The journey from caddie to manager of the world's top golf course of a Vietnamese girl

TPO - From an 18-year-old girl working as a caddie in Dong Mo, Quach Thi Thanh Thuan has risen to become the manager of Cape Wickham Golf Links, the number 1 golf course in Australia and ranked in the top 14 in the world. With more than 20 years in the profession, she has written an inspiring story about the aspiration, will and management capacity of Vietnamese people in the international arena.

Do you remember the first moment you set foot on the golf course? What brought that young girl to the job of a caddie?

At the age of 18, I failed the university entrance exam. My family was in financial difficulty, so I told myself that I had to quickly find a job to help my parents and at least take care of myself. One day, I happened to read a notice recruiting caddies at Dong Mo golf course. At that time, golf was still very new in Vietnam, and almost no one knew what a caddie was.

Me too, I couldn’t imagine the specific job, but I still decided to apply. Looking back now, I believe it was fate. That moment opened a whole new door for me, not just a job, but also my future life.

From caddie to management, what was the turning point that opened that journey? And how did you prepare yourself to reach new heights?

From the very first day, I always kept in mind: no matter what position I am in, I must do my best in the assigned work. I constantly learn, observe, and improve. Perhaps that is why I gradually gained the trust of my superiors and was assigned new tasks such as training staff and translating documents.

I always remember a respected guest who once told me on the golf course: “Never give up studying”. That saying has become a great inspiration for me to continue my studies. Besides working on the golf course, I also arrange time to study golf rules, tournament organization, operations management and foreign languages. I also learn from my colleagues, from my seniors, from every stumble on the journey I have gone through.

Over the past 20 years, I have held many different positions before becoming a golf course operator. But I do not have any ambition to reach any height, I just always strive to do my best in any position, bring joy to customers and support my colleagues as much as possible.

What was the most difficult period in your career ? What helped you not to give up?

If I had to pick the most difficult stage, it would be really difficult, because each stage has its own challenges. But I realized one thing: everything has a solution if you face it calmly.

Instead of complaining, “Why is this happening to me?”, I always ask myself, “What should I do, how can I overcome it?”. Just like that, I train myself to look at the solution instead of the problem. This mindset helps me stay calm and find a way in the most difficult times.

Why did you decide to move to Australia to run Cape Wickham Golf Links? What experiences has living away from home brought you?

When the Vinpearl – Vinpearl Golf management board proposed that I go to Australia to manage the Cape Wickham course, I almost didn’t think too long and immediately nodded in agreement. Working abroad is always a very new experience, an opportunity to challenge myself that not everyone has, and I wanted to take that opportunity.

Cape Wickham is located on a small island called King Island in Tasmania, Australia. When I first arrived here, everything was strange to me: from traffic (drive on the left), to food and drink, to the way the locals live. There was not a single Vietnamese person on the island, let alone relatives, so the initial loneliness was not easy to overcome.

But then the challenges at work took me away. Every day I had to deal with a lot of things. I learned to get used to each thing, made new friends and even Vietnamese people joined the team. Everything gradually became familiar. Then I realized that life away from home, which used to be heavy, now became lighter, even bringing many valuable experiences that perhaps if I did not dare to go, I would never have had.

Cape Wickham Golf Links is Australia's number 1 golf course and ranked 14th in the world . What makes you most proud of running such an iconic golf course?

Cape Wickham is not only a world-class golf course with stunning scenery, it also offers a multicultural service experience with staff from many different countries.

But what I am most proud of is that after more than 2 years of Cape Wickham being taken over and operated by Vinpearl Golf, it has proven that Vietnamese people are fully capable of managing at an international level and can successfully apply domestic management models abroad.

As a manager, how did you build your caddie team and the working environment at the course? What core values ​​do you want to pass on to young people starting in the same position as you?

At each golf course, we have built a systematic training system so that caddies not only master the expertise but also imbue with a high spirit of service. I always tell you: "A good caddie not only knows about techniques, golf rules or how to support customers on the course, but also must be a good listener, observant and proactive in bringing the best experience to golfers."

The core values ​​that I often share not only with caddies but also with staff in general are: Always work with all your heart and bring the best service to customers. To do the best job, you need to have professional knowledge, professional skills and constantly develop yourself.

In your opinion, what should the Vietnamese golf industry do to open up more opportunities for women, not only in the role of caddie but also in management and executive positions?

Currently, the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) has organized training courses on golf course management and coaching. Meanwhile, the middle management team such as caddie team leader, caddie master, golf operator... are all self-trained and developed by the courses. If this is planned as a new career group and training is organized in conjunction with universities, thereby creating a team with both high expertise and good foreign language skills, then in the future, Vietnam golf will have a very potential middle-level staff.

Similarly, golf courses should also cooperate with agricultural schools to train specialized human resources in turf maintenance. If this can be done, the future of the Vietnamese golf industry will be very open, especially for women in management positions.

If you could send a message to young people with the same starting point as you, what would you say to help them believe: "I too can become a golf course operator"?

Start small and do it well. Never stop learning, never be afraid of challenges, and be kind to everyone around you. Whether you become a golf course manager or not, the journey has made you the best version of yourself. That is the greatest success.

Thank you very much!

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hanh-trinh-tu-caddie-den-quan-ly-san-golf-hang-dau-the-gioi-cua-co-gai-viet-post1765238.tpo