| GROWING THE GAME
Caddie Tales
What’s it take to launch a caddie programme at a brand-new club? Paul Myers travelled to the Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co in Vietnam to find out.
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HKGOLFER.COM
HK Golfer・MAR 2013
Richard Castka / Sportpix International
ast October, an hour before Tim Haddon began interviewing caddies are fully conversant and comfortable prospective caddies for the new Laguna Lang Co Golf Club on with their role. Vietnam’s Central Coast, he knew his hiring strategy had paid off. Lang Co locals, Thao Nguyen, 21, and The hall he rented, in the fishing village of Lang Co, about Quyen Dang, 20, jumped at the chance to 20 kilometres from the golf club and 80km south of Hue, was become a caddie when the opportunity arose. surrounded by young women, all seeking a chance to become an “I want to learn new things, like golf integral part of the five-star resort course in Thua Thien-Hue province. knowledge and English skills,” says Thao “I thought we might expect 30 to 50 candidates, but more than 250 arrived who graduated from a tourism college in Hue within the first hour. By the end of the recruitment day we had interviewed 437,” before joining Laguna Lang Co, and previously recalled Haddon, the golf club’s inaugural general manager who has recently knew nothing about golf. If she hadn’t become been promoted to this new position, having transferred from Laguna Phuket a caddie, she says she would have been a Golf Club in Thailand where he was the director of golf. receptionist or tour guide. After two rounds of The high level of interest in employment opportunities at Laguna Lang Co – caddying, she found the job not as daunting as for caddies as well as other staff – she had expected. reflects the socio-economic nature Quyen was studying of the region where low incomes, at a tou r i sm s c ho ol high unemployment and limited in Danang when she opportunity are common. hea rd about t he job The 60 caddies who were hired, opportunity at Laguna most aged between 19 and 23, Lang Co. are now wearing a smart green Professing to and white Laguna Lang Co Golf be nervous about Club uniform and traditional the prospect of Vietnamese straw hat as they go accompanying golfers about their task of showing golfers around t he course, the nuances of Southeast Asia’s Quyen had yet to put newest golf course. her training into action “The recruitment attracted a when interviewed during large number of local job seekers, On top of their pay, caddies at Laguna receive Laguna Lang Co’s prebut our main challenge was to a tip from the golfer – typically US$10 opening period. provide them with proper training She rated her and show what being a golf caddie is all about,” Haddon explained. “We priorities as securing on-the-job knowledge and offered jobs to 60 – based on where they lived, their English ability, personality experience and developing a strong work ethic. and skillset.” For Haddon and Golf Club Manager Darren As the number of players at the new course builds, each caddie should get a round Robson, opening of the course with a full at least every second day. On top of their pay they receive a tip from the golfer who complement of caddies is the culmination of they accompany and assist – usually 200,000 Vietnamese Dong or about US$10. a two-year process that included the purchase It has been a rapid learning experience for the new recruits, none of whom had of more than 1,000 line items including previous caddie experience. They had to be taught what the game is about from maintenance equipment to turn the golf course the ground up – its history, all about clubs and balls, etiquette, interaction with into a playable reality. players, holding the flag, ‘reading’ a green and, for some, the most challenging “This has been a huge task, but a very task of all, driving a golf cart. fulfilling one,” Haddon said. “We feel a sense of “We have had to start from ground zero in developing a training manual accomplishment to see the community in their and then implementing all aspects of it to ensure our caddies are as proficient as caddie uniforms with confidence to get out on anywhere else. This provides gainful employment to these young women who the course. This is the end of one part of the otherwise would have limited job opportunities,” continued Haddon. process, but the start of another as we begin Daily English classes are part of the training, which takes three months before welcoming players to the course.” 53