Caddies going through your golf bag...and other gripes

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

When I first arrived in LoS I loved the idea of caddies. I was living in Patts for a month or two at a time, and then commuting to Sydney where I was earning big bucks. Golfing is expensive in Patts, but I didn't really care too much as money wasn't an issue. For the last 4 years, I have been mostly retired and see golf through the eyes of an expat and not as a holidaymaker. In making this transition my attitude towards caddies has changed - previously they were seen as part of the holiday package, whereas now, I just view them as a 'tax on golf'.

Worse still some of them are a real pain - talking or walking while a golfer is playing a shot, or looking at Facebook when they should be focused on your ball flight. Recently a mate of mine had 3,000THB taken  from his wallet which was in his bag - yes he also bears responsibility for being daft enough to leave his wallet there. Today, I tried to draw a tee shot around a dogleg, only for my draw to turn into a hook....result lost ball. I go to reach for another ball, only to find the caddy handing me one which she took (unknown by me) from my bag. I wasn't happy and yap yapped her in Thai.

Yes, I know it's a bit of a rant, but I personally would be much happier to play without having a caddy. Anyone else feel like-wise?

NB. I know there are some top caddies out there. Where possible, I book them as regulars - and tip them generously.

 

[james 71]

I find like your friend I have to put my wallet in my bag as I sweat so much that my shorts are soaking as well as my top and when I have left my wallet in my shorts that too has got wet ,my fault for being a fat bastard and not seeing much sun most of the year 

[Ron Rat]

It is worse in Indonesia. Most of them are male and pennant players themselves. Always finding ways to knock off new balls and tees and even clubs. They hide the club in the bushes and come back for it later. Also knock off smokes and beer.

 

 

[taylor1975]

Can't you just choose to not have the caddy?

[portrea]

Like all walks in life , there are good caddies and not so good caddies.

As you are now living here and a regular golfer , I would have assumed that you would have a regular caddy on the golf courses that you play. It is easy to establish a relationship with a regular caddy

I suggest that the caddy  had the spare ball in her pocket so that it would be immeadiatly  available to you , without not having to go back to your bag or buggy. 

Happy golfing . 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

4 minutes ago, taylor1975 said:

Can't you just choose to not have the caddy?

Good question, but the answer is....no. All golfers in LoS must use a caddy, for which you have to pay both a caddy fee and a caddy tip.

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

45 minutes ago, portrea said:

Like all walks in life , there are good caddies and not so good caddies.

As you are now living here and a regular golfer , I would have assumed that you would have a regular caddy on the golf courses that you play. It is easy to establish a relationship with a regular caddy

I suggest that the caddy  had the spare ball in her pocket so that it would be immeadiatly  available to you , without not having to go back to your bag or buggy. 

Happy golfing . 

Of course you are correct, which is why I say in the last paragraph of my OP that I book  caddies on courses I play regularly. However, our golf society plays many courses across the Kingdom during the year. Inevitably you end up with random caddies.

i carry a spare ball in pocket, so no need for the caddy to go rummaging through my bag.

I wish we had freedom of choice - to choose to have a caddy or not. If we did get that choice then I suspect the vast majority of expat golfers would push their own trolley.

[jocky king]

My Irish mates playing golf 3/4 times a week , they tells me that they pay a caddy 300 bt a round plus a tip .. ? Never heard a complaint about the caddies from them . Maybe they didn’t have to tell me cos I’m not a golfer . Interesting post . 

By the way , Congratulations to your City winning the premiership league . I 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

3 minutes ago, jocky king said:

My Irish mates playing golf 3/4 times a week , they tells me that they pay a caddy 300 bt a round plus a tip .. ? Never heard a complaint about the caddies from them . Maybe they didn’t have to tell me cos I’m not a golfer . Interesting post . 

By the way , Congratulations to your City winning the premiership league . I 

Yes Jocky, there are 2 payments. The first is the caddy fee, which you pay alongside your green fee. Let’s say your round is costing 1,300 THB, well the caddy might get 300THB of that Additionaly caddies expect a tip, the minimum in Pattaya is normally  300THB and up here in Issan, it’s 200THB.

Cheers for the good wishes re City.

[jocky king]

I do love watching golf on TV especially on 4 majors . Wish I had played golf years ago but hasn’t cos I had other hobby ,  was snooker , now Pool  . Marvellous game is Golf , could kill 5-7 hours with playing and travelling which is great for those who is in Pattaya long term or even on holidays .  My mate tells me that very few caddy would do  their  LT date afterward only if asked by a golfer .  I couldn’t even ask  if I was playing .  Never once I asked any girls who worked at Mega break or The Legends Pool Hall for a date .  Would bring a shame to my reputations if I asked . 

[losgrad]

1 hour ago, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

Good question, but the answer is....no. All golfers in LoS must use a caddy, for which you have to pay both a caddy fee and a caddy tip.

Yes, unfortunate to be assigned a random caddy with required payment and tip. 

In my home country, my Thai wife caddies for me or more descriptively for my group of friends as with her keener eyesight she must identify which tree my friends have ricosheted their golf balls

 

[Lok Jit]

Most do go through your bag but it is to get Balls and Tees in case you lose a few there in the Pockets of the Caddy..I got no problem with this as long as I know...It is there Use of Phones mostly is my gripe...Many spend more time playing on there Phones when they are actually Working..

[taylor1975]

7 hours ago, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

Good question, but the answer is....no. All golfers in LoS must use a caddy, for which you have to pay both a caddy fee and a caddy tip.

Really? thats crazy. that would completely put me off playing. I thought maybe it was a posh course being a bit of a stickler. 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

1 hour ago, taylor1975 said:

Really? thats crazy. that would completely put me off playing. I thought maybe it was a posh course being a bit of a stickler. 

