Little Help! Female Caddies Give The Thailand Golf Experience A Leg Up

[webfact]

Little help! Female caddies give the Thailand golf experience a leg up

By Brandon Tucker,

Senior Writer

In Thailand, female caddies are as much of a draw to golfers as the golf courses themselves.

They may not tell you colorful stories about the golf club, such as at the Old Course in St. Andrews, because their English probably isn't good enough.

And they probably won't give you exact pacing of the day's pin from the front of the green like at a major championship venue such as Whistling Straits.

But you're not that good anyways, right?

Thailand's female caddies are a big reason why the country is such a popular golf destination - one with a higher repeat-visitor rate than anywhere else in the region.

Full story: http://www.worldgolf.com/column/thailand-g...ddies-10710.htm

- - www.worldgolf.com

2009/11/20

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Lucifer]

''it's best not to be too touchy-feely with a caddie. The occasional high-five or shoulder touch is okay,''

lol

[Mosha]

I remember one competition that made the news in the UK. A major competition was on, and the organisers provided the caddies. Well one guy was having a terrible round, he couldn't putt to save his life. Eventually at one green his caddie walked passed him with the putter set her self up, and put the ball in the hole. Her excuse. "I was getting so frustrated watching him, I just want to help."

Edited November 20, 2009 by Mosha

[gmac]

Can't stand them personally, I'd far rather pull my own bag round on a trolley. Who needs an audience when you're hacking your way through a bad round?

[kennalder]

Can't stand them personally, I'd far rather pull my own bag round on a trolley. Who needs an audience when you're hacking your way through a bad round?

I'm with you. I find them very distracting. Walking off the green when someone is still putting. Walking down the path in front of the tee when one or more have not even teed off. Running on to the green to mark balls before everyone has chipped on. Talking among themselves......I don't have to stop there but I will. There have been days when I considered giving up the game because of them. I even offered to pay the caddie fee and let them stay in the shack. No dice at Hang Dong.

I know if I could speak enough Thai to give them instructions, they would more than likely comply with my requests, so part of it is my fault. But with the exception of the caddies at Highland I don't think they have much training at all, and I am sure none have ever watched golf on tv to see how professional caddies do it.

[candoman89]

ok you guys, I will defend the caddies with my life. They are the reason I play golf. What do they do for me? Pull my trolley (the one with the clubs), they rake my bunkers (too often I must add); ensure my cooler is full of ice; argue with me about one ball left or right of the cup (ALWAYS listen to the caddy), massage my shoulders when I am stuck behind slow pokes; provide me with a cool towel on every hole (they stick one in my cooler so its always ice cold) and even give my body a cold towel wipe down; find my lost balls (too often again I must add); tell me to Jai yen yen when required; fetch me a beer/water/ice-tea as requqired; even when they have to trek to the next kiosk to do so. Provide light hearted jokes when appropriate; correct my swing/putting (all too often I must add).

Yes SOME of them don't know the proper protocol (talking, walking at the wrong time) but if you correct them they will not do it again.

In all my hundreds of round of golf I have only ever had one bad experience with caddies; its the golfers that are the problem.

[kaz49]

I think the caddies do a great job. As a farang lady who often has a game on her own, I find them great company and as I dont take the game too seriously, can have a bit of a laugh and chat about important stuff like cooking recipes.

[sbk]

What a girlie answer kaz. But it does make golf sound slightly more appealing,

[hunglikea]

Can't stand them personally, I'd far rather pull my own bag round on a trolley. Who needs an audience when you're hacking your way through a bad round?

I'm with you. I find them very distracting. Walking off the green when someone is still putting. Walking down the path in front of the tee when one or more have not even teed off. Running on to the green to mark balls before everyone has chipped on. Talking among themselves......I don't have to stop there but I will. There have been days when I considered giving up the game because of them. I even offered to pay the caddie fee and let them stay in the shack. No dice at Hang Dong.

I know if I could speak enough Thai to give them instructions, they would more than likely comply with my requests, so part of it is my fault. But with the exception of the caddies at Highland I don't think they have much training at all, and I am sure none have ever watched golf on tv to see how professional caddies do it.

DIY, simple answer.

