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

[not at home]

1 hour ago, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

A very interesting post my friend and I thank you for it. You clearly achieved outstanding value for money with your memberships- particularly buying them when the GBP was buoyant. Unfortunately here in Udon Thani there are no golf courses which offer memberships (although somebody mentioned that the small Army course offers some form of annual membership with discount green fee). There is a new 18 hole course currently being built on the outskirts of the city, hopefully they will offer memberships and I would consider that option.

That said, golf up in Udon is relatively cheap...green fees around 200-300 THB + caddy fee of 100 THB + tip (Udon minimum is 200, though I tip more).

Thanks for your reply, I assumed(wrongly of course) that you lived in Pattaya or possibly Hua Hin,yes I know Golf up there is sparse I have played a lot of Courses around Thailand,as you say it is cheap where you live but I am sure you would relish the chance of playing or buying Membership on one of the better Courses in Thailand you sound keen so enjoy what you have there and hope for the best in the future Development of the new Course.

[Maninmanama]

At last some great discussions on Golf in Thailand. Will read in detail later. Meanwhile preparing for my jaunt round Siam Old tomorrow. Happy days!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[rope-a-dope]

Surely these modern golf bags have a secure lockable area for personal items and effects? I'd have thought it was a given under these circumstances that a golfer would avail themselves of the necessary gear.

[Scuba+]

Surely these modern golf bags have a secure lockable area for personal items and effects? I'd have thought it was a given under these circumstances that a golfer would avail themselves of the necessary gear.

We all have lockers so just use them. Some plonkers carry round 10s of thousands. Best to not give them any temptation

[Kanga]

23 hours ago, rope-a-dope said:

Surely these modern golf bags have a secure lockable area for personal items and effects? I'd have thought it was a given under these circumstances that a golfer would avail themselves of the necessary gear.

I take it you're not a golfer?

Golf bags generally have zipable pockets for easy access and, whilst you may be able to add a padlock to some, most golf bags are not designed in that way.

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

On 29/05/2018 at 20:26, scubascuba3 said:

On 29/05/2018 at 18:57, rope-a-dope said:

Surely these modern golf bags have a secure lockable area for personal items and effects? I'd have thought it was a given under these circumstances that a golfer would avail themselves of the necessary gear.

We all have lockers so just use them. Some plonkers carry round 10s of thousands. Best to not give them any temptation

Agree entirely that it’s a bad idea to put 10s of thousands in your golf bag, but it isn’t too smart putting that amount in your locker either.

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

On 29/05/2018 at 20:26, scubascuba3 said:

On 29/05/2018 at 18:57, rope-a-dope said:

Surely these modern golf bags have a secure lockable area for personal items and effects? I'd have thought it was a given under these circumstances that a golfer would avail themselves of the necessary gear.

We all have lockers so just use them. Some plonkers carry round 10s of thousands. Best to not give them any temptation

Agree entirely that it’s a bad idea to put 10s of thousands in your golf bag, but it isn’t too smart putting that amount in your locker either.

[Harve]

On 5/29/2018 at 19:31, Maninmanama said:

At last some great discussions on golf in Thailand. Will read in detail later. Meanwhile preparing for my jaunt round Siam Old tomorrow. Happy days!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

Hope you got around without any rain. Some great caddy's at all 3 Siam courses.

[Scuba+]

it isn’t too smart putting that amount in your locker either.

I wouldn't put 10k in a locker either but over the 5 years I've been playing golf in Pattaya area I've not heard of any lockers being broken into, although I've seen warnings in clubs. So i usually leave my phone, cards and a few thousand in the locker

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

10 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

 

 

I wouldn't put 10k in a locker either but over the 5 years I've been playing golf in Pattaya area I've not heard of any lockers being broken into, although I've seen warnings in clubs. So i usually leave my phone, cards and a few thousand in the locker

 

Got to say that my experience has been exactly the same as yours. Never had anything nicked. I have heard a couple of stories 'doing the rounds', but I personally don't know of anyone having anything taken from the lockers.

[jed§]

Golf - it's an expensive game! It is here, even on public courses and in Thailand even more so, as is joining a gym, playing squash, tennis and badminton, in fact almost anything falangs do is more expensive for them than in the home country, including eating cheese. For Thai people living in the UK it's also more expensive if they are going to eat Thai food, buy Thai fruits, eat Thai rice etc. 

A useless series of observations, but just thought I'd make them anyway seeing as I'm sat at home trying not to spend any money because I'm trying to save up for my next trip to Pattaya and I've got nothing better to do.

[manarak]

On 4/16/2018 at 21:39, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

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.

