Forecaddies

[CliveW]

Scottish Golf has teamed up with Visit Scotland and The Renaissance Club to offer all members of Scottish Golf affiliated clubs an exclusive opportunity to take advantage of preferential green fee rates this winter at The Renaissance Club.

The offer is £280 per four-ball and a minimum of one forecaddie is required per tee time for £60 + any deserving gratuity.

Has anyone here used a forecaddie before and were they compulsory?

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Yeah, had one before and they were compulsory for that round.

Was it worth it, as such,, yes purely to be able to play the course. Would I do it again, nope not for me.

He looked for balls, chat, gave yardages and guidance etc. We had one for our 4ball.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Seen them on certain holes during big club comps. Where pretty much everyone took driver.

Really helped speed those couple of holes up!

 

[patricks148]

not sure why you would need one of those, from memory the course was very open and pretty hard to lose a ball except on a couple of the holes

 

[Foxholer]

Scottish Golf has teamed up with Visit Scotland and The Renaissance Club to offer all members of Scottish Golf affiliated clubs an exclusive opportunity to take advantage of preferential green fee rates this winter at The Renaissance Club.

The offer is £280 per four-ball and a minimum of one forecaddie is required per tee time for £60 + any deserving gratuity.

Has anyone here used a forecaddie before and were they compulsory?

Where reqd, they are intended to speed up play - by finding wayward shots/indicating where 'provisional/reload' is best option.

Can be very helpful. Not sure how helpful one would be at Rennaisance as my/our 'viewing' of the course was before it had been completed - by Tom Doak himself, who happened to be staying at Ducks on our (another forum's) trip to Muirfield and Gullane.

 

[sunshine]

Sixty quid (plus tip) for a ball spotter!!! Don't think so.

If you are playing in a developing country where labour is cheap, it's worth paying a local lad a few rupees / bhat / pesos. The one time I had one, he waded into a lake to retrieve my playing partner's ball - I though that was worth a tip.

In the UK I would stretch to a fiver each (£20 for a 4 ball) max if a forecaddie was on offer.

I suppose there are some courses in Britain where you have to pay the local chavs not to take your balls.

 

[Jacko_G]

Sixty quid (plus tip) for a ball spotter!!! Don't think so.

If you are playing in a developing country where labour is cheap, it's worth paying a local lad a few rupees / bhat / pesos. The one time I had one, he waded into a lake to retrieve my playing partner's ball - I though that was worth a tip.

In the UK I would stretch to a fiver each (£20 for a 4 ball) max if a forecaddie was on offer.

I suppose there are some courses in Britain where you have to pay the local chavs not to take your balls.

£20 for four hours work. Chase yourself and don't comeback.

These guys will spot the ball, hunt for balls, read lines often grab a bag to speed up play and can be invaluable to some groups.

To dismiss them in such derogatory terms is more a slur on your character.

 

[jim8flog]

£60 for 5 hours work a bit better than minimum wage.

 

[2blue]

£60 for 5 hours work a bit better than minimum wage.

Hence the need for a gratuity.... I guess.
Getting the round cheaper so I guess a Forecaddy is simply a 'nod' to the games traditions..... & between a 4 ball, perhaps £20 each.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

£20 for four hours work. Chase yourself and don't comeback.

These guys will spot the ball, hunt for balls, read lines often grab a bag to speed up play and can be invaluable to some groups.

To dismiss them in such derogatory terms is more a slur on your character.

I wonder if sunshine is happy to work for £5 an hour ?

I think they are compulsory for every 4 ball at Renaissance regardless of the Scottish golf offer.

 

[sunshine]

£20 for four hours work. Chase yourself and don't comeback.

These guys will spot the ball, hunt for balls, read lines often grab a bag to speed up play and can be invaluable to some groups.

To dismiss them in such derogatory terms is more a slur on your character.

I wouldn't describe it as work really. Not like an actual caddie. Can't see much value.

You go down to your golf club tomorrow and ask people if they want to pay you £20/hr to look for golf balls. Please let me know how you get on.

