Golf's bag ladies

Zhang Jiaojiao grabs two clubs for a golfer on the course at the Beijing Willow Golf Club.

Driving a cart along the winding driveways of the Beijing Willow Golf Club, caddy Zeng Xiaoshuang, 23, from a village in Hunan province, knows she has come a long way.

Four years ago, as a fresh vocational school graduate, she had no knowledge about the game when offered the job.

"Even now, my parents in Hunan just know I work in Beijing in a nice working environment. I don't know how to explain (my job) to them as they don't know a thing about golf," she says. "My work won't make sense to them."

But that does not bother Zeng. "I earn almost five times more than what my friends make back in Hunan," she says, offloading the 20 kg golf bag from the cart.

Zeng is one of 144 caddies employed by the club and her duties range from something as simple as carrying bags and tracking golf balls to more complex ones, such as identifying weather variables, reading greens and estimating distances.

"Most players come here for recreation, so caddies often need to attend to menial works. No matter how much I learn about the game, the bottom line is to create a fun experience for my customers," she says.

The Chinese mainland has an estimated 30,000 caddies like Zeng, spread over some 300 golf courses. While customers are told 150 yuan ($22) of their 400 yuan service fee goes to the caddy, all of it actually goes to the golf club.

Roughly 70 to 80 percent of all caddies are women. In fact, all the caddies in Bayhood No 9 International Club in Beijing are female, with an average age of 20. Wang Yuan, one of the club's best, admits that sometimes a good voice and a pleasant personality is all that is necessary to be a good caddy.

"There are customers who just want someone accompanying them. Female caddies are usually good listeners and speak softly," she says.

In the 1990s, when the game started to become popular, clubs typically employed raw hands and provided them with some basic caddy training. However, as the number of golf courses boomed and people became familiar with a caddy's job, clubs began to look for quality caddies with some knowledge of golf.

This demand soon led to the emergence of caddy training schools. Beijing T9 Caddy Training School was launched two years ago and on average, it recruits 15 to 20 students each month. To date, 300 caddies have graduated from it.

In addition to familiarizing trainees with the rules of golf, on-course manners and specific caddying skills, students are also required to practice playing golf on the teaching court. However, the most emphasis in the 3,000-yuan three-month training package is given to nurturing a strong sense of customer service.

"Compared to their counterparts abroad, Chinese caddies are young, service-orientated attendants rather than seniors who plan the best hits for players," says Zhang Chao, a teacher in Beijing T9 Caddy Training School.

According to Zhang, caddies abroad are generally retired veteran players and usually only high-ranking professional players enjoy the privilege of hiring caddies, standing aside and offering insightful advice.

"Golf is still considered a symbol of the elite in China," says Zhang. "The hiring of caddies accords with this. The caddy follows the player closely and is ready to take orders, which make the player feel like a master."

This emphasis on being obedient and considerate explains the disproportionate representation of women as caddies in China.

Wang, for example, looks after her customers well. She has her own long list of dos and don'ts, and makes a special note of their health conditions, food preferences and even favorite lockers.

"I seldom remember so many details about my parents," Wang says and admits that she is quite cautious when caddying. "Any mistake will greatly affect the image of the golf club."

Her shift sometimes starts as early as 4 am and ends at 6 pm. Summer is peak season for the club and the one aspect of her job Wang dislikes it getting tanned while out in the open.

But she is grateful for a job that makes her 3,000 yuan per month, given her junior high school qualification.

"Personally speaking, I don't quite like the game. It is only my job. But I earn even more than some university graduates," she says.

"However, this is a job for young people and, if possible, I would like to change to an indoor job when I reach 25."

Fu Yingping, 25, is one of those caddies who has quit her job at the Yulin Fengshang Golf Club and now runs her small business in a clothing market. Although she worked on a golf course for just a year, she misses it - bad memories and all.

She remembers she was once scolded and criticized by a customer for a whole round because he played badly that day and lost a large sum of money in a bet.

"He blamed me for his loss and I had to keep apologizing to him. Golf players are not all good- mannered and they look down upon us. Dignity is a word we seldom think of," Fu says.

But she also remembers the occasional generous tips. The day she received a 1,000-yuan tip, she felt like she had the best job in the world. The tips meant a lot to her given her basic salary of 500 yuan every month.

"Money and the chance at a better life are what motivates us. If we worked in factories, we would definitely earn much less than this," she says.

"Female caddies also look for a chance to get to know wealthy businessmen who frequent golf courses, just like girls looked forward to being flight attendants years ago."

Most of her colleagues no longer work in golf clubs. Quite a few have returned home and run small retail businesses.

But there is always a steady stream of newcomers. Liu Qiuhong, a fresh graduate from Heilongjiang University, treasures the opportunity to be a caddy, although she was exhausted and sunburned at the end of her first day on the course.

She is a Business English major and after a long, unsuccessful job hunt, a friend told her about the Willow Golf Club. "I feel a bit overqualified to be here as the job itself doesn't require much knowledge."

However, Liu says it is the best she can get this year. "I will try to adjust. The players are mainly businessmen and there may be job offers for me," she says, wishfully.

New recruit Chen Peng, 23, also sees a bright future. Because of his lovely smile and a sense of humor, many club members, including several celebrities, ask for him by name.

Apart from practicing on the court whenever possible, Chen is also in an undergraduate study program on golf at Beijing Sport University. His goal is to become an international golf referee. "Female caddies are more sensitive to customer needs, but male caddies outperform them in the end. We are small in number but we see golf as lifelong career," says Chen.

He believes male caddies are also more loyal to their jobs. "As China sees more professional players, the demand for qualified caddies with sophisticated skills will grow," he says, confidently.

Caddies take a break before working on the course. Photos by Chantal Anderson