2 Golf Firsts In One Week

[sticklee]

1. Played without a caddie. Arrived at Hang Dong on Monday to find a shortage of caddies, probably due to Songkhran. I hooked up with another guy and we proposed to the girl at the counter that playing without caddies would be mai penrai. She charged us 1100B for 2 with a power cart. Nice to not have caddies dragging around somewhere behind you.

2. In protest, left without playing. Tuesday is our golf group's regular day at Alpine. Most of the guys are members but non members play as a guest, during high season, for 1700B. Today it was 1900B, because of 'holiday. In infuriating, twisted Thai logic they decide to raise the rates over and above what is the regular high season rate. Even harder to stomach is the fact that last year between high season and the start of golf festival the rate was 1350+ caddie. There is no one on the course and our group is the only regular booking they will have all summer. So eff them. Long motorbike ride back home and my small protest won't make a bit of difference. But you have keep to some personal principles. Back home they would have special holiday promotion rates to get more people out to play. They deserve to fail in business here, they don't get it at all.

[dogpoo]

Must of felt great to play without a caddie!! increasing prices seems to be the Thai way, you were right to walk away!!

[Thailand]

Happened many times at Hangdong during this high season with the hordes of Japanese & Koreans.

I am sure the boss was happy as it looks like you paid slightly over the odds with 2 green fees and a cart. I would have thought walking pulling your own trolley would have been better on such a short course?

Alpine,totally agree would have done the same,some weird thinking by management on the courses here in Amazing Thailand.

[GregHanrahan]

That's just the way it is! Had my share, of course at a course.

Johnnie Wither, Simon Y., Kenny Walker and myself go to play a course near the Burma border - way out from Hua Hin. The guys show a few British PGA's and Asian Tour cards - and of course i'm the only one with a European card - so i show that! The girl had 'noooo idea' - she wanted to charge me.

Joined the Hua Hin Golf Society (anyone know if Bernie is still around?) for a discounted sports day game at Laem Chabang. I showed my PGA cards and my price was hundreds of baht more than a sports day price.......WOW.......and this was years ago.

[valrhona]

While I understand the sentiment...at the end of the day, you are the one punishing yourself, wasting your time and not getting a game. A place like Alpine makes money on tour groups so I doubt they would care too much about individual golfers. I think it's a losing proposition to make comparisons with clubs in other countries. In my opinion life is too short to get upset over a few hundred bhats.

I guess if you decide not to go back and play somewhere else, your mind can be at ease but if you have a membership and you guys return the following week, I don't see the point.

All I care about when I play is the course, everything else is white noise...Alpine is my favorite track in CM and as long as they don't allow fivesome and maintain the course well, I'll be happy.