From the perspective of your everyday golfer, the caddying world appears simplistic – keep the clubs clean, carry the bag and stay out of the way.  However, being an effective caddy even at the amateur level is quite the opposite.

In August, I made my second trip to the Iowa Golf Association’s playing of the 76^th Herman Sani Tournament.  Hosted by Hyperion Field Club in Johnston (just West of Des Moines), the three-day tournament was played as a Par 72 and traversed roughly 6500 yards.  I was on the bag for Patrick Hall, a former standout golfer for the Huskies from 1999-2003.  Hall went on to play collegiate golf at Iowa State University and has continued to play as an amateur in a select few yearly events within the state.

Overall, Hall and I have seen many golf courses together.  However, most rounds prior to college involved us both playing and carrying our respective bags.  After college, the rounds have looked vastly different with Hall continuing to be the player – and my role has transitioned to caddy.

After playing the three-day tournament to completion, Hall finished in a two-way tie for tenth.  He posted rounds of 70, 70 and 73 to finish just eight shots off the winning pace orchestrated by West Des Moines own Andrew O’Brien.

In talking with Hall about what constitutes an elite caddy, he shed some light on what that would look like.  “A good caddy knows how to be there for the player, but also knows how to step away when needed,” Hall said.  “A good caddy also understands the needs and wants of their player.  Some players want heavy involvement while others prefer that you carry the bag and provide numbers along the way.  Being there for reassurance rather than being overbearing is key,” Hall added.  “It comes down to stepping in when asked and knowing how to essentially read the room.”

One of the key moments that stood out for both Hall and I occurred on Saturday’s final hole.  Having started on the back nine due to a shotgun start format, Hall finished on the ninth hole, a 198-yard par 3 that heads directly back to the clubhouse.  Just two shots off the lead at the time, Hall had verified the yardage with his range finder and asked me to pull his 5-iron.  However, with the adrenaline running, Hall put his shot deep and in the thick rough.  On that specific green that sloped from back to front, this long tee shot all but sealed Hall’s fate of a bogey on his final hole.

Hindsight being what it was, Hall and I wished we had that shot back to end the second day of the tournament.  “I was in contention and at that point sometimes your mind starts to race,” Hall said.

If Hall and I teamed up on a more regular basis, I can only think that I would have had the foresight to have him club down due the rising importance and situation we were in at that juncture.  “Caddies are your mental coach throughout the round,” Hall said.  “They need to be there for smart course management, emotional support and to gather the numbers and other data.  They are really your overall coach on the course,” he added.

Hall and I were hoping for better results in the final round.  However, in the big scheme of things we finished strong with birdies on three of the last six holes and learned an extraordinary amount.  If I were looping for Hall more regularly, things may have played out differently.

We had fun, enjoyed each other’s company and who knows – my third trip to Hyperion on caddy duty may be the charm.

Until next month, hit ‘em long and straight – and most of all have fun!