Caddies in the Land of Smiles

One of the great things about playing golf in Thailand is having a caddie to assist you as you make your way around the links.  For some who have never had someone caddie for them, it may be a bit awkward at first to find out what a caddie, will or won't do for you during your round of golf.

One of Thailand's main attraction for golfers beside its wonderful courses, are the very pleasant female caddies.  The first thing one realizes here in the LOS (Land of Smiles), is that playing without a caddie is very unusual and in some courses, prohibited.  Many golf courses make money on the caddie fees as the caddie may only receive a portion of the charged amount.  So now that you are 'stuck' with a caddie, what can she/he do for you?  Aside from carrying or managing your bag on a pull cart, caddies will often be required to drive you around on a motorized cart.  In some cases, its required by the golf course in order to maintain control over where carts can be driven to minimize damage to the fairways and landscaping.  And if one so desires, one can have more than one caddie!

The experience and quality of caddies will vary from excellent to having only one day on the job, so its important to ask about their experience when the assignments are made before the start of the round if you prefer a 'seasoned' caddie.  Other players may just want a caddie to carry their clubs and look nice and really couldn't care about the caddies' golf knowledge.  The good thing is that the LOS has a great reputation of having some really proficient caddies who are very nice as well.  English, or your preferred language may also be an issue for some newer caddies, so its important to set your expectations accordingly.

Don't expect PGA caliber caddies because you are really not that caliber a player either so just enjoy  the wonderful experience it will turn out to be! If the chemistry is good and your foursome is not too serious, there is almost a little party atmosphere at each green.   Here's a list of what  good caddies will do for you here in the LOS:

• Carry, clean, and manage your golf clubs during the round.
• Give you information about the hole (where to hit, hazards, and yardages)
• Help you read and optionally line up the putt for you  
• Hold your umbrella when waiting or while you are over a putt 
• Look for your lost or wayward balls
• Drive your golf cart
• Rake the bunkers
• Clean your balls after you get on the green
• Fix your divot marks
• Mark your ball and re-clean after each putt if necessary
• Keep your score
• Generally assist you in any manner to make your game go smoothly and to encourage you if things aren't going so well.

Here in Asia, there are high expectations from players about how a caddie should perform, so most are trained pretty well before they start their jobs.  In some cases, a golf course may have as many as 300-400 caddies who are queued up for players depending on seniority and performance, so don't be shy to say something if your caddie doesn't meet up with your expectations.  Its a very coveted job at some of the better golf courses and competition is very keen for the jobs.  In any large group of people, you can get a few that are just not up to the task.

So what happens when you find out your caddie is a dud?  There is not much you can do for the round, except maybe ask some of the other caddies in your group to help.  For example, when I find my caddie can't read greens, not even a little bit, I just tell her I'll read the greens myself or ignore what she tells me completely to not cause her to lose face.  Other times, I might ask another caddie for a "group opinion" if its a critical putt.  I then reduce my tip appropriately and if there is an evaluation form, give the caddie a lower rating.  My worse experience was the first day caddie who couldn't do much of anything, including driving the golf cart.  She didn't replace my headcovers on my woods and drivers and thus dinged them.  Nothing serious, but I asked management to replace her after nine holes, talking to the starter in private.

Lastly, there are some things that you should not expect a caddie to do.  Most golf courses prohibit a caddie from hitting or putting your ball, so don't expect them to putt the ball into the hole for you, even for fun.  Unless you go to some notorious golf courses, caddies are not available after the round for drinks, dinner, or other extra-curricular activities so please be polite and respect their profession.  Its also not appropriate to be too touchy with caddies as many are culturally quite shy about physical contact.

Now that you know all there is to having a caddie, its time to go out and have some fun.