Columnist Peter Benton: When in doubt, good caddies keep it quiet

Peter Benton

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 | 8:18 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

With the LPGA's Takefuji Classic coming up April 11-16 at the Las Vegas Country Club, you can guarantee that every Tom, Dick and Harry who thinks he can caddy will be at that layout seeking work -- either for the professionals or the amateurs on the Pro-Am day.

So what constitutes a good amateur or semi-professional caddy? As always the basic three rules seem to apply: "Turn up, keep up and shut up."

While the first two are fairly straightforward to achieve, the last one can be a tad more difficult. What on earth is one's caddy meant to say to a player and when? The implied suggestion of the "shut up" rule is that you need to keep your talk to a minimum.

However, there are times when a caddy will be required to talk and/or need to say something to his player. A caddy's ability to "read" a player takes time and experience, after which it will become more obvious as to when a caddy should say something.

For those part-time loopers who will converge on the Takefuji, listen up: Communicating with your player and finding out what he/she wants you to say, and when, is crucial.

If your player does not stipulate exactly what they want from you at the outset, then ask. If they do not know -- then evaluate after a round what worked and what didn't work -- what they preferred and what they didn't like. Communication between a player and caddy is crucial for an effective relationship at any golfing level.

Those caddies who are used "casually" are invariably family, friends or a partner -- all people who are likely to be emotionally involved in what the player wants to achieve.

While it is terrific that these caring folk want to help the No. 1 golfer in their lives, they need to be aware of their potential emotional involvement.

If they wish the player to play to their best ability, then they have to put their own emotions aside when caddying. (That, believe me, can be quite difficult to do.) This may very well mean a change in roles, especially if it is a parent caddying for a son or daughter, or a partner caddying for a loved one.

Where your relationship with the player may mean that you usually have a more dominant role, or are used to having an equal say in a relationship, this will need to change while you are on the golf course. Take heed here parents, as the caddy needs to become the "yes" man or woman. The emphasis here is on the fact that the player is the decision-maker.

Even in a caddy/player relationship where both people consider the other to be part of a team, the player, without doubt, is the team captain.

The player needs to own the decision of which club to use, where the target is, and the shot to be played. The caddy of course can assist the golfer reach this decision, but ultimately the player needs to truly believe that the resulting decision is the correct one.

If the player requests assistance -- particularly on the putting green -- ask what he sees and tell him your view. If it differs, reinforce the fact that he needs to go with what he feels is best and commit to that choice.

Two holes in one were recorded at the Las Vegas Country Club recently, both coming on the demanding water and bunker-guarded par-3 17th hole.

The first one, from the 176-yard white tees, came via a perfectly struck 7-iron by newly crowned club president, Ron Hansen. It was his fourth career ace.

Registering his fourth hole-in-one was Bob Bartoli, whose 2-wood shot from the 210-yard blue tees unerringly found the cup.