One reason slow play is okay on Thailand golf courses

It’s an older club, but received a facelift from Schmidt-Curley in 1998 and today is a good test of golf. Golf packager GolfAsian.com says it’s often the first course of an itinerary in Thailand given its proximity to Bangkok, it’s first-impression-worthy hospitality and a course design that’s championship-caliber but not back-breaking.

On weekends, the membership is out in full force and can make for a pretty busy scene, as was the case Saturday. I’m never an advocate for slow play, and despite finishing in less than five hours, we still had our share of tee box waits.

In Thailand, with the country’s famously hospitable caddies, a little break on the tee is hardly a bad thing.

A few times during the round, our caddies would come up to us and give us quickie back massages, while another caddie fanned us. Really, all you have to do at Muang Kaew is a little acting job: grimace and show some back or shoulder distress, and she gets the hint quick and runs over with their hands in ready position. They work your shoulders, arms, lower back and my personal favorite, using the forearms on the top of the shoulders and around the neck.