Caddie Golf Charges Please Explain

[JW]

Springfield has just reduced the fees to 2500baht and it seems they are realizing that things have got expensive, hope the others follow suit. Spain is one of the main competitors and its still much cheaper here when all things are considered.

[JimmyGreaves]

Springfield has just reduced the fees to 2500baht and it seems they are realizing that things have got expensive, hope the others follow suit. Spain is one of the main competitors and its still much cheaper here when all things are considered.

2500 + caddie fee + caddie tip +++ = expensive. Especially if you would like to play regular me thinks. Will have to buy a spanish lottery ticket me thinks.

[JW]

The answer for anyone looking to play lots of golf is to buy a membership - 300k buys 15 years - you pay caddie fee and tip, add yearly maintenance and its cheap golf. If Hua Hin is your home and golf is your thing get one bought. If that outlay is too much (mine left me skint!!) then Fort Dhananart is improving and is super cheap. If you join one of the local societies then you also get cheaper golf.
Just realized that this has wandered off topic... oops.

Back to topic!- Caddies earn and deserve every baht they make!!

1)Trawling through prickly undergrowth in search of some stingy foreigners 5 round old golf ball they paid 30 baht for!

2) Getting blamed for a wrong line on the green when they player hasnt hit one on the right line all day long......

3) This is old chestnut " Caddy no good!!! You gave me the wrong club... you say 7 iron ok but my ball go in the water.. no tip for you"" The bloody player probably thinks he hits it 20 yards further than he does AND hit an inch behind the ball!

These are just a couple of examples, many golfers here treat caddies terribly - and its often locals. Some are better than others, Give them a break!

[Randy Cornhole]

many golfers here treat caddies terribly - and its often locals. Some are better than others, Give them a break!

I don't play golf, good walk spoiled if you ask me! but I used to cycle to all the courses and par-take in a spot of tiffin whilst there.
The caddies I met at the various courses were lovely ladies and always smiled at the wobbly ferrang getting slowly broiled in the mid-day sun on his bicycle. So with that in mind I echo JW's sentiments...

[JimmyGreaves]

Totally agree JW about the caddies deserving respect and decent tips, after all it's there living to feed their families. My query was about a double wammy on the caddie fee one at the desk and then the tip. Makes it confusing.

As regards getting a membership the only issue I have with that is having to play the same course wek in week out where as if the fees were more reasonable then you can move around.

Take your point about societies etc will investigate more, also read something in one of the mags about expat membership card to play the courses but details not finalised yet.

Cheers

[tj]

I also agree with your comments regarding caddies j w. If it was not for the caddies and their delightful disposition i doubt i would come here to play golf.
Also totally agree with the membership deal if living there. i bought one a few years ago as a twice a year visitor and already am about even with the 120,000 i paid for lakeview at the time.
My previous rant about the high cost of golf was directed at the once a year or first time visitor. They are the ones who get slugged the hardest as they are not in a position to buy a membership and cannot join most of the societys. I know they can play as guests of the society if places are available and aslo at most courses as guests of members for a reduced rate , but most would not know of this and are stuck with the high prices.
It is those who are hurting and complaining the loudest, and hope sanity prevails before they find other attractive options!

[JW]

We all hope the courses start to see sense and reduce the costs!!

Jimmy,

For your info,

Hua Hin Society charge 3000 baht for 4 years - we get cheaper fees at all courses, regular away trips to ratchaburi etc and 3 away trips a year which are all great value. Gotta be a good deal!

If your a member at one course try alternating the tees you play - also try playing the par 5s from the front, 3 from middle and 4s front front - move them around and you will be seeing different tee boxes and second shots. Used to do this a lot back home - even used to play cross country golf - ie choose a tee and any green and just play to it! Great fun.

[T.I.G.R.]

HH -

You must not have been home for awhile.

When I moved here in Aug. 06 Black Mtn. was about ready to open and we played there once on an intro offer for 1K each....Now I think it's about 3,500, Banyan more, Springfield about the same. We now play those courses about once a year for a treat.....for the two of us golf can easily run more than $200 for a day's fun in Cha Am, or for a nice course just about anywhere in Thailand these days.

We joined Palm Hills were it's still no picnic compared to five or six years ago when I decided to come here, but this is nothing compared to what it costs ins the states nowadays.

We were the first members (#1) of Saddle Creek Golf Course in Copperopolis, Ca. when it opened in July 1996. It was, and is, one of the best deals around but I still can't afford it after retirement. $25K initiation fees and don't know this year's monthly fee but it's around $500. You get to pay another $1,800 a year to drive your own cart around on their concrete cart paths. I'm still paying property taxes for the house I can't sell at $6,300 this year. Anybody interested?