I don't mind if the caddy takes a ball or two as spares in my bag and rummages through the rest - my important stuff is in another little bag.

if they like going through your bag, I would suggest placing viagra and some condoms there, so you get the caddie's mind on the right track ;-)

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

1 hour ago, manarak said:

I don't mind if the caddy takes a ball or two as spares in my bag and rummages through the rest - my important stuff is in another little bag.

if they like going through your bag, I would suggest placing viagra and some condoms there, so you get the caddie's mind on the right track ;-)

Never forgetting of course that some of the caddies are guys....don’t want them getting the wrong idea

[manarak]

23 minutes ago, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

Never forgetting of course that some of the caddies are guys....don’t want them getting the wrong idea

Happened only two times to me - one time at Plutaluang the other at Wangjuntr.

But you can choose the gender of your caddie

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

44 minutes ago, manarak said:

Happened only two times to me - one time at Plutaluang the other at Wangjuntr.

But you can choose the gender of your caddie

Lots of male caddies around the Kingdom - maybe fewer of them in Pattaya.

[Scuba+]

Lots of male caddies around the Kingdom - maybe fewer of them in Pattaya.

I've noticed they nearly always seem to be a bit wet and dopey though

Sent from my SM-J730GM using Tapatalk

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

9 minutes ago, Scuba+ said:

I've noticed they nearly always seem to be a bit wet and dopey though

Sent from my SM-J730GM using Tapatalk
 

Agreed, though there is the exception to every rule.At the Airforce Base course Wing 23 at Udon Thani, I have a really good male caddy. I don't know his name, I just call him Buhakow after the legendary Muay Thai fighter - he is in his 40s and still fights professionally. I only found this out as a mate of mine completely thinned a shot and it hit my caddy on the shin...'CRACK'!!!

He just grimaced, and when I asked him 'you OK'? He nodded and smiled. By the end of the round he had a golf ball size swelling on his shin, but he wanted neither medical assistance or even any ice applied. These Muay Thai lads are a tough breed.

[maxtroy]

On 31/05/2018 at 05:48, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

Never forgetting of course that some of the caddies are guys....don’t want them getting the wrong idea

They certainly don't get the wrong idea from me . Soon as I see some male caddies at the bag drop I tell

the caddie master  no male caddy for me .  I am forced to take a caddy but i don't need to be looking at some scruffy , dentally hygiene challenged lad for 4 hours . Often the guys are just the gardeners who have been pressed into service.

At least the ladies will get you ice for your drink whereas the men have no interest in your personal comfort .

I did get fooled once at  Pleasant Valley golf course  a few years back when I was assigned a very very passable Ladyboy . She was cute,  small in stature , small hands, small feet and the other caddies in the group seemed to give her an inordinate amount of attention .  She had conversational English so , after several holes  I asked her why she got so much attention and she told me it was because she was a Ladyboy . I had no idea . We had a good laugh and carried on and she did get ice for my drink 555 .

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

8 minutes ago, maxtroy said:

They certainly don't get the wrong idea from me . Soon as I see some male caddies at the bag drop I tell

the caddie master  no male caddy for me .  I am forced to take a caddy but i don't need to be looking at some scruffy , dentally hygiene challenged lad for 4 hours . Often the guys are just the gardeners who have been pressed into service.

At least the ladies will get you ice for your drink whereas the men have no interest in your personal comfort .

I did get fooled once at  Pleasant Valley golf course  a few years back when I was assigned a very very passable Ladyboy . She was cute,  small in stature , small hands, small feet and the other caddies in the group seemed to give her an inordinate amount of attention .  She had conversational English so , after several holes  I asked her why she got so much attention and she told me it was because she was a Ladyboy . I had no idea . We had a good laugh and carried on and she did get ice for my drink 555 .

A few years back when I used to play regularly out of Thaigerline Golf on the ‘Poon. One day we were playing (I think) Emerald and we’re running late. I was last to exit the minibus and didn’t even glance at who the caddy as as I scurried to the locker room.

I arrive at the first tee to find the biggest and ugliest LB you have ever seen caddying for me...WTF? The lads were all sniggering away. Anyway, we finish the round and arrive back at Thaigerline HQ, where we all put our names down on the board for tomorrow. Unknown to me, a ‘mate’ had added a special request in the ‘comments’ column.

Next morning Kik the wife of the owner of Thaigerline said to me ‘Lottellee I so sorry, I phone the club this morning and I’m sorry but I can’t get you a LB caddy today’.....explosions of laughter all round. Yes, one of the lads had made that my ‘specIial request’.

[Scuba+]

So a friend of mine who works in a lawyer office says there is no such law of compulsory caddy. So if true it might be time to refuse a caddy

[Red-Devil]

I would be very interested to see how that pan's out at the check in......

[Scuba+]

I would be very interested to see how that pan's out at the check in......

Yes check in isn't the best time to agree it

[Red-Devil]

I personally enjoy my golf with a caddy,   in my experience approx 95% have been O.K.

 

[Scuba+]

I personally enjoy my golf with a caddy,   in my experience approx 95% have been O.K.
 

Yes optional caddies are fine

[Red-Devil]

I wonder if IPGC or PSC would support the   "Choice" of ....To have , or to have not .....?