Dyersville Beckman’s Nate Offerman parlays determination into golfing success

DYERSVILLE — Nate Offerman was just 8 years old when he began joining his dad and hitting balls around the golf course.

At 12, he was making a 20-minute bike ride to play a couple hours, returning home and turning his attention to batting cages for swings of the baseball variety.

Golf became one of his athletic passions and fueled a desire to succeed from those early days.

“I don’t like being bad at stuff,” Offerman said. “I would go out there and hit. I pretty much told myself I was going to be the best I could possibly be for golf.”

The Dyersville Beckman junior parlayed that resolve into the Class 2A individual title in his first state tournament appearance a year ago. Offerman has his sights set for another top finish.

“I want to go out and win it again,” Offerman said. “My expectations are to push for the top 10 this year. Hopefully, I can finish top three again.”

Offerman credited his dad for pushing him and his brother to maximize their potential. The emphasis was on baseball, swinging bats at a young age, but the traits he helped instill carried over to serve them well.

“He gave us determination,” Offerman said. “From there, I just took it and I was like he gave me the determination, so I’m going to do something with it.”

Offerman transferred it to multiple sports, playing football, basketball, golf and baseball until high school. He whittled his activities down to his favorite seasons. Offerman remains busy during the spring and summer like he did when those long bike rides separated his time gripping and ripping with drivers and bats.

“Those were my two loves for sports,” Offerman said. “I just limited it down to those two.”

Beckman Coach Darin Michels testified to Offerman’s infatuation with the game.

“Nate has a fascination with anything golf related,” Michels wrote in an email to The Gazette. “He is always looking online for different clubs and always checking out my golf cabinet to see if I purchased any new balls or different gloves.”

Offerman has demonstrated leadership qualities. He wants the team to thrive as much as himself.

“He is a great team leader,” Michels said, “and makes sure everyone is doing their part to help the team succeed.”

Unfortunately, the pandemic forced him to wait an entire year for his first varsity round. His freshman golf season was canceled. Offerman recalled the disappointment as his preparation with his older brother, Nick, was for naught and an aspiration was dashed without a chance to attain it.

“One of my goals was to make state all four years,” Offerman said. “Be one of the most successful golfers to come through this school. So, when we didn’t have that (freshman season), I was upset.

“I think not having that season really motivated me even more to show what I was missing my freshman year and what I could have done.”

Offerman averaged 77.38 per 18 holes and 39.58 over nine. His combined adjusted average was 40.98. The first-team all-Wamac competitor earned sectional medalist honors and advanced to state with a fourth-place district finish.

State was his big coming out party. He finished the first day in a five-way tie for ninth. Offerman closed with a 2-under 70 in the second round to become the Blazers’ first state medalist.

Not only did he card the lowest round on the final day, but it was his best 18-hole performance of the season and the third lowest in 2A the entire season.

His mental toughness and perseverance in cold temperatures boosted him over the field.

“I would say mental toughness is the most important for the game of golf, first of all,” Offerman said. “Second, with that weather, I think that was more important than how skillful I was.

“I bogeyed the first couple holes. Obviously, I wanted to quit and leave. I got a birdie and got momentum going. From there I just had to stay mentally tough because I knew from then I could do it because everyone else was golfing in the same conditions, except they were all worried about it. I wasn’t worried about the weather. I think that’s what gave me the edge on those players that day.”

Another key to his success has been work on the green. He putted just 21 times in that sub-par state round.

“It really came down to if I was putting well then I was scoring well,” said Offerman, admitting he used to try and wow others with his power and length off the tee. “The last two off-seasons I was working on putting. Everything was putting and chipping because if you have a good short game you can make it.”

Offerman has taken steps to improve his game so he can pick up where he left off last spring. He resorted to taking lessons for the first time, working with golf pro Larry Tiziani, of Madison, Wis.

“I think he’s really going to help me with my consistency,” Offerman said. “Also, I’ve always started out really bad. My first hole I’d triple (bogey) and par out to shoot a 38 or 39. I’m really focusing on getting those first couple holes and play even golf, or possibly go under. I’d start three or four (strokes) better than I did last year.”