Another scam - the golf "follower".

[Lacessit]

Myself and a friend go to play golf at a golf course I won't name. 1000 baht each for caddie, green fees and golf cart. Caddie tip afterwards 300 baht and up. We take our Thai GF's ( one is a caddie at Gymkhana ) for the outing. They will walk around with us for exercise, not playing.

300 baht each for them to be "followers". Never heard of this before. I've played Santiburi, Mae Kok and Chiang Mai Highland with my GF accompanying me, no problem, no fee. We politely try to negotiate the price down, cannot. We cannot too, play at Hang Dong instead. 100 baht to be a "follower". there.

Sometimes Thai thinking baffles me. It's low season. The course in question is very difficult to find, and has few customers. The upshot of refusing to negotiate on 600 baht was the course lost 2000 baht on our green fees, 600 baht on the caddie tips, and about another 1000 baht on food and drink we would have spent in the clubhouse restaurant after the round.

Is this "follower" fee a common thing in other areas of Thailand? To me, it's a scam.

 

[sfokevin]

I have seen this posted and ask the guy at our course... He said it was because the Chinese would show up as a large group (van full with guide!) and only one our two would “golf” and the rest would expect to walk along for free... 

Edited June 19, 2019 by sfokevin

[OneZero]

2 hours ago, sfokevin said:

I have seen this posted and ask the guy at our course... He said it was because the Chinese would show up as a large group (van full with guide!) and only one our two would “golf” and the rest would expect to walk along for free... 

Ah ha, not surprised.  I'll bet they were doing more than walking after the second tee.

[chickenslegs]

My wife's nephew was playing in a Thai juniors tournament in 2017 at the Siam Country Club (IIRC it was the Plantation Course).

We were told that we needed to hire a golf cart (with driver) to follow the players (2,000 Baht). We paid up, of course, but I suspect it was some sort of scam.

The same boy has played in the US Kids tournament in Scotland for the last 3 years. A few members of my UK family have driven up there to support him. No golf carts available for the visitors, but no charge at all for following the players around the course.

[thaigolfer]

This is going on for at least 20 years and way before the mass arrival of the Chinese. Just as the double standard pricing, even at the "home" course of Thongchai Jaidee. Pathetic.

[owl sees all]

I don't play golf. BUT, I would expect to pay to watch top notch action. And the exercise in nice surroundings of course.

 

Just a thought, if it was free to walk around the course, and a stray golf ball was to hit you on the head, and kill you, would any compensation be paid out to dependents?

Edited June 20, 2019 by owl sees all

[Rimmer]

A baiting post and reply have been removed

[Dexlowe]

Tiger Woods is in town at the moment. I'm sure he'd PAY YOU to follow you around and get some tips to improve his game.

[Lacessit]

56 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I don't play golf. BUT, I would expect to pay to watch top notch action. And the exercise in nice surroundings of course.

 

Just a thought, if it was free to walk around the course, and a stray golf ball was to hit you on the head, and kill you, would any compensation be paid out to dependents?

Good question. I'm insured for golf course injuries, either to me or anyone I happen to hit.

Australian golf courses carry blanket insurance against such eventualities. AFAIK Thai courses don't. Some insure the caddies, some don't.

I would expect to pay to walk around with top-notch golfers too. I don't expect to have to pay for someone to walk around with an elderly golfer of declining ability when the course is deserted.

[Lacessit]

53 minutes ago, Dexlowe said:

Tiger Woods is in town at the moment. I'm sure he'd PAY YOU to follow you around and get some tips to improve his game.

Do try to keep up. He's just won the 2019 US Masters.

[Dexlowe]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Do try to keep up. He's just won the 2019 US Masters.

Do try to keep up. 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2019/06/18/tiger-woods-children-girlfriend-spotted-traveling-together-in-thailand/39593849/

[owl sees all]

20 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Good question. I'm insured for golf course injuries, either to me or anyone I happen to hit.

Australian golf courses carry blanket insurance against such eventualities. AFAIK Thai courses don't. Some insure the caddies, some don't.

I would expect to pay to walk around with top-notch golfers too. I don't expect to have to pay for someone to walk around with an elderly golfer of declining ability when the course is deserted.

Right you are; but if you paid to be on a golf course, as a watcher or follower, would some sort of insurance be built in?

 

I was involved in swimming in England and everyone who walked on the poolside was insured, either by the club or the concern hiring the pool. Not sure about people on the balcony, but they didn't pay; unless there was an event (gala), then they were covered under the pool's general insurance.

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, Dexlowe said:

Do try to keep up. 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2019/06/18/tiger-woods-children-girlfriend-spotted-traveling-together-in-thailand/39593849/

Sorry, I can't see the relevance of your post. Does it say his GF and children are on the golf course with him? I think it would be reasonable to say as golfing royalty, no one would dare suggest he should pay for them to be with him, if that were the case.

BTW, not everyone in the world reads American publications.

[tifino]

Extra fees for caddy holding a pooper scooper following... 

 

But, the paying for each and every person on the course does seem okay, if Insurance is involved.  

[TooPoopedToPop]

14 hours ago, OneZero said:

Ah ha, not surprised.  I'll bet they were doing more than walking after the second tee.

For sure.

Peeing on the green, no doubt.

[NancyL]

Chinese aren't the only ones who pee on the green.  For a time early in our marriage, Hubby and I lived in a golf course development.  Our home was across the street from the 16th green and was in a newly opened portion of the development for development for home construction, so we were the only occupied house in the area.  

 

We often saw guys walk off the green into the rough, facing our house, thinking no one could see them (yeah, on the course at least) to take a pee.  By the time they got to the 16th green, many were pretty drunk, too. 

