It was rough. Literally. He struggled to find the fairway on his drives. It turns out – later, when I fretted about his driving to Max, who was playing in his own club championship – that he played with the wrong driver the whole round ! One new but too long for him still, but that he thinks in his own mind that he crushes …….. This would not have happened with Max on the bag ….. (obviously !).
Bear is on Rob’s bag today and I walk along, hovering but not helicopter-like, on the cart path. It is a situation that could go either way : a beautiful thing or a complete train-wreck, and as Bear takes Rob’s putter from him on the first green I’m feeling cautiously optimistic.
As we walk, it is a pleasure to watch. Not the hacking out of Fall leaves piling heavily in places golfers fear to tread, but the camaraderie and contemplations of the brothers in their happy place.
Facing a particularly difficult pitch on to the green, Bear explains various places on the green that would be ideal for Rob to try and land the ball. Rob duly follows through with the plan.
Way to listen to your brother ! cheers Daddy Caddy 1.
And in the brisk Fall breeze, for which I am unsuitably attired, my heart glows warm.
Then the wheels wobble – as they surely must. Bear tries to explain a lie on an approach shot and Rob swings during the explanation and does not hit the target. Rob doesn’t much like directions and if you are going to give them they better be short and to the point. He then snapped at Bear who then refused to help the rest of that hole. I sent him back : You cannot just bail when things get difficult !
The next hole was not much better and resulted in Bear complaining to me again : He just doesn’t appreciate me at all !
Ha ! You’re preaching to the choir Baby !
There are many lessons to learn, much blame to be assigned, many bunkers to rake and hopefully not too many brotherly bridges burned.
Afterwards:
I asked Bear what he liked and what he did not like about caddying for Rob:
It was nice to talk to someone about fun stuff on the golf course.
I did not like how he got mad at me for no reason.
From Rob’s point of view:
Bear was really good about giving advice. Sometimes I just didn’t take it.
Sometimes he gave too much advice. I don’t like too much.
Bear countered this with : I gave him the advice he needed !
