Proper tip for a caddie
 

Playing a round tomorrow at a private club ($220 a round) what is the proper tip for a caddie

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

Do not stand behind when your swinging.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

[ QUOTE ]
Do not stand behind when your swinging.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://neowin.net/forum/fun/not_funny.jpg

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

Tipping at the Golf Course

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

I normally ask the member in the group (I assume since it is a private club a member has asked you to play and will be playing with you) what the caddie costs, for the round normally $50 - $100. Then I would tip anywher from 0% (has never happened caddies know how they make their money) to 100% of the fee, depending on how good the service was.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

How much is the caddie? I would go at least 50% probably. Last summer I played a private course where the caddies were $30 and tips were about 20 for a good job. I just paid him with 3 20's. Also, how does it work with your host? I would bring plenty of cash and offer to pay his caddie as well, or pay if you share etc.... He might not let you, might have to sign, etc.. but I would come with cash. Also you may not want to way over tip. Some places don't like that. if you can you could also discretely ask a pro in the shop about how they do things.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

[ QUOTE ]
if you can you could also discretely ask a pro in the shop about how they do things.

[/ QUOTE ]I think a lot of the time they won't really be able to help you. Worst case scenario is they give you wrong information thinking it's right. I know at the course I used to caddie at the pro shop staff would have often not been able to tell someone the proper amount.

I think the best answer is to ask the person you're playing with. If you can't, for whatever reason, ask the caddie master.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

Unless the round includes a caddie in the cost (does it?), your tip should not be based on the cost of the round, but the cost of the caddie. I caddied for 6 years at a super private/Open course back in my high school days, and the price of a caddie was $60 for a B Caddie (first year), $80 for an A Caddie (a good young caddie, or a bad old one), and $100 for a Top Caddie (top 5 caddie at the club).

Personally I think how much depends on how the round went. If your caddie is carrying 2 bags and you and the other guy are constantly on separate sides of the fairways, then you should each tip 15-20% for making his day miserable. If you have a single and he helps you nail a few putts, or is really good with your club selection (though this should not be expected), then 25-30% is good.

An exceptional caddie will clue you in on every hole, tell you the 'member secrets', like how far you should hit your tee shot to be in perfect position on that nasty dog leg, or which way the green mysterily breaks if it looks like it's going straight. He'll help you with club selection, reading greens, and maybe even where to go for the 19th hole. 25-50% Tip

An average caddie will basically just be there to carry your bag. He'll do what you ask, but only when you ask for it, and doesn't really go the extra mile. 15-20%

A bad caddie will be similar to an average caddie, but obviously worse. He'll make noise, or make distracting movements in your backswing. May constantly lose track of where your ball goes. No tip.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

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

[/ QUOTE ]

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
 

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

[/ QUOTE ]

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
 

[ QUOTE ]

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.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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?

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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 ]
People that bring 2 dozen golf balls, rain suits/umbrellas on sunny days, play with giant cart/staff bags should definitely pay their caddies more. It's all unnecessary crap that does nothing but make the caddie's day worse out of your own laziness. To me, it would be like taking your car into the mechanic to get serviced, waiting until they put it up on the rack, and then making them take it down because you left a pack of gum inside.

I caddied for 5 years and like you said, most people don't pay extra for crap like this. That doesn't mean they shouldn't though. You say you'd be plenty happy to get $10 extra for someone with a terrible bag. Would you rather do that or get paid normally for someone with a reasonable bag. I'd much rather lose the extra $10 to not lug a suitcase around all day.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

^^QFT^^

I only caddied for a short time period but that was something I noticed right away. A lot of golfers don't play that much, and they have their entire supply of balls/tees/rain gear/extra shoes etc. sitting in their bag year round. For the love of god, take that crap out if you don't need it for this round.

Funny related story...

When I caddied for the first time I was assigned to a double. I rode on the back of the cart to the first tee thinking how nice it was they had a cart! All four golfers teed off. My two guys starting walking up the fairway and I called out, "You want me to drive it up?"
They lol'd and said to park the cart right where it was and start walking.
WTF?
So I grabbed both bags and started up the fairway. (These bags were [censored