 

Oh and when working in our front flower gardens, we'd overhear cell phone conversations from the golf green like, "give her so many cc's of this drug so that will slow down the labor enough so I can finish my golf game before I have to come into the hospital."

 

These were just good old Texas boys.  Not Chinese.

[Dexlowe]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Sorry, I can't see the relevance of your post. 

You seem to be on another planet to everyone else. I'll explain: some humour is not meant to be taken literally. Does that help?

 

Oh, and the news of Tiger being in Thailand is all over the internet, not just in one American publication. You have a nice day, now.

[Sujo]

13 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

My wife's nephew was playing in a Thai juniors tournament in 2017 at the Siam Country Club (IIRC it was the Plantation Course).

We were told that we needed to hire a golf cart (with driver) to follow the players (2,000 Baht). We paid up, of course, but I suspect it was some sort of scam.

The same boy has played in the US Kids tournament in Scotland for the last 3 years. A few members of my UK family have driven up there to support him. No golf carts available for the visitors, but no charge at all for following the players around the course.

Was that the Truevisions event?

 

i was there in 2018 and this year. Waterside course. No charge and no buggy needed. Just went out and walked.

 

On the other hand, asked for taxi from the course to hotel, about 4km and was told 1000bht. Needless to say i got a lift to hotel and hired a scooter from the local bar for the rest of the week.

[chingmai331]

The OP is an 'elderly golfer' of 'declining ability', yet sports a caddy as a gf. And then he has the audacity to complain about high costs for exercise with caddy in Thailand.

How do we say it here?   555

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

You seem to be on another planet to everyone else. I'll explain: some humour is not meant to be taken literally. Does that help?

 

Oh, and the news of Tiger being in Thailand is all over the internet, not just in one American publication. You have a nice day, now.

If only your opinion was true.

There are some of us left in the world that don't spend all their time reading news or surfing the internet. Don't get me started on Facebook.

You have a nice day too.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, chingmai331 said:

The OP is an 'elderly golfer' of 'declining ability', yet sports a caddy as a gf. And then he has the audacity to complain about high costs for exercise with caddy in Thailand.

How do we say it here?   555

My GF is not a caddy. That was the GF of my friend.

My GF is 4 feet 6 inches and weighs 41 kg. Teaching her to play golf would be a waste of time, as would be teaching you good manners.

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, tifino said:

Extra fees for caddy holding a pooper scooper following... 

 

But, the paying for each and every person on the course does seem okay, if Insurance is involved.  

I suspect you would get a blank look on most Thai golf courses if you asked them if golfers or "followers" were insured.

At my home course in Thailand, there are signs specifically stating golfers are liable for any damage or injury caused by their errant shots.

[bkk6060]

Not a scam at all.

This fee is very normal for every golf course I have played.

300 is actually not bad a few courses I know 500 b.

 

Several years ago my exwife rode in the cart with me at Pebble Beach.

$150 US dollars.

Green fee was $500.

Just a bucket list thing.

Edited June 20, 2019 by bkk6060

[Trujillo]

1. Every course I know of in the USA that allows this, charges a fee to join a group of golfers. Many courses refuse to allow this at all. It is not a "scam" or any other thing. 

 

2. Funny that Tiger Woods should come to Thailand, a country that he has made no bones in the past about hating with a passion. You never hear a sportscaster calling Tiger Woods a Thai golfer, do you? 

 

On side note, nice to see that you can pick up caddies to be your "girlfriend." I always thought that was pretty much a shooting fish in a barrel thing. Seems I was right. Motivation to get me out on the links more often. ????

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

Not a scam at all.

This fee is very normal for every golf course I have played.

300 is actually not bad a few courses I know 500 b.

 

Several years ago my exwife rode in the cart with me at Pebble Beach.

$150 US dollars.

Green fee was $500.

Just a bucket list thing.

I'll see your Pebble Beach and raise you Pine Valley. I played there free, as a guest. Twice.

The prestige American courses are expensive. I played La Cantera in San Antonio, Arnold Palmer design. $450, and I only got 14 holes in because tornado cells started appearing.

On the other hand, a municipal course in New Orleans was quite cheap, about the same as Australia.

Maybe it's the custom to charge for walking around in America. I've never heard of it in Australia.

Edited June 20, 2019 by Lacessit

[Lacessit]

33 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

 

On side note, nice to see that you can pick up caddies to be your "girlfriend." I always thought that was pretty much a shooting fish in a barrel thing. Seems I was right. Motivation to get me out on the links more often. ????

There are some quite good-looking caddies at many clubs in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

I do know an American married to an ex-caddie. She's a pretty good golfer, and probably one of the happiest golfers I've seen when playing.

[moontang]

they did that at the course I lived on in Arizona...and non players were not allowed out of the carts...give people an inch, they take a mile..give the Chinese an inch, and they will ruin everything they come in contact with.  Thais don't know how to run low seasons..nothing new there.

[Damrongsak]

11 hours ago, TooPoopedToPop said:

For sure.

Peeing on the green, no doubt.

The target spot is clearly marked with a flag. 

[Berkshire]

On 6/19/2019 at 4:26 PM, Lacessit said:

300 baht each for them to be "followers". Never heard of this before. I've played Santiburi, Mae Kok and Chiang Mai Highland with my GF accompanying me, no problem, no fee.

This is a pretty common practice at most golf courses.  Santiburi, for example, would allow a "follower" if you have a cart, but you'd have to pay extra if you were walking.  I saw this in the US as well.  I played with my brother a few years back and his teenage son wanted to come along just to "hang out."  As we were about to tee off, the starter ran out and said we'd have to pay if the son wanted to come along.  I don't recall exactly how much, probably around $5 or $10. 

[moe666]

This isn't a scam they tell you up front what the cost will be, you can choose to pay or not. If they tell you after the game and the walk then it would be a scam