Bonagura: Mixed Results from Caddying Debut

Over the past several years, San Ramon Valley High boys golf coach Brian Barr and I have played golf together quite a few times.

Barr was my high school journalism advisor at California High and we've used golf as a way to stay in touch since I graduated in 2003.

It's an interesting pairing considering I'm a terrible golfer and he regularly shoots even par when we go out, but a good time nonetheless.

A few weeks ago he asked if I'd caddy for him in the Northern California Golf Association Master Division Championship, a two-day event for golfers 40 and older at Spyglass and Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach.

"Sure," I told him. "That should be plenty of time for me to learn all the breaks on all the greens."

"All you have to do is carry the bag," said Barr who wanted me to caddy for one day of the two-day tournament.

"That works too," I said.

We agreed that July 6, day two at Poppy Hills, would be my caddying debut.

"I want to make sure you've recovered from the Fourth," he reasoned.

He called me after Monday's round — an 82 at Spyglass, which left him well out of contention — to say Tuesday's tee time would be 7:50 a.m.

Mapquest indicated the drive would take about two hours and I wanted to leave myself with room for error in case I lost my way on the maze-like 17-Mile Drive.  That meant I had to get up south of 5 a.m., which isn't something I plan on getting into a habit of anytime soon.

Barr was paired with three others who shot 83 at Spyglass and started the day on the 10th tee at Poppy.

Everyone was introduced and the starter announced each player and their home course.

Leading off was a former minor league hockey player, originally from the Czech Republic, whose left-handed swing looked like it still belonged in the rink.

Barr was playing out of the Bridges Golf Club in San Ramon, while the other two came from the prestigious Olympic Club in San Francisco and a course in San Jose.

Everything I know about caddying I learned from the movies "Tin Cup" and "Happy Gilmore." I'd be faking my way through 18 holes with some guys who, for all I knew, took the game more seriously than they should.

After about four uneventful holes, my inexperience came into play when I lost a club head cover for a hybrid 3-iron. The thing had fallen off on each of the prior holes, but when Barr asked me if I had decided just to hold onto it as we approached the fourth green I looked at the bag, looked at him and looked back at the bag.

"Uhhhh … nope," I said.

Barr laughed.

"Already losing head covers? It's ok, it was a freebie," he said.

My self-esteem still took a hit. How could I screw that up?

The only real drama happened on the next hole when I got chewed out by the guy from the Olympic Club for letting the clubs in my bag rattle as he was approaching his ball.

"You can't be doing that, that's the second time I had to re-address my ball," he whined.

While telling him I was sorry and that it wouldn't happen again, all I could think about was how little fun he must be at parties. I was at least 40 yards away and backing up slowly, while he started the day out of contention and was in the middle of the fairway playing golf on one of the nicest courses in the California.

He later told Barr he didn't mean to come off like a jerk, but by that time he was already Shooter McGavin in my eyes — the enemy.

Every time he made a bad shot I secretly cheered. Every time he made a good shot, which unfortunately was most of the time, I cringed.

I'm not sure what the caddy handbook says, but I'm pretty sure that attitude isn't encouraged.

The rest of the round went by without much of note, Barr finished third in the group with an 82 and in a 73rd place tie in the 108-person field.

I learned playing golf, even poorly, is much more fun than carrying clubs for others who play golf well, but I'm still glad I did it.