Golf in Thailand - A new experience

Having recently been on a golfing trip to Thailand I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing in a different continent. Thailand has everything a golfing holiday needs plus one crucial factor. Caddies.

Caddies in Thailand are all female and are compulsory when you play a round. As I have been playing the same course in England for the best part of 15 years I could easily reel off advice on how to counter the challenges a newcomer would face at my club. However, in the Kingdom of Thailand I quickly found out that the caddie was imperative.

Aside from the heat, golf in Thailand is incredibly challenging. Water hazards are everywhere and the fascination with oversized bunkers is a peculiar one. I have certainly never played a course in England with such challenging features.

Numerous dog-legs and blind tee shots would have caused me a wide array of problems had it not been for my trusty caddie! Communicating in broken English I soon found myself trusting everything I was told. On the first green, hitting my first putt, on lightning quick greens that rolled smoothly, I followed the advice and saw the ball go straight in. ‘This is easy!’ I said to myself after giving my caddie the obligatory high-five!

From that moment forward I relied solely on my caddie to guide me around the course.

The most surprising thing I found was the speed at which they had a feel for how you play. Numerous times the caddie would suggest two extra clubs than I myself would have hit, which was spot on, and without my caddie I wouldn’t have holed a putt all day.

Not having to worry about cleaning your clubs and watching your ball after hitting it also helps greatly as all the worry is taken out of the game, leaving you to relax and think about your next shot whilst your caddie drives you to your ball. Leaving the thinking in the hands of a caddie is a also refreshing as course management is taken out of the game, leaving the successes of your round purely in execution, so if you are playing well the rewards are bountiful.

If only I could get someone on my bag in England!

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