortunately.
On the 5th hole we discuss our normal strategy of straight down the fairway “Aim straight for the marker right down the middle“. Plan flawlessly executed and he hits it straight on – the ball ricocheting crazily off it to the left ! We end that hole Par in a sea of scorecard double bogeys !!
Note to self: Remind Rob on golf etiquette – you cannot start raking player companion’s sand prints while he is still in the bunker trying to play his shot…….
Drive of the day on hole 8, followed by bad club selection which puts the second shot over the green (albeit beautifully). Following the magnificence of the drive he says, “see, Snickers bar helped with my driving“. I’m like, “no it absolutely does not.” Don’t want to create any precedent here – and of course that flies fully in the face of adopting a more holistic approach to pursuing golfing excellence.
We turn the corner for hole 9 and it is completely bottle-necked. The group before the group before us is waiting to tee off ! Rob spends the time eating Pistachios and throwing shells at me. Uncharacteristically I put up with it. Max joins us and wants to know where the lost shots are and what needs to be worked on. I thought Rob played pretty well (for him) – but apparently a caddie needs to know and remember exactly where points are lost……
What I do know is that he shot a 50 and landed solidly in the middle of the pack – and that’s an improvement.