Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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This surprises me. What were the guys in the shop thinking/doing? I guess it is different various places.

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Having worked at the same course, the head and assistant pros (the only people who worked in the shop), had almost no contact with the caddys, and not that much more with the few who doubled as bag room staff. The caddymaster/starter was really the only person associated with the club who knew anything specific about the caddys, since no one else really wanted anything to do with them.

Note that this may have been influenced by the fact that caddys were paid in tips only (there was a minimum, but none of the money went through the club), and that if one of the pros was playing a round with a group of members and they walked, the pro would never be paying for his own caddy.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

At the course where I caddied the member would usually take care of the caddies, but if the guest ended up paying he would usually pay $60 to $90. Of course even if the member takes care of the caddies its always nice for the guest to slip the caddy like $20 bucks on the side (even though slipping technically was not allowed at my course).

Brooklyn, I think your tipping advice sucks. In general I agree with tipping good caddies better than bad caddies, but come on. Not tipping bad caddies or forecaddies? Thats a real A-hole move. Most of the bad caddies are just learning and trying their best. And the forecaddies are not forecaddies by choice (at least where I caddy) and they still have a rough job running ahead of the group all the time and are under a lot of pressure not to lose any balls.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

I have caddied at numerous clubs, and I would say:

50% tip if he is good/standard. 100% tip if he/she is great. As a caddie and forecaddie at many different clubs, I felt if I got less than 50% I must have either:
1) done a poor job
2) worked for a player that didn't know better or money was an issue (can't really afford tip)
3) worked for a cheap guy

FWIW at the places I worked my base rate was around $40/bag to carry, or $100 for a forecaddie for a foursome. Standard tip when carrying was 20-40, and standard forecaddie tip was 50-100 (as the whole group would contribute)....sometimes more, rarely less. Obviously I preferred to forecaddie.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

I've caddied for 5 years at a relatively small (not exactly rich) club here in Michigan, I'm also a member of the Evans Scholars Organization. At my club, my fee as a top caddie for the last 5 years or so was $27 (terrible compared to what the kids in Surburban Detroit made), and I would say I usually made $35-40/round, sometimes $50-60 if the member wasn't cheap. I would tip 50% if they were good, 25% if they were bad, 75-100% if they were exceptional.

I would define bad as slow with walking and yardages, don't really give advice, etc... Caddies that make noise or move during your swing and are otherwise terrible deserve no tip. Good caddies are polite, quick, efficient, but don't really help you at all other than getting yardages, repairing divots, and carrying the clubs. Excellent caddies will often be older caddies. They will do all of those listed, also they will help you with the course in terms of course management and reading putts.

Undertipping caddies is just bad in general. It's a little different than something like being a waiter because that caddy doesn't have 4 other loops going on at the same time. Leaving a gross undertip just makes you look bad in general, and it will make the caddy feel like he wasted his time, especially if he did a good job.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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Also, never ever tip forecaddies. Those [censored].

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When I was 16 I was a forecaddy at Southern Hills in Tulsa. I was not paid by Southern Hills but only by the players. I would only go out on the course if someone needed one obv. So I would wait all day until someone needed one.

My first day I waited from 9:00 to 4:00 and didn't go out on the course because either there were people ahead of me to go out or the player had a certain one he liked.

My second day I wanted to be first so I got to the course at 6:00 am and waited until noon to get out on the course. Finally went out with a foursome as a forecaddy. Five hour round later, one guy gave me ten dollars.

That was my last day there. I didn't like getting paid 55 cents an hour.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

I caddied for 4 years in high school and during some summers in college. First thing you can do is ask the member what a normal fee is for the caddie. If the member has been there awhile he probably has the same caddie and always leaves the same amount.

Next take into account a couple considerations. If you noticed the caddy helping your game then give him a little extra. If you can't notice him then leave as much as the member suggested. If the caddy is distracting then give a little less.

Also consider what type of bag he is carrying. Are you one of the players who thinks he needs a 10 inch Staff bag with 50 balls, 5 gloves, an extra pair of shoes, rain suit, umbrella, 4 towels, and 3 gatorade bottles filled with water? Give a little more or save the caddies back and take some crap out.

Make sure not to show up your host by giving more money than he does. If you do want to tip extra then do it slyly or offer to pick up the members caddy and that way he has no idea what you paid.

In my opinion the best caddy for someone new will be one who is hardly noticed and will give solid advice when asked.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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Also consider what type of bag he is carrying. Are you one of the players who thinks he needs a 10 inch Staff bag with 50 balls, 5 gloves, an extra pair of shoes, rain suit, umbrella, 4 towels, and 3 gatorade bottles filled with water? Give a little more or save the caddies back and take some crap out.

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Bring a light bag with a stand, less than 6 balls and no extra clothes/unresaonable accessories like an umbrella on a sunny day. If you can't follow these rules you should pay the caddie DOUBLE the highest number anyone tells you. I'm not kidding.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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Also consider what type of bag he is carrying. Are you one of the players who thinks he needs a 10 inch Staff bag with 50 balls, 5 gloves, an extra pair of shoes, rain suit, umbrella, 4 towels, and 3 gatorade bottles filled with water? Give a little more or save the caddies back and take some crap out.

[/ QUOTE ]
Bring a light bag with a stand, less than 6 balls and no extra clothes/unresaonable accessories like an umbrella on a sunny day. If you can't follow these rules you should pay the caddie DOUBLE the highest number anyone tells you. I'm not kidding.

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you really think a person carrying a heavier than usual bag should be paid twice as much as usual? Obviously its a pain in the ass for the caddy to lug around some extra [censored], but do you honestly believe a person that carries around some extra weight should pay their caddy double? Are you on crack? I mean I caddied for 7 years and I would be plenty happy if I got paid an extra 10 bucks for carrying a heavy bag. Why does the advice in this thread suck so much?

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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Also consider what type of bag he is carrying. Are you one of the players who thinks he needs a 10 inch Staff bag with 50 balls, 5 gloves, an extra pair of shoes, rain suit, umbrella, 4 towels, and 3 gatorade bottles filled with water? Give a little more or save the caddies back and take some crap out.

[/ QUOTE ]
Bring a light bag with a stand, less than 6 balls and no extra clothes/unresaonable accessories like an umbrella on a sunny day. If you can't follow these rules you should pay the caddie DOUBLE the highest number anyone tells you. I'm not kidding.

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you really think a person carrying a heavier than usual bag should be paid twice as much as usual? Obviously its a pain in the ass for the caddy to lug around some extra [censored], but do you honestly believe a person that carries around some extra weight should pay their caddy double? Are you on crack? I mean I caddied for 7 years and I would be plenty happy if I got paid an extra 10 bucks for carrying a heavy bag. Why does the advice in this thread suck so much?

[/ QUOTE ] The two courses I have caddied at (Augusta National and Sage Valley) both have "change-out" bags to deal with this problem; I think if the players bag weighs more than ~30 lbs the caddy takes the clubs out of the heavier bag and places them into a light carry bag. I thought that this was pretty standard.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

i'm playing shadow creek tomorrow (brag). i have a caddie assigned to me. but i think (hope) i'm riding a cart. what do i tip him?