Caddy's dream on golf course<\/p>\n
By Lely T. Djuhari<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Being a golf caddy enables a man coming from a
\nvillage far away from the capital city to observe the extravagant
\nlifestyles enjoyed by the wealthy.<\/p>\n
His job is to walk for hours with the rich and famous in the
\nopen air. He accompanies them over vast green spaces punctuated
\nby lakes and palm trees.<\/p>\n
A caddy can also listen to the words that pass between the
\nleaders of business conglomerates, as discuss new deals. He can
\ndaydream about the spoils that may follow upon their chatter.<\/p>\n
This job description was strong enough to lure Syamsul Arifin
\nto pack his bags and leave his hometown in Kediri, East Java, to
\nwork as a caddy at the Pangkalan Jati Golf course in South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
To do the job you don't need a fancy college degree or any
\nspecial skills. It's enough if you have a good and strong pair of
\narms and legs.<\/p>\n
\"I didn't have the money to continue high school so as soon as
\nI pocketed my junior high school certificate in 1988, I decided
\nto try my luck as a golf caddy. I got the job through my uncle,
\nwho was already working here at the Pangkalan Jati Golf Course\",
\nSyamsul says.<\/p>\n
\"I was pretty sure at that time that this job paid well and
\nmight help me attain my dreams\", he recalls.<\/p>\n
However, the journey was not as smooth as he had imagined. He
\nhad to work as a humble office boy for two years before being
\npromoted. He got into his current post because he managed to
\nestablish a good relationship with his boss.<\/p>\n
\"Once in a while the boss gave me the chance to be an
\nunofficial caddy. I learnt the tricks of the job there\", he said.
\nHaving some experience in caddying meant that he did not have to
\ntake a three-month training course, in which potential caddies
\nare taught about the rules of the club, how to behave among the
\nplayers and the finer points of the game itself.<\/p>\n
A caddy's job starts at around 6 a.m. The hours depend on the
\nnumber of golfers on the course and the number of holes they
\nplay. A caddy usually assists only two players in a day.<\/p>\n
Syamsul says that his main task is carrying the golf kits of
\nthe rich and famous.<\/p>\n
He prefers carrying men's bags to women's because the men, he
\nsays, bring only the necessary things, mainly golf clubs, balls
\nand gloves.<\/p>\n
\"But the women frequently bring so many unnecessary things;
\nsuch as make-up bags, food and sometimes folding chairs\", he
\nsaid. \"A woman once brought a small TV set. I had to lug her
\nbelongings for four hours. They weighed about 30 kilograms\", he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Syamsul says that the earnings from his job are quite
\nreasonable. \"There's a caddy fee of Rp 10,000 (US$4,54) a day.
\nBut most of the income comes from tips.\"These vary quite a lot,\"
\nhe explains. \"Foreigners are a bit stingy\", he says, giving
\ncaddies only Rp 10,000 to Rp 15,000 per game, which is far below
\nwhat the Indonesian golfers hand out.<\/p>\n
Syamsul's big earnings enable him to send Rp 300,000, twice a
\nmonth, to his mother. This amount is sufficient to support both
\nhis mother and his younger brother, who is attending senior high
\nschool.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want my mother to worry about money. She wants her
\nother two sons to work as soon as possible, but I have told her
\nthat my brother must get a higher education than I did,\" says
\nSyamsul.<\/p>\n
He stress that the job is good for his future because the
\ncompany provides housing assistance for caddies. Moreover, each
\ncaddy is insured by the company.<\/p>\n
Over 350 caddies work in two groups at the Pangkalan Jati Golf
\ncourse. One group is on duty on Mondays and Wednesdays, while the
\nother works Tuesdays and Thursdays, he said. From Friday to
\nSunday all the caddies work to help the large number of golfers
\nvisiting the course.<\/p>\n
Arsad, another caddy, said he serves many famous golfers,
\nranging from a minister to the presidents of private companies.<\/p>\n
\"I like experienced golfers because they don't talk much. But
\nbeginners are polite when they ask for help -- because they
\nreally need our help\", Arsad said. He doesn't like the know-it-
\nalls. \"They don't ask which club to use, then blame me when they
\nmess up.\" Also, he finds it hard to work when he knows the tip
\nwill be small.<\/p>\n
\"I only look at Jakarta as a place to work. I don't go out at
\nnight or visit entertainment places because I am not interested
\nin them. I have to save up as much as I can\", Syamsul says. He
\nhas visited only Ancol Dreamland, in North Jakarta. That was when
\none of the golfers invited him along on a family outing.<\/p>\n
The first two years, during which he lived with his uncle,
\nwere \"really bad\". His uncle was usually in a bad mood because
\nthere wasn't much for breakfast, and what there was had to be
\nshared with his many relatives.<\/p>\n
\"I was glad when I was able to rent a house in 1990\", he
\nrecalls. \"My plan is to continue working until I can buy a house
\nin the caddy complex, and then to marry a girl that my mother
\npicks out for me back home. Maybe I'll bring her here\".<\/p>\n
Syamsul is willing to keep walking over the big green lawn
\neach day, carrying the belongings of golfers whose lives are very
\ndifferent from his. He continues to do so in the hope that, in
\ntime, he will realize his dreams.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/caddys-dream-on-golf-course-1447893297",
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