IT was my first time golfing in Bali, and I was more excited about the breathtaking scenery than my actual game. Rolling green fairways framed by towering palm trees, the distant roar of the ocean, and the silhouette of a volcano in the background made it seem like I’d stepped into a golfing paradise. But what I didn’t know was that the real adventure wasn’t the course itself—it was the caddy.
I arrived at the clubhouse and was introduced to my partner for the day, a seasoned Balinese caddy named Wayan. He was small in stature but had an energy about him that instantly caught my attention. His wide grin and twinkling eyes told me he’d seen and experienced more than just a few rounds of golf.
“Ready for a great day of golf?” I asked, feeling eager to start.
Wayan chuckled. “Ah, yes. Golf, yes. But more… life, my friend.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I shrugged it off, chalking it up to the relaxed Balinese vibe. Little did I know, Wayan was not your average caddy. He was something of a local legend—an unpredictable guide with his own brand of wisdom and humor.
A Swing and a Prayer
We set off for the first hole, and Wayan immediately began offering his “advice.”
But instead of typical golf tips, what I got was more… mystical.
“Hold club like you hold dream,” Wayan said, smiling knowingly.
“Like a dream?” I asked, confused but willing to play along.
“Yes, loose, but not too loose. Too tight, it slips away. Too loose, it flies away. Dream, golf, same-same.”
I laughed, thinking he was kidding, but Wayan was deadly serious. I gripped my club—like a dream, I suppose—and took my first swing. The ball hooked to the right, narrowly missing a line of palm trees before landing in the rough.
“Not bad,” Wayan said with a nod. “But you need more… feeling. Less thinking.”
And so the game went. Every tip Wayan gave was just cryptic enough to leave me scratching my head. His words of wisdom were always poetic and sometimes downright baffling, but the charm of his offbeat advice kept me entertained.
The Hidden Knowledge of Bali
As we made our way to the second hole, Wayan pointed out some local flora and fauna.
“You see that bird?” he asked, motioning to a bright-colored bird perched on a nearby tree. “That’s a Bali Starling. Very rare, very beautiful. Like good golf swing, you don’t see it every day.”
He winked, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. His comparison was ridiculous, but in a strange way, it made sense.
Throughout the round, Wayan shared all kinds of local knowledge. He pointed out distant temples, explained the meaning behind certain statues, and even gave me a brief history lesson about Balinese kings who had supposedly practiced their putting skills in secret royal gardens.
And then came the cows.
As we neared the fourth hole, we spotted a couple of cows grazing just beyond the rough.
“They help keep the grass short,” Wayan explained with a grin. “Also, they are good luck. If ball hits cow, you get free stroke.”
“Wait, is that an actual rule?” I asked, laughing.
Wayan nodded seriously, though his eyes gleamed with mischief. “In Bali, yes. Free stroke. But only if cow says it’s okay.”
I knew he was joking, but I still couldn’t resist imagining myself asking a cow for permission to take a mulligan. The whole situation was so absurd that I couldn’t stop laughing.
Caddy Shenanigans
As we continued playing, Wayan’s quirky advice became more creative. On one par-three, I lined up my shot, hoping to land it near the green.
“Close your eyes,” Wayan suggested out of the blue.
“Close my eyes?” I repeated, incredulous.
“Yes. Trust the wind. Trust the spirit of the course.”
I looked at him like he was crazy, but he just stood there, grinning. Against my better judgment, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and swung. To my utter amazement, the ball flew straight and true, landing just short of the green.
Wayan clapped enthusiastically. “See? Trust spirit. Spirit knows better than you.”
I couldn’t believe it. The shot had actually worked. Maybe there *was* something to Wayan’s mystical golf philosophy after all.
But just as I was starting to think he might be a golf sage, he offered this gem on the next hole: “If ball goes in sand, it’s because the earth misses it. Let it stay a little while. Don’t rush.”
Lessons Beyond Golf
By the time we reached the back nine, my head was spinning—not just from the game but from Wayan’s non-stop humor and strange wisdom. He had me trying all kinds of bizarre techniques: swinging with one foot off the ground, using “positive energy” to guide my ball, and even meditating briefly before teeing off.
It was all ridiculous, but I hadn’t had this much fun playing golf in years.
As we neared the final hole, Wayan turned to me, his grin replaced by a more serious expression. “You know,” he said, “golf is not about score. It’s about how you play, how you enjoy. Just like life. Don’t take too seriously.”
I smiled, realizing that, as strange as he was, Wayan had been teaching me more than just golf this whole time. His quirky ways and offbeat humor had made the game unforgettable, but his deeper message was starting to sink in. It wasn’t about perfection or hitting the perfect shot; it was about enjoying the journey, no matter how unpredictable it might be.
The Real Treasure
As we finished the round, I looked around at the stunning Balinese landscape—the vibrant greens of the course, the towering volcano in the distance, and the peaceful ocean beyond. My score wasn’t great, but it didn’t matter. I had experienced something far richer than a good game of golf.
Wayan had kept me laughing the entire time, but more than that, he had reminded me that there’s a certain magic in letting go of expectations and just enjoying the moment. In his quirky, mystical way, he had turned a simple game of golf into an unforgettable adventure.
As we walked back to the clubhouse, Wayan slapped me on the back. “Next time, we play in the mountains. Cows give better advice there,” he said with a wink.
I laughed, shaking my head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Because if there was one thing, I’d learned that day, it was that the real treasure of playing golf in Bali wasn’t just about lowering my score—it was about the camaraderie, the laughter, and, most importantly, the unforgettable stories that came along the way. And with Wayan by my side, every round of golf would surely be an adventure worth remembering.
