Zhang Jiaojiao grabs two clubs for a golfer on the course at the Beijing Willow Golf Club.

Driving a cart along the winding driveways of the Beijing Willow Golf Club, caddy Zeng Xiaoshuang, 23, from a village in Hunan province, knows she has come a long way.

Four years ago, as a fresh vocational school graduate, she had no knowledge about the game when offered the job.

"Even now, my parents in Hunan just know I work in Beijing in a nice working environment. I don't know how to explain (my job) to them as they don't know a thing about golf," she says. "My work won't make sense to them."

But that does not bother Zeng. "I earn almost five times more than what my friends make back in Hunan," she says, offloading the 20 kg golf bag from the cart.

Zeng is one of 144 caddies employed by the club and her duties range from something as simple as carrying bags and tracking golf balls to more complex ones, such as identifying weather variables, reading greens and estimating distances.

"Most players come here for recreation, so caddies often need to attend to menial works. No matter how much I learn about the game, the bottom line is to create a fun experience for my customers," she says.

The Chinese mainland has an estimated 30,000 caddies like Zeng, spread over some 300 golf courses. While customers are told 150 yuan ($22) of their 400 yuan service fee goes to the caddy, all of it actually goes to the golf club.

Roughly 70 to 80 percent of all caddies are women. In fact, all the caddies in Bayhood No 9 International Club in Beijing are female, with an average age of 20. Wang Yuan, one of the club's best, admits that sometimes a good voice and a pleasant personality is all that is necessary to be a good caddy.