The brown circles stretching across the grass didn’t initially grab my attention as the caddie drove down the fairway at Khao Yai Country Club.
My partner and I were in the midst of a tight match on day five of my first ever trip to Thailand. However when the caddie gave me a nudge , pointed and said: ‘elephant’ , my eyes instantly lit up.
Elephants are a sacred animal in Buddhist Thailand , where around 8,000 Asian elephants currently live in the wild. This particular one clearly enjoyed thundering around fairways before stopping for drinks in the water hazards judging by the footprints.
We never did catch up with the roaming elephant but I discovered dozens of other memorable experiences, golf courses and tastes in the country dubbed ‘Amazing Thailand’.
The golf holiday, from the moment we checked into the Lancaster Bangkok after touching down in the capital at Suvarnabhumi Airport, was superb. In Thailand you get five star luxury for Premier Inn prices with our hotel even having a rooftop swimming pool and jacuzzi.
After a refreshing dip to revive our group following the journey, it was straight off into night. Here you will find food, alcohol and fun for everyone’s tastes – though I did pass on the grilled crocodile, insects and scorpions at the market.
Instead we opted for a delicious meal at ‘The Original Fried Curry Crab’ , where they pluck your seafood fresh from tanks outside the restaurant. We finished off the night at a live music bar before retiring in good spirits ahead of our opening tee time at Siam Country Club.
James Nursey at Riverdale Golf Club
(Image credit: James Nursey)
The biggest revelation I found about golf in Thailand, wasn’t the fine courses or hot weather, which I had been expecting, but rather the caddies. As someone who has practically never had a caddie, I was blown away by how much help they can be assisting with club selection and the line on putts.
Your green fee of approximately £100 includes a buggy and a caddie who drives you around, finds your ball , ensures play flows promptly and advises you on your shots. In a land where the minimum daily wage is £8, being a caddie is a reasonable job as the usual tip per round is 500 Baht, which is about £11.
The caddies, who are always all female, were extremely…
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