Always tip your caddies in Thailand. I say this without reservation and unless you got that 'caddie from hell' that didn't know a golf ball from a tee and punched you out verbally on the 5th hole, please leave them a fair tip. I've had a caddie who was working her first day and her first real golfer was yours truly. It was not a pleasant experience, but she received a small tip anyway because I knew the circumstances around which she had to work. I've also seen instances where golfers that had a bad day on the course take their anger out on the caddies by leaving them no tip at all - blaming them for everything.
But for most golfers, the caddie experience in Thailand is unrivaled in its friendliness and service and they want and expect you to leave some kind of tip. So, how much?
Most golf courses retain a portion of the caddie fees you pay for their services. That is why you do not pay the caddies directly, but instead are issued a coupon which they keep to redeem their wages. While the stated caddie fees sounds like a fair amount for a day's work, they don't get to work everyday. When they are not doing caddie work, such as on slow days, they must work on the golf course pulling weeds, sweeping pathways, and doing other general maintenance with no salary. If they are part of a large and popular golf course, they might be part of a pool of 300 or more caddies and may only get to caddie a couple of times a week. A lot of who gets to work depends on their seniority and ratings by their customers. They are responsible for cleaning their uniforms and providing their own food during the work day.
I speak Thai fluently and enjoy conversing with my caddies as we make our trek of 3-4 hours around the course. Its a great way to improve one's Thai language skills and get to know the person behind that smart uniform and hat. I've also developed friendships with many caddies over the years at my club and it makes a round of golf more fun when you can joke around a bit too. A tip: Don't always pick the youngest and best looking caddies, instead look for the older, more seasoned caddies with the face that has shown some time in the sun (The younger and prettier caddies are usually more interested in their face than your golf game).
Most good caddies have worked on their golf course for many years. Its not uncommon for senior caddies to have 10-15 or more years of service. They know their courses extremely well, especially the greens. I don't know how many times I have sworn a putt should have broken in one direction only to find out that my caddie was right all along. After all, they've seen that darn put hundreds of times before with other stupid golfers like me....it always breaks right dummy!
How much do you tip? I would say at the time of this posting, a least 50-75% of their fees and that in some cases would just make them whole after the golf courses deduct their share and their cost to come to work. If they are really good, then your heart and enjoyment of the day should be the guide. They work hard in the boiling sun, hauling your bag, and putting up with your bad shots with a big smile around the course for the entire day. I would say that is a lot for a few hundred baht so please tip generously!
No comments:
Post a Comment