Female caddy service banned from golf courses

FROM THE TELEGRAPH.CO.UK WEBSITE
By RICHARD SAVILL
A female caddy service which provides models trained in golf etiquette has been banned from a number of courses for "damaging the reputation of the sport".
The women, who wear tight-fitting pink uniforms, are provided by Eye Candy Caddies, which describes its service as the “gorgeous new solution for unforgettable golf days.”
However, Leaderboard, a golfing firm, has imposed a ban on them at four courses, Chart Hills in Biddenden, Kent; Dale Hill in Wadhurst, East Sussex; Sandford Springs in Kingsclere, Hants; and The Oxfordshire Golf Club in Oxford.
A spokesman for Leaderboard said: "Anyone who seriously cares about the development of the game should work to ensure that it is as professional, inclusive, and culturally inoffensive as any other major sport.
"Exploiting outmoded notions of golf as a male bastion is not 'just a bit of fun', it damages the reputation of the sport as a whole as well as its appeal to members of the younger generation of either sex."
The Eye Candy website suggests the service is primarily for the corporate market. Caddies can be hired out at £230 for a day’s golf. The agency promotes its service by claiming that with “an Eye Candy caddie by your side, other golfers will be green with envy.”
It adds that its “team of girls in attractive uniforms are much more than just a pretty face.”
Katy Glyn, one of the models, describes herself as having “bombshell” looks, and says her favorite food is chocolate and almonds.
Another, Abbie Burrows, 27, a professional flautist, who has played private concerts for the Queen and the Prince of Wales, and also appeared on the BBC1 programme Songs of Praise, said: "Put simply it is corporate hospitality, much the same as I have done at Wembley, Ascot, and Twickenham. We act as hostesses, serve drinks, smile and chat to guests.”
She added: "We have learnt the rules of golf and that we shouldn't speak as a player takes a shot, or not to stand in the line of a putt.
"A lot of the time we go in the buggy with the player, but we don’t carry the bags around. We offer up the clubs when they are needed, just like any normal caddy would."
The company's managing director, Sarah Stacey, said: "We add that extra sparkle and difference to any golf day and put a smile on people's faces.
"All the girls are trained in the etiquette of golf and uniformed in appropriate golf attire. They all sign a code of conduct so everyone is clear about the boundaries."
The code of conduct says models are “not encouraged” to fraternize with clients at the end of an assignment.
It adds: “If a client asks a model to engage in social activities after an assignment has ended, it is the model’s responsibility to refuse the offer or if accepting to make it clear that he or she is doing so on a personal basis.”