CADIE'S ROLE:A visit to the Irish Women's Open proved a refreshing and enjoyable experience, writes Colin Byrne.

MY INITIAL observation about women's golf is it all seems jolly pleasant. I don't mean this from the beaming winner's perspective on a glorious Sunday by the seaside at Portmarnock Links, but from a general view of both winner and also-rans who genuinely looked happy to be doing what they are doing; using their unique talent to make ends meet.

In some ways, attending the AIB Irish Women's Open reminded me of caddying on the men's European Tour in the mid-80s in the south west of France at a professional event with a very amateur tint to it.

Sure, it is very serious, but it doesn't appear to take itself as seriously as the men's golf I am surrounded by on a weekly basis.

I watched two women finish their round last Sunday on the tame downwind 18th hole at the Links. One was a young Spaniard from the Basque region of Iberia, Tania Elosegui, who had just shot five under par for the day and had every reason to be happy.

Her playing partner was a young English woman who was beaming from ear to ear. She had more reason to be grim, having finished at three over par, all shots dropped over the last four holes. But she signed autographs for young spectators before she went to the scorer's hut to sign for her 75.

I have learned over the decades in men's professional golf to recognise the likely score an incoming golfer has shot. Head down and no eye contact: rubbish, steer clear and don't ask them for even the time. Bouncy and circumspect: just had a raver, ask for a loan and he would probably oblige.

On Sunday that theory did not apply. Danielle Masters had her smiley chin up after her bad round and was ready to engage in idle banter with her caddie, the veteran Ray Latchford and myself. I was initially sheepish, thinking I should give her time to calm down after a disastrous finish.

Having been surrounded all my life by men swatting their golf ball trying to make a living, women's golf really is a foreign game to me.

In their golf bags are likely to be a clatter of wood covers, the less powerful among them more so. Their caddie, if they have one, is allowed use a caddie-car or a very light golf bag and not the obligatory treasure chest us loopers on the men's tours lug around.

Something I have never seen in my many holes of porter duty is a caddie standing behind his player, with the bag on his back, lining him up for the pin on a long shot.

Also prominent is the clothing, jewellery and hair styles that only our own Ian Poulter would come close to matching.

There is also an awful lot of hugging and kissing going on; this is strictly reserved for the winning team on the men's tour and, even then, limited to a sturdy embrace.

They are all at it on the ladies. It's all touchy-feely. So where is the catch?

Well, I suppose it is a great gig for those caddies that want to do a bit of travelling around Europe, but it does not seem like a viable way to make a living. The result is there are probably only about a dozen regular caddies who follow the women's tour.

Having chatted to some of them, they seem to be driven by the conviviality and pleasant working conditions rather than the lure of the big percentage cheque.

With a total purse of €450,000 on offer last weekend at Portmarnock resembling the appearance fee needed to attract some of the bigger names on to the fairways of the men's European Tour, only the top players in women's golf can provide a caddie with a sustainable income.

From a spectator's viewpoint, last week's event would win the Gourmet Open of the Year award anywhere in the world. I have never been to an event that offered such a varied selection of delicious and nutritious food - from fresh Dublin Bay prawns, goats cheese, organic salad, hummus, marinated aubergines, sprouted sun flower and almond veggie burgers to pistachio date fingers for desert.

It was five-star fare at a tournament where about 3,000 people gathered last Sunday to see the Norwegian Suzann Pettersen raise the winner's trophy.

It's interesting that the majority of five-star events I attend in America, with up to 30,000 in attendance on the final day, can only offer one-star menus to their patrons.

I met up with a young, adventurous caddie who was fulfilling his ambitions to see Europe and get paid for the pleasure while caddying for Tania Elosegui.

He had caddied for men before in his native Australia but admitted women were ultimately easier to assist as a caddie.

Watching a women's golf event was a truly enjoyable experience and it was refreshing to see how less can sometimes mean an awful lot more.