You can't play anywhere in or around Las Vegas for less than $250, Monterey will run from $200 up to over $350 now for Pebble, Spyglass etc. My sister and her husband just went for a weekend and are excited about playing Pacific Grove......it's a goat track but I suppose the only thing normal people can afford now, except for the NCGA course which is an unbelievable $60 still......wonder how long that will last. Anywhere else on 17 Mile Drive and you'll need your first born and a fist full of money.

I haven't played Tahoe for awhile but about four years ago even Edgewood was $175.

Same thing in San Diego......around $200+ for resort courses now.

We toured Florida looking for a place to retire in 05 & 06......good luck, same prices as California but uglier and muggy/hot.

You can still play muni courses for $40 or so I guess in most states, but you get with that five or six hour rounds and courses that could use more maintenance.

Hey, with the worldwide recession or deflation maybe some of the idiots will realize there aren't that many of us left that can pay that kind of money.........not.

I'm just hoping my body gives out before my money does!

[hhfarang]

"Pebble and Spyglass"... sure, you're talking about courses that the PGA tour plays on. I consider those "once in a lifetime splurges". I'm talking about perfectly good muni and public courses that are at least as good as Palm Hills and Royal Hua Hin at one half to one third of the cost.

I played many courses in the Monterey/Carmel area over a fifteen year period and never paid more than $70 per round (Usually more like $40) and I played some of the finest courses in Palm Beach County Florida for $25 to $40, granted that was five years ago so they may be a little higher now. Also, carts were reasonable and caddies were not required/non existent... so the green fee plus a cheap bucket on the driving range before the round were the total costs; no extras or tips.

[T.I.G.R.]

I forgot the Topic......sorry, sorry.

Regardless of the cost, even paying rack rates, Cha Am/Hua Hin is still a better deal than just about anywhere I've played, and the only other place I ever played that offered caddies was Pebble Beach and Spyglass a long time ago. Back in the late 80's I remember paying a caddy eighty dollars for the pleasure of watching him chase after the guy on his other shoulder for most of the round (they wouldn't caddy for normal guys unless it was a double bagger).

As I said, we belong to Palm Hills, and when you've had a caddy once you may request them again any time you play. The boss and I each have our own "private caddy" and one in reserve if either of them can't take us for the day. We play twice a week and the total cost for everything averages out to about 750 baht a round, including drinks, tips and our annual fee each of 15,000 bht. I figure the cost at 100 rounds each.....if we play more it's even cheaper. If we play less I've been sick too much.

We love our caddies and they are happy to have regular "bosses" and treat us like we were the King and Queen. I only regret that I can't take them with us to other courses.

So whatever the hell the topic was......I'm getting too old to remember when this even started...... you'll not get a better deal in your life than playing here so go out there and have some FUN !

Be a nice guy and tip your caddy at least about what you paid the Pro Shop and you should be O.K. If you're a cheapskate take up pocket pool.

Hit 'em straight and remember, you could be working!

[JimmyGreaves]

I forgot the Topic......sorry, sorry.

Regardless of the cost, even paying rack rates, Cha Am/Hua Hin is still a better deal than just about anywhere I've played, and the only other place I ever played that offered caddies was Pebble Beach and Spyglass a long time ago. Back in the late 80's I remember paying a caddy eighty dollars for the pleasure of watching him chase after the guy on his other shoulder for most of the round (they wouldn't caddy for normal guys unless it was a double bagger).

As I said, we belong to Palm Hills, and when you've had a caddy once you may request them again any time you play. The boss and I each have our own "private caddy" and one in reserve if either of them can't take us for the day. We play twice a week and the total cost for everything averages out to about 750 baht a round, including drinks, tips and our annual fee each of 15,000 bht. I figure the cost at 100 rounds each.....if we play more it's even cheaper. If we play less I've been sick too much.

We love our caddies and they are happy to have regular "bosses" and treat us like we were the King and Queen. I only regret that I can't take them with us to other courses.

So whatever the hell the topic was......I'm getting too old to remember when this even started...... you'll not get a better deal in your life than playing here so go out there and have some FUN !

Be a nice guy and tip your caddy at least about what you paid the Pro Shop and you should be O.K. If you're a cheapskate take up pocket pool.

Hit 'em straight and remember, you could be working!

hmmmm not everyone is on the same financial plane and the thread was about paying the club for a caddie and then paying the caddie again! Also try playing different courses twice every week and see what your 750 baht gets you!!! You may be singing a different tune then!

[T.I.G.R.]