It’s a real bummer. It pushes the cost of a round of golf up by around 600THB....as I say it’s a tax on golf. I can only assume it’s done as some sort of job creation scheme. 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

6 hours ago, Lok Jit said:

Most do go through your bag but it is to get Balls and Tees in case you lose a few there in the Pockets of the Caddy..I got no problem with this as long as I know...It is there Use of Phones mostly is my gripe...Many spend more time playing on there Phones when they are actually Working..

The problem with them going through your golf bag pockets is that if something (anything from car keys to money) during a round goes missing, be it lost or stolen....what is the golfer going to think?

[Harve]

This has been a discussion forever & unfortunately we will never do away with caddys in Thailand IMO.  I guess it is just make the most out of a situation that the golfer has no control over. I play here a minimum of 3 times a week but 95% of the time at the same 3 courses so like you Lottellee have caddys that are booked for playing days. The one girl at one of the courses has been working for me since she was 17 she is now 31. The ones we know are friends having been around the house for BBQs & such. as my missus also plays golf they also know her well.

  On the odd occasion that I play " away " I probably have another  3 or 4 caddies that I know from other courses who I will book. If playing at a course where no booking is available I will take on off the shelf, but make sure mobile phones are a no go. If they get on the phone during the round or start pulling other goofy shit they will get a polite no more if they pull it on again I have no hesitation in sending them back & getting a replacement sent out this has only happened a couple of times in all the time playing here but I am quite prepared to do it. Seems easier to do that getting super pissed off & spoiling your round as well as your playing partners.

  As for going thru the bags I don't think I have ever had anything stolen but who knows maybe some balls here & there. Haven't lost anything of value that I know of. When playing at our " home courses " my caddy usually has my money clip in her pocket . She probably has more than me anyway LOL. I always have 4 bags of snacks in my bag for the caddys, usually dried fish from a 7/11 costs about 80 baht & makes them happy, which makes my day more pleasant.

   Fully take onboard what you are saying but I think it is here for ever. Anyway happy golfing & watch out for that draw that can turn into the hook cause you can talk to a fade but a hook won't listen LOL.

[Tripp]

11 hours ago, taylor1975 said:

Can't you just choose to not have the caddy?

Sattahip 9 hole in Bang Saray, you don't have a caddie. Nice course too.

[Tripp]

3 hours ago, taylor1975 said:

Really? thats crazy. that would completely put me off playing. I thought maybe it was a posh course being a bit of a stickler. 

LOTTELLEE is not correct, there are some courses that don't have caddies, or where you can choose to have one or not.  Bang Sarey Navy Short Course is one such.

[Scuba+]

LOTTELLEE is not correct, there are some courses that don't have caddies, or where you can choose to have one or not.  Bang Sarey Navy Short Course is one such.

Yes two short courses I'm aware of, Royal Thai Navy Fleet course in Sattahip and up the same road AC-DC, (250 and 300 baht respectively) both courses are 9 holes so they aren't anywhere near as good as the others on the Pattaya circuit ( Khoa Kheow, Pattavia, etc etc)

 

One course Rayong, now called King Nagra, apparently you can have no caddy but pay an extra 150 baht. I've not tried it to confirm. Sadly the caddies are slowly killing golf.

 

I've never had money taken from my golf bag. I only carry 4x100 plus 2x50. Its not worth their while taking any, if they do then no tip plus I'll report them. If they are dog shit, tip is 200 baht, standard is 300, my max is 300

 

[Tripp]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yes two short courses I'm aware of, Royal Thai Navy Fleet course in Sattahip and up the same road AC-DC, (250 and 300 baht respectively) both courses are 9 holes so they aren't anywhere near as good as the others on the Pattaya circuit ( Khoa Kheow, Pattavia, etc etc)

 

One course Rayong, now called King Nagra, apparently you can have no caddy but pay an extra 150 baht. I've not tried it to confirm. Sadly the caddies are slowly killing golf.

 

I've never had money taken from my golf bag. I only carry 4x100 plus 2x50. Its not worth their while taking any, if they do then no tip plus I'll report them. If they are dog shit, tip is 200 baht, standard is 300, my max is 300

 

True the courses are not as good, but needs must sometimes, they are a lot cheaper to have a round, even if you do it twice for 18 and summer can be a good time for just 9 holdes.

[Tripp]

Mind you, in fairness, I have landed in short time hotels after a round with a couple of caddies (female I add quickly) and chatting them up on the way around was a great diversion.  One got a bit clingy afterwards, so I had to stay clear of that particular course for a while, but still great fun.  

[Scuba+]

Mind you, in fairness, I have landed in short time hotels after a round with a couple of caddies (female I add quickly) and chatting them up on the way around was a great diversion.  One got a bit clingy afterwards, so I had to stay clear of that particular course for a while, but still great fun.  

If it was optional its a win win, best caddies get booked regularly, the duff ones leave and do something else. Maybe one day it will become optional

[ocka]

I was very surprised to hear that it costs about 3 to 4 times as much to play golf in Thailand as it does in Australia.

Too hot and humid for me to fancy it there anyway.

 

[warmn40s]

23 hours ago, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

It’s a real bummer. It pushes the cost of a round of golf up by around 600THB....as I say it’s a tax on golf. I can only assume it’s done as some sort of job creation scheme. 

It was King Bhumibol's idea ... he was a keen golfer and with so much interest and the growing number of courses being built in the 90"s he suggested the compulsory caddy idea to create more jobs so the single moms didn't have to sell their asses to earn some baht.

[Biennial]

I just don't get golf. I think I would save my money for less boring activities, like chasing pussy.