Tipping in Bangkok

[mkrolewski]

Anyone:

I have the great pleasure of playing in Bangkok (except for temp/humidity: it feels like 100F) and have an etiquette question.

What is the appropriate tip for a caddie?

Typically caddie fees are 200-300 Baht ( $US 1 = 33 Baht). I did not want to be cheap and similarly do not want to offend. And since I have never been on a course that had caddies and this being Thailand, I really have no idea what the rules are.

A second question: is the Pinehurst Bangkok really that good? Would anyone recommend a different course in the Bangkok area ( 30-40 minute drive of the Imperial Palace )


Thanks for responses.

[mkrolewski]

For anyone that is interested:

Tipping appears to have a quite a range. One site suggested about 200-300 Baht ( $6-$9 ), supposedly from a local caddie.

Another site suggested 500 to 1000 ( $15-$30) is more reasonable. Given the overall cost of a round in Thailand and the idea that most caddies work at most 3 times per day, the later seems reasonable.

On the Thai golf experience, it is really quite different.

If you ever get to Thailand, make sure you play at least one round.


First the courses IMHO are well keep. Lots of sunshine, high temperatures, lots of available water and inexpensive labor means most course are well maintained. In addition, the caddies are actively keeping the course in shape -- fixing ball marks and divots.

Second, the whole idea of caddies is really great. I have generally played public clubs/munis and have never had even the opportunity to use a caddie.

She (most are women) is generally a great addition, giving you targets, distances to green, pin position, course information, driving the cart, cleaning clubs, and often aligning your putt. In addition, the caddie is keeping you in the shade.

It is really marvelous to have your own cheering section. Most though not all speak English and on many courses, Japanese and Korean.

Thai women are very pretty and the caddies are no exception. They are dressed in colorful uniforms: long sleeved shirts and pants with hats bordering on bonnets. Seeing 10 or so together is really quite striking.

Talking to locals, people play with multiple caddies. One story of a local civil servant stated he played with 5 caddies. Many courses limit the number to 3 per player. For most, I do not know what the second caddie is going to be doing.

Third, the club houses have nice amenities: good food, massages (and Thai massage is really great), and locker rooms. And this is the usually clubs, not a private or expensive course. Again a big improvement over the typical US muni.

There are some drawbacks.

Picking to play in August is one. High temperatures, high humidity. Even with a cart and caddie, it can be quite taxing.

They allow up to 6 players in a flight. With multiple caddies, one is looking at a small army of people ahead of you.

Play can be slow. In spite of one player per cart and a caddie to find your ball, play can be slow. The locals say it can be hard to get past the group in front of you. The style of play appears to have longer breaks eg stops for sushi, longer breaks at the 4 or 5 stops on the course and longer breaks between 9th and 10th hole.

That said, my first round take a little over 3 hours and I jumped by a twosome in front of me; the second was close to 4.5 hours. Not exactly slow.

[NI4NI]

I don't have experience golfing in Thailand, but I did get a chance to play a round this past January in Shenzhen China at the Mission Hills Golf Club. This is a phenomenal place, with 216 holes of golf and counting (Guinness Book of Records). Each course was developed and inspired by a different golf pro, and offers unique vistas and playing conditions. I played on the Ernie Els course, and it was a blast.

http://www.missionhillsgroup.com/en/default.html

Regarding your etiquette query on tipping, my Mission Hills trip was paid for by my Chinese business associates (as it is a private membership club that offers tee times for resort guests). Each of us was required to have a caddy (women in their early twenties, wearing the standard red jumpsuit and white hats), and they were accommodating to a fault (you could almost never even touch your club unless you were swinging).

I decided to tip my caddie an additional sum, based on her great job, so I first sought the approval of my Chinese hosts (so that they could “save face” if this wasn’t acceptable), and then gave her RMB 164 (equiv to $20). She was thrilled, and the envy of her caddy cohort!

BTW – I made par on 3 of the 4 par-3’s, and nearly birdied 3 of the other holes (and I’m an un-official ~36 handicap!).

Awesome experience, and definitely worth doing if you ever get the unique opportunity! It was sweltering, but I didn’t care as it was snowing back home in the states!

Happy Hitting.

[Brady0626]

How much did these courses cost? The ones in china and Thailand

[NI4NI]

How much did these courses cost? The ones in china and Thailand

Well, it was free for me, but it would have been ~$150, factoring in the currency conversion (included greens fee, cart, caddie, use of locker rooms, sauna, steam, shower, etc.).

[Brady0626]

Well, it was free for me, but it would have been ~$150, factoring in the currency conversion (included greens fee, cart, caddie, use of locker rooms, sauna, steam, shower, etc.).

Why was it free for you? Nevermind I thought you were the one who played in Thailand

[Fraser]

I don't have experience golfing in Thailand, but I did get a chance to play a round this past January in Shenzhen China at the Mission Hills Golf Club. This is a phenomenal place, with 216 holes of golf and counting (Guinness Book of Records). Each course was developed and inspired by a different golf pro, and offers unique vistas and playing conditions. I played on the Ernie Els course, and it was a blast.

Must take my golf clubs on next trip to Hong Kong! Sounds fantastic!

Have heard going over to Shenzen from Hong Kong is pretty popular, just never had the chance.

[clearwaterms]

I can't speak to playing in other countries. But I will attest to caddy tipping here in America. I was a caddy when I was younger and the tip etiquette was = to the cost of the caddy if he did an acceptable job, higher if they did an above average job.

When I was a caddy we earned $20 a loop (18 holes to carry, Butler National in Oak Brook, IL) and a usual tip was $20 to $30. If you were a less experienced caddy you were paid $10 or $15 a loop and the expectation was the same ($10 for a rookie, $15 for the middle grade caddy)

Some members were known for being exceptional tippers, in excess of $50 to $80 per caddy a round, but those loops were coveted and few and far between

[The Rambler]

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster...

[Fat Slice]

I don't have experience golfing in Thailand, but I did get a chance to play a round this past January in Shenzhen China at the Mission Hills Golf Club. This is a phenomenal place, with 216 holes of golf and counting (Guinness Book of Records). Each course was developed and inspired by a different golf pro, and offers unique vistas and playing conditions. I played on the Ernie Els course, and it was a blast.

I am playing Mission Hills next month. 4 days, 2x a day. And, like you, someone else is paying. I can't wait...life is good!

[NI4NI]

Man, that's righteous. Enjoy the heck out of the place, and here's hoping you get a smart caddy.

Do you know which course(s) you'll be playing? I was supposed to play the night course on another trip there (I believe it's the Ozaki course), but Shenzhen got hit with a rare monsoon, so all courses were closed (and I had the wildest ride home in the company "chamfered minivan" - they drive like maniacs!!).

If you can, push to play the Olzabal course - the Omega tournament is played here, and the bunker play is wicked.

Enjoy, and post back with your experiences.

[mkrolewski]

In Thailand around Bangkok, the greens fees varied from 600 to 3000 Baht ( $18 - 100 ). There typically are weekday and weekend rates ( F-Su) I believe there are more expensive course requiring membership.

Caddies are 200-300 Baht ( 34 Baht per $1 US)
Carts are around 600 Baht.
Clubs were about 1000 Baht.

I was not being very attentive, but I believe there is a VAT added on. Some courses had a cash policy for some of the fees which I am assuming was an attempt to evade the taxes.

Back to the caddies. The average daily wage in Thailand is 200 Baht. So a 1000 Baht tip is significant.