Ann doesn’t particularly like golf but she loves being a caddie.

She used to work in a hotel but has been caddying at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin for four years now. She earns about the same money caddying for one round a day as she did working 9-10 hours a day at the hotel, but being a solo parent it means she can spend more time with her two school-aged children.

Tan is 43 years old and has been caddying for 17 years. She moved to Bangkok from northern Thailand, leaving her young children to earn a decent wage and provide for them.

Wi is 32 and started caddying in Hua Hin two years ago, after the father of her three children left her. Kwan moved from Bangkok to Pattaya two years ago to be full time caddie at Siam Country Club. Bee also moved from the bustling metropolis that is Thailand’s capital city, south to the island of Phuket to caddie at Laguna Phuket Golf Club.

These five women have different stories but they share a common bond – they are making better lives for themselves and their families on the back of the soaring golf tourism industry in Thailand.

On a standard day they will do one round, get paid a fee of 150-200 Thai baht (NZ$6-$8) by the club and be tipped another 300-400 baht by the golfer.

That’s 600 baht per day, or NZ$25. But that’s more than what they would be paid in many other service industry jobs and, while they won’t live a life of luxury, it is enough to live off in this country of extremes.

It’s why these five women – and thousands of others – made the choice to switch to the golf industry.

They are good at their jobs, too, and while the top courses in New Zealand would be at a similar or better level than the top courses in Thailand, the caddie experience is one thing that sets golf in Thailand apart for those wanting an experience as well as a golfing holiday.

As the director of golf at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Stuart Daly, noted: “Caddies are our secret weapon in Thailand.”

All of the 300 or so courses in Thailand have caddies and all of them are women. One local man reckoned this was because they were generally more reliable workers than the men, claiming Thai women are the “backbone of society”.

All players must have a caddie and the fee is about 400 baht. On top of that you would be expected to tip the caddie another 400 baht, but it is well worth the money.

From the moment you arrive at the course, your caddie will look after you.

They take your clubs, prep the cart, drive you to the practice area and onto the first tee. Once under way they will do all the usual things a caddie does plus more. That includes marking your ball, repairing divots, repairing pitch marks, holding an umbrella, getting you water or face cloths, and depending on the caddie they will even offer up head and shoulder massages as you go!

I found them all delightful, playful, cheeky, good fun, always with a smile, but above all they genuinely want to ensure you have a great experience and leave with a smile on your face.

Within a couple of holes they know exactly what club you want to use in most situations, and if you are unsure they offer sound advice. It also pays to listen when they are reading putts for you, especially if they are experienced. I quickly learnt that the hard way.

Other noticeable differences to golf in New Zealand were the weather and the general welcoming and accessibility of the golf clubs.

via Smiling caddies all part of the deal in Thailand golf experience | Stuff.co.nz.