You can advise them prior to teeing off that you do not require a caddy, Hang Dong or anywhere - learn some BASIC Thai and 'go with the flow'.

It is after all a GAME and the caddies make searching for your balls a lot more fun!!

[sibeymai]

The caddies are certainly part of the attraction of the game in Thailand. Play the course regularly and you'll quickly make friends with the caddies and find a regular that makes the round a pleasure and more importantly, learns your game.

Never had a bad experience yet. I may be biased but I find the ladies better than the men. I think candoman89 summed it all up.

[Bagwan]

I have my regular caddie at my home club and another when I play the Navy course. I am always greeted with a hug before they busy themselves filling my thermos and a waterproof bag containing a face towel with ice topped up with water. I always take a cart but only ride on the uphill stretches so that they get the most benefit of having wheels. The 'girls' are now 'old ladies' and I wouldn't fancy pulling a trolley around and I'm sure that they don't either. They are extremely competent and it is not very often that I don't take their advice. We chat away between shots on a variety of subjects and for me, they are very much part of the golfing experience. We are working together towards a common goal and I consider that we are a team. sharing the high and lows of the round. Both have taken the trouble to learn my game and more often that not when they hand me a club I agree with their choice of weapon.

All that said, when playing elsewhere or they are not available, I find most of the girls are just bag carriers and I have to ask for yardages to hazards or the dance floor. It is rare to get input of any description from them without asking for it. However, lugging my bag around is not an option that I would consider.

Edited November 24, 2009 by Bagwan

[chuckd]

Many moons ago, BGC (Before Golf Carts), everybody had to walk the courses.

A large, but varied, group of us played every weekend at the Rose Garden in BKK There might be as many as 6 or 7 foursomes comprising the days activities.

Nearly everybody had two caddies, one for the clubs and another for the umbrella. A number of the guys used to get a third caddy to make a beer run if the concession stand was too far away.

Now picture this. There might be 24 golfers or more, a minimum of 48 caddies and possibly as many as 55 caddies, all standing around when the first group was called to the tee box.

If you are nervous hitting in front of a crowd, this group was not the place to play. This was in the '80s and early '90s.

[thaihome]

Female caddies are pretty standard in most of Asia; Thailand is certainly not unique in that. Asian golf is the best in the world, can't visualize ever playing without them.

Amazing post from the guy that almost quit playing because of the caddies. Makes you wonder what he does to enjoy himself. Certainly doesn’t sound like golf is it.

TH

[Thailand]

ok you guys, I will defend the caddies with my life. They are the reason I play golf. What do they do for me? Pull my trolley (the one with the clubs), they rake my bunkers (too often I must add); ensure my cooler is full of ice; argue with me about one ball left or right of the cup (ALWAYS listen to the caddy), massage my shoulders when I am stuck behind slow pokes; provide me with a cool towel on every hole (they stick one in my cooler so its always ice cold) and even give my body a cold towel wipe down; find my lost balls (too often again I must add); tell me to Jai yen yen when required; fetch me a beer/water/ice-tea as requqired; even when they have to trek to the next kiosk to do so. Provide light hearted jokes when appropriate; correct my swing/putting (all too often I must add).

Yes SOME of them don't know the proper protocol (talking, walking at the wrong time) but if you correct them they will not do it again.

In all my hundreds of round of golf I have only ever had one bad experience with caddies; its the golfers that are the problem.

Now that is a 'hole in one"

[OOB]

I'm not really pro or anti caddies, but here's an interesting fact...

My cost per game at CM Highlands (10 year membership and four games a week) = 140 Baht

The cost for having somebody pull my clubs around per game (incl tip) = 550 Baht

I have a great regular caddy and enjoy her company. I'm not totally convinced however that the service offered is worth 114,400 Baht per annum...

[Thailand]

I'm not really pro or anti caddies, but here's an interesting fact...

My cost per game at CM Highlands (10 year membership and four games a week) = 140 Baht

The cost for having somebody pull my clubs around per game (incl tip) = 550 Baht

I have a great regular caddy and enjoy her company. I'm not totally convinced however that the service offered is worth 114,400 Baht per annum...

Well there is a simple solution.

