THREE caddies have been sacked from a popular Phuket golf course and talks are to be held on Monday in an attempt to settle the simmering dispute that led to a 48-hour blockade of a road to Loch Palm.

One of the sacked caddies told Phuketwan today: ''How did they choose me as a leader? We were all in this together. It is unfair.''

Acting manager Pongsak Sabdasen said today that the three women had been singled out for their part in the dispute after consultation with the police and local authority representatives who attempted to negotiate with the caddies during the blockade.

He said there was a list of 25 caddies who could have been sacked, but the list had been reduced to three out of consideration for them, and their families. About 260 caddies operate as sub-contactors at the popular course in central Phuket.

The three women who have been sacked would not be reinstated, Khun Pongsak said, because the caddies had chosen to blockade the road and bring the dispute to public notice rather than negotiating directly with the golf club management.

On Monday, Khun Pongsak said he plans to meet with all the caddies and explain to them that management has had no hand in withdrawals from a special collective fund for caddies, one of three items highlighted in a list of demands by the caddies.

''We have all the evidence. We don't hide anything,'' said Khun Pongsak, adding that the caddies were well cared-for and the company even provided accommodation in some cases.

He said there had been a previous dispute some years ago when the course was under a different management.

The ''caddy master,'' who had been overseeing the women, was offered the option of a change in role to the neighboring course at Red Mountain before he eventually chose to take voluntary redundancy and a payout based on his years of service.

''Sometimes the caddymaster did not deliver the right message to the caddies,'' Khun Pongsak said.

Golfers returned to the Loch Palm course yesterday after the caddies agreed to return to work. The 18-hole course is popular both with tourists and Thai and expat residents.