I love golf. It’s a great way to de-stress and get into an environment where you’re surrounded by nature. Here in Thailand I feel motivated to play more than when I lived in the UK. The problem is there is a lack of golf etiquette in Thailand.
I’m certainly not a stickler for the rules and can let a few things slide but between the courses themselves, fellow golfers and caddies there is a lot of nonsense going on here.
Mobile Phones
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve become slightly addicted to my phone. However, a round of golf is a great reason to put your phone away for a few hours (unless you see a snake or monitor lizard worth photographing!).
The problem is players and caddies here can’t seem to do that. I’ve seen golfers in the UK take calls or check their phones and it’s almost understandable in certain situations. The problem here in Thailand is people don’t put their phones on silent and will not consider their impact on others.
I’d be pretty embarrassed if my phone rang when someone was playing but here people actually answer their calls and don’t bother to keep their voices down or find a quiet spot. I’ve even had caddies step away to talk on the phone instead of bringing me a club or walking down the fairway.
Some of the courses here are beautiful and certainly worthy of taking a quick snap or two but as the nation with one of the widest usage of mobile phones , Thailand can’t seem to tell when phones are ruining the game.
Drinking Too Much
There’s nothing wrong with having a beer before, during or after a round of golf. I’ve certainly done it here in Thailand and in other countries. The problem is people here some people go over the top.
An extreme example of this was the six ball (more on that later…) who were swigging from bottles of whiskey whilst listening to Thai music on a Bluetooth speaker. It was almost as if they were trying to break every golfing etiquette in one round! Even the caddies were joining in with the singing.
However I’ve certainly seen a fair few golfers swinging and missing here not due to a lack of talent but because they’re too sozzled to see the ball. It can get super hot here in Thailand and people go full on the beers without realizing that it will affect them severely. Often the price of a beer is pretty cheap, 50-80 baht ($1.50-$3) a can, and with regular watering holes it’s not difficult to get into double figures by the end of a round.
Course Repairs
99% of the time in Thailand you will have a caddie. You would think they would take care of replace divots and repairing pitch marks but it is very hit and miss.
Often I’ve been left to do this myself. Some courses have greens which look at potholed as the moon because of all the un-repaired pitch marks. The same applies to tee boxes which are often neglected, especially at cheaper courses.
Often, rather than proactively repairing divots, caddies will just move your ball to a different location if your affected by bad ground.
A lot of courses are treated as little more than short cuts by locals and it isn’t uncommon on some courses to see people riding motorbikes across the fairway or fishing in the lakes.
Cheating
I’m certainly not one who refers to the R&A rule book every round and I’ve been guilty of perhaps being generous with my drops in the past. However my rule breaking pales into insignificance when compared to a round here in Thailand.
To be honest when I play with my friends I don’t care if they accidentally touch the ball or ground their club in the bunker. I probably do these things too and in the spirit of the game it doesn’t matter. The problem lies with the caddies who seem to want to cheat as much as possible on your behalf.
I played a round where I lost three balls and didn’t play great, my caddie said I shot a preposterous 82. Having never shot under 90 I looked at my caddie who gave me a little grin and walked away. Ever since then I’ve had to tell me caddie my score for every hole as they will most likely put down one or two shots less if you’ve had a bad hole. They also don’t seem to count any duffed shots, when you take a drop or if the ball goes in the water. My guess is they think that if you get a better score you’ll give them a better tip. On the contrary I’d rather know what I shot and tip based on service rather than my ability.
In a game with friends you’ll probably give each other a few short putts. Here, some caddies take it upon themselves to give these putts without consulting the golfers. I’m not serious about playing but sometimes they’ve given my playing partner difficult six-foot putts. The flip-side is when you’ve hit a great shot up close and have a birdie chance and they pick up the ball before you get a chance to sink the putt, it takes a little gloss off it. Sure you’d probably make the putt but feel cheated that you lost that buzz of holing a birdie.
Calling Through
This one gets me pretty riled. It seems that calling groups through would be admitting that someone is faster than you and that would cause a loss of face (not a good thing here in Thailand). I’ve been in a two-ball stuck behind a five-ball for 9 holes and despite catching the other group up on the tee box several times they never let us through. We even asked the caddies and they said we couldn’t play first.
Don’t get me wrong I’ve nothing against being on the golf course but it annoys me when people lack common courtesy here to let a fast group through. Often the caddies seem afraid to ask other golfers to do this on behalf of their group.
Group Sizes and Pairing Up
If you’re less than a four-ball and it’s a busy day then I feel it’s fair enough to be paired up. Here in Thailand there are a fair few single players and I’ve been lucky enough to play with some of them. However, some people are pretty unfriendly and rejected joining me and my playing partners.
When it comes to group sizes it’s possible to have six players together here in Thailand. As I said before it can be terrible to be stuck behind a group like this. It’s why I avoid peak hours for playing.
That's My Ball
Lakes are a pretty common feature of golf courses in Thailand. As you can guess I’ve put a far few balls in the water over the years here. The benefit is that people will go swim in the water to get balls and sell them in packs for around 100 baht for six balls. I’ve no problem with this, I think it’s a great idea as it’s a bargain for general golf balls.
What I do have a problem with is that on some courses people wait by lakes in front of greens on par 3’s. Firstly it is off putting to see a lot of people and puts you off your shot. Secondly, on more than one occasion, I’ve hit a ball that has skirted the water and maybe just gone into the shallows and the “helpers” have demanded a fee for my ball when I could have got it myself. I appreciate if I’ve hit it into the deep abyss that I have no chance of getting it but if it’s just in, or maybe not even in, don’t try and scam me for my ball.
What Are You Wearing?
This one is mainly for the expats here. Whilst most golf courses here do have a dress code, it seems a lot of players aren’t up to scratch in the fashion department.
Sure, it’s hot here but a lot of people wear outfits more suitable for a safari than a few hours on the golf course. Baggy cargo shorts seem to be a trend. Thai golfers normally do look the part and have all the correct gear.
Lack of Golf Etiquette in Thailand
Obviously the above doesn’t apply to every player and every course in Thailand but it has happened to myself and others enough times to see the trends. It also means that a lot of foreign golfers here start falling into the same traps, especially where phones are concerned.
Whilst golf in Thailand isn’t overly expensive for tourists and expats it is considered a sport for the upper class here in Thailand. As such, in a hierarchical society, staff and caddies seem reluctant to scold those players who don’t abide by the rules. It’s a shame and, whilst the lack of etiquette doesn’t completely ruin the game here, it would be nice to see a bit more on show to respect others on the course.