 

[KenL]

Scottish Golf has teamed up with Visit Scotland and The Renaissance Club to offer all members of Scottish Golf affiliated clubs an exclusive opportunity to take advantage of preferential green fee rates this winter at The Renaissance Club.

The offer is £280 per four-ball and a minimum of one forecaddie is required per tee time for £60 + any deserving gratuity.

Has anyone here used a forecaddie before and were they compulsory?

Not sure that the price is good for winter golf.

 

[Jacko_G]

I wouldn't describe it as work really. Not like an actual caddie. Can't see much value.

You go down to your golf club tomorrow and ask people if they want to pay you £20/hr to look for golf balls. Please let me know how you get on.

Your not asking people at your own course.

You are playing a top class (I use that term with a pinch of salt) course and gaining knowledge from someone.

You really are an ignorant so and so.

 

[sunshine]

Your not asking people at your own course.

You are playing a top class (I use that term with a pinch of salt) course and gaining knowledge from someone.

You really are an ignorant so and so.

How did you get on? Any takers for your golf ball hunting skills?

 

[Jacko_G]

How did you get on? Any takers for your golf ball hunting skills?

Well done that was almost funny.

Took three days to come back with such a childish response, not exactly covering yourself in any glory with your derogatory comments so far.

 

[Grant85]

I remember when the Renaissance set up, they were going to be ultra exclusive with non-members only able to play as a 'once in a lifetime' event with no return visit allowed.

Appreciate the Scottish Open would not have wanted them to host the event with such exclusive terms, and so this is probably why they have softened their stance. But they also pay a hefty sum, I think £1 million, to the Tour to be the host.

I guess this provides them with exposure that they hope will generate interest and bring in more revenue to the club. However I assume the business plan of being an ultra exclusive club has fallen by the wayside somewhat and they are effectively opening their doors to the paying public to generate guest revenue. Pretty tough to attract people to the once in a lifetime idea when you are surrounded by world class golf courses that any old hacker with a few hundred pounds can get onto.

 

[Grant85]

And on the subject of forecaddies... I actually don't mind that idea. Very easy to get held up, or lose a few balls on a championship layout that you are not familiar with.

I also always feel that 1st time you are playing a course, you are learning about it and almost certain you'd play it a different way 2nd and 3rd time.

 

[Jacko_G]

I remember when the Renaissance set up, they were going to be ultra exclusive with non-members only able to play as a 'once in a lifetime' event with no return visit allowed.

Appreciate the Scottish Open would not have wanted them to host the event with such exclusive terms, and so this is probably why they have softened their stance. But they also pay a hefty sum, I think £1 million, to the Tour to be the host.

I guess this provides them with exposure that they hope will generate interest and bring in more revenue to the club. However I assume the business plan of being an ultra exclusive club has fallen by the wayside somewhat and they are effectively opening their doors to the paying public to generate guest revenue. Pretty tough to attract people to the once in a lifetime idea when you are surrounded by world class golf courses that any old hacker with a few hundred pounds can get onto.

I'm pretty sure you've typed a long winded reply for absolutely nothing. My understanding is all money goes back to Scottish Golf and invested at grass roots. It's nothing other than a kind gesture giving up a tee time and use of the course.

 

[Grant85]

I'm pretty sure you've typed a long winded reply for absolutely nothing. My understanding is all money goes back to Scottish Golf and invested at grass roots. It's nothing other than a kind gesture giving up a tee time and use of the course.

Fair enough if that is the case, but it is still clearly a change in strategy away from the ultra exclusive millionaires golf links.

And is it really a kind gesture, or a compulsory gesture to become host of the Scottish open?

 

[Jacko_G]

Fair enough if that is the case, but it is still clearly a change in strategy away from the ultra exclusive millionaires golf links.

And is it really a kind gesture, or a compulsory gesture to become host of the Scottish open?

Scottish Golf will have no influence on where the open goes to. It's the exact same with Prestwick and Castle Stuart, they have donated a tee time every week (or for a specific period of time) to SG.