And you have my admiration, playing the same course four times week for 10 years would bore the pants off me.

[OOB]

I'm not really pro or anti caddies, but here's an interesting fact...

My cost per game at CM Highlands (10 year membership and four games a week) = 140 Baht

The cost for having somebody pull my clubs around per game (incl tip) = 550 Baht

I have a great regular caddy and enjoy her company. I'm not totally convinced however that the service offered is worth 114,400 Baht per annum...

Well there is a simple solution.

And you have my admiration, playing the same course four times week for 10 years would bore the pants off me.

I feel three days a week is ample to take in the lesser courses in the area...

[Thailand]

I'm not really pro or anti caddies, but here's an interesting fact...

My cost per game at CM Highlands (10 year membership and four games a week) = 140 Baht

The cost for having somebody pull my clubs around per game (incl tip) = 550 Baht

I have a great regular caddy and enjoy her company. I'm not totally convinced however that the service offered is worth 114,400 Baht per annum...

Well there is a simple solution.

And you have my admiration, playing the same course four times week for 10 years would bore the pants off me.

I feel three days a week is ample to take in the lesser courses in the area...

Played Inthanon full 18 yesterday, that is going to be some course (facilities still under construction) and compares very well with all the other "top" courses around the Chiang Mai area- perhaps I should keep this quiet though.

[ChangMaiSausage]

I know it's a hardship but you guys have to plod along and make the most of it..........

Christ if that is your only complaint then you must have had an easy building up to now.

KEEP SWINGING

[OOB]

Played Inthanon full 18 yesterday, that is going to be some course (facilities still under construction) and compares very well with all the other "top" courses around the Chiang Mai area- perhaps I should keep this quiet though.

I only played the nine a few weeks ago, but I agree, it's a cracking track. They said membership would only be 20,000 Baht...but I think they are starting to realise just how nice a course it is!

Whether they can keep it in such good condition is the big question for me though...

[Bagwan]

I'm not really pro or anti caddies, but here's an interesting fact...

My cost per game at CM Highlands (10 year membership and four games a week) = 140 Baht

The cost for having somebody pull my clubs around per game (incl tip) = 550 Baht

I have a great regular caddy and enjoy her company. I'm not totally convinced however that the service offered is worth 114,400 Baht per annum...

Given that she will also provide caddy services at least two other times per week this is one happy and prosperous lady.

[Chicog]

Does she get all of the Bt550 then?

[Loz]

I don't play Bonanza in Khao Yai out of the "sports day" season but it opened again this week. We went down yesterday for the first time since October. I sent her a text the night before about 10pm when I decided I was going and when we arrived at 9am there she was! perky as ever. She is the best Caddy experience I have had in Thailand. Very competent reader of greens. Knows far better than I what club to hit in almost any place tee to green. Light hearted and jovial but generally quiet. not a gossiper by any means. Speaks in a whisper soft voice so never a danger of putting off other players. She's been at the course 3 years and lives local so tells me there is no reason she would leave.

Generally she doesn't speak a stitch of English but... There is this one big house at the 10th hole and I joked with her pointing asking is this your home. She laughed. Then another guy in the group who hadn't heard asked her the same question in English. She just looked at me, smirked, rolled her eyes, and said, "YES". You had to be there I guess but I was quite taken aback and impressed. I like her spirit.

Another guy I play with there used to book a caddy too. after about 2 holes she asked me, "why didn't he call my friend?" I didn't have an answer for her. Her friend was ( as pointed out by the other guy I play with) a better reader of the conditions than the guy he had yesterday. But for whatever reason he didn't call. I think he'd agree it was his loss.

My preferred caddy at Bonanza is admittedly cute too. Mid twenties, very short, and nicely rounded but always keeps up with the pace of play. I confess she is almost HALF the reason I like playing that course. Other Caddies I have met on other courses have been nice but many have put me in favour of the argument for euthanasia.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Loz

[Pakboong]

My step daughter who plays junior golf here in Thailand has been penalized more than once for errors made by her caddie. You do not have the choice to play without a caddie, all mandatory.

When I first played here some 37 years ago, I thought it was a cute idea to have cute little caddies taking care of the chores of golf. Now, I find them simply annoying.