Vietnam - Caddies' tears on golf course

On the first working day as an official caddy, a disguised journalist of Tuoi Tre was almost dismissed by her client, a Vietnamese player, after he missed his several of his strokes.

Part 1: Caddies’ hard work on golf course

Part 2: Caddies’ tears on golf course
Part 3: Life outside golf course 
Part 4: 

“He is angry, saying that your astrological sign is at odds with his and that’s why he couldn’t make any good shots today. I ask for his sympathy because you would be fired if rejected by a customer on your first day at work,” said the caddy working with me on the same shift.

Insults can pour down like rain

As they stand in line at the starting area, waiting to receive their clients, each caddy was filled with nevousness and anxiety. It is not uncommon for them to be assigned to serve clients, mostly Vietnamese men, who are hot-tempered or even rude, treating them like servants.

Some regular customers at the course have a reputation for changing caddies many times when he fails to make a good performance on the golf course. At such moments, they vent all their anger on the caddies, blaming them for everything. Some men even curse at their caddies, spit, or throw their clubs on the ground for the caddies to pick up.

The caddies’ nerves were strained to the breaking point when they had to serve such men.

Staying alert and paying close attention to the game is the secret to cope with these nerve-wracking situations, according to an experienced caddy. Pulling the stroller after the player, the caddy must always calculate the distance from the ball to the coming hole and be ready to give the player the information when he asks.

Keeping silent and taking all the blames poured on their heads, no matter how absurd or unreasonable they are, also helps to keep the lid of anger on and prevent an explosion.

In standing close to a player to quickly swap him a new club, some caddies also gets blamed by the player for a missed stroke, said a caddy.

Their anger, rudeness and insults become worse when Vietnamese golfers play for money. Some caddies try to psych themselves up before these betting games with the thought of a large tip from the winner and loser afterwards.

A caddy named Hong recalled, “Once, one of my clients is just 30 meters from the flag [that marks a hole], his stroke was too strong and the ball passed the hole, rolling down a hill.”

He got mad at the caddy and swore at her, “F***, why don’t you tell me about the hill beyond the flag?”

Some men even cheat by kicking the ball to another location when it lands between two tree trunks, making it impossible for them to hit it.

When a player starts accusing his rival of cheating, the caddy gets caught in the line of crossfire between them and finds it impossible to satisfy them both.

A caddy named Ha working on the HP golf course in the northern province of Hoa Binh was very bitter about this. “With money, some men want to see their attendants suffer to make it worth their expenses.

Some treat the caddies on the golf course no less than they do their servants at home and show no respect for them.

“Working as a caddy, you have to accept it all,” Ha added.

Tears on golf course

Verbal abuse is not always the caddies’ biggest worry as some of them are exposed to accidents without getting any insurance coverage from the golf course owner.

A stray golf ball can give a caddy a broken nose, a black eye or any heavy bruises on other parts of the faces and bodies.

Golf course owners normally have no obligations towards the caddies working for them. They sign no contract with them and pay them no social insurance, except VND70,000 (US$3.3) a day plus tips from players.

Apart from the customers’ anger and insults and their occupational hazards on the golf course, a caddy also has to deal with possible punishment from managers if their clients report displeasure over their service.

Caddies will be fined if they they don’t pick up rubbish the customers throw on the field or if their customers lose some piece of gear. In some golf courses, caddies are fined if they don’t turn off the lights and fans after clients use them.

The worst punishment for caddies is to be taken off their caddy duties and assigned to removing weeds for a month on the golf course, depriving them of their major source of income -- the tips.

Love and money

Many nice-looking caddies have fallen into the money-for-love trap set by wealthy golf players and none of them end in marriage.

A caddy named H in the MP golf course has been known for her love affair with a South Korean man who is a regular golfer at the site.

On the golf course, the Korean man is seen pushing the stroller and walking by his side is H holding his purse.

The Korean man didn’t hide from H the fact that he was married. In return, he gave her generous gifts and money.

Another golf player from Japan spent billions dong to buy Tram, his caddy and girlfriend, a big house in Thu Dau Mot Town in the southern Binh Duong Province. Their relationship lasted for a year before the Japanese returned home, leaving no contact address behind.

TUOI TRE

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