Jimmy -

Here is your first post:

"Not played golf really for years and then only for a short time anyway a friend asked me if I fancy playing at springfield next week
2500 baht green fee
250 caddie fee and 250 caddie tip. I thought you just tipped the caddie what is the caddie fee?"

(Sorry, I don't know how to paste it in like you guys do....can someone please tell me how to do it?)

Your question was similar to others I've read over time, which generally involve asking why do I have to pay a caddy? Why is there a fee and a tip? Why does golf cost so much here now? How much are you supposed to tip the caddy?

Golfers like me who would rather die than not play regularly, and who have managed to develop a better than average skill level, probably are more familiar with the costs and would consider them generally less than where wherever we came from. I still think they are outrageous compared to when I first decided to live here in 2005, but again, still they are generally less than where I'm used to playing at home....similar courses without caddys. For an occasional player it seems really expensive.....I would agree if I only played once in a while as well.

When you start talking about where you can play for $20 -$40 dollars or whatever like hhfarang did, of course there are always great public courses to play that rate higher and are a better experience than some resort courses.....it's like the difference between paying over 4 million baht for a BMW or 1.X million for a Ford/Honda or Toyota.........they're all just cars, but people are always happy to pay more for what they perceive to be better, even when that's not necessarily the case.

I played over New Years with my brother-in-law in Lop Buri. First at the Air Force base we payed about 400 baht each for all day and it was a little nine hole course that meandered around the recreation area. No caddies, no drinks but you could pay for a wobbly old golf cart, twenty baht I think. Definitely a beginner's experience which is what my In-Law is. Next day we played the Army Course in Lop Buri. 18 holes of what you would call public golf. Caddies, drinks every few holes and fun, but definitely not like anything you can play around here. Cost about 1,200 baht each with caddy tip.

So......you can do the same here and play in Petchburi or Pranburi for less than Cha Am. More money gets you a better experience in general.

Pretty much no-one I know has ever had a caddy experience except in Asia. It is well worth the cost and a very pleasant experience for less than $15 American dollars. IMHO it's an experience you'll never get anywhere else and I'm personally really happy to have it available and to pay for it.

[valrhona]

Of all things to complain about, the price of caddies certainly isn't one of them. Thailand isn't exactly California or the UK, each golf course employs many of them. It's obvioulsy not a high paying job, they are lucky to make 500Baht in a day for the "pleasure" of our company!

I was there in the summer and played BM for 1000Baht+500 for caddie tip. That was outstanding value in my opinion. In most areas of the world, when you go to a resort area, prices are usually around 100US or more.

There are still plenty of great value golf in the Hua Hin area but if someone expects to go to a Banyan Tree golf resort and pay 20-30US, they need to come back down to earth. Golf was never a cheap sport and the reasoning is that if you can afford to visit Thailand from Europe or North America, you can afford to dish out a bit of extra cash.

I remember a time when golf course in Whistler(big ski resort in Canada) double their prices from one year to the next. They ended up doubling their bookings because the courses became perceived as high end(which they were).

A course such as Black Mountain can't be compared to Palm Hills or Majestic Creek. It doesn't mean you can't have fun on the other ones but a price has to be paid.

And if you think Hua Hin golf isn't good value, take a little trip down to Phuket

[JimmyGreaves]

Of all things to complain about, the price of caddies certainly isn't one of them. Thailand isn't exactly California or the UK, each golf course employs many of them. It's obvioulsy not a high paying job, they are lucky to make 500Baht in a day for the "pleasure" of our company!

I was there in the summer and played BM for 1000Baht+500 for caddie tip. That was outstanding value in my opinion. In most areas of the world, when you go to a resort area, prices are usually around 100US or more.

There are still plenty of great value golf in the Hua Hin area but if someone expects to go to a Banyan Tree golf resort and pay 20-30US, they need to come back down to earth. Golf was never a cheap sport and the reasoning is that if you can afford to visit Thailand from Europe or North America, you can afford to dish out a bit of extra cash.

I remember a time when golf course in Whistler(big ski resort in Canada) double their prices from one year to the next. They ended up doubling their bookings because the courses became perceived as high end(which they were).

A course such as Black Mountain can't be compared to Palm Hills or Majestic Creek. It doesn't mean you can't have fun on the other ones but a price has to be paid.

And if you think Hua Hin golf isn't good value, take a little trip down to Phuket

Load a bollox and whose complaining about caddies fees?

[JimmyGreaves]

(Sorry, I don't know how to paste it in like you guys do....can someone please tell me how to do it?)

Just hit the quote button top right of the entry you want to use and edit out what you dont want. Leave the first [.....] and the last [.....] intact with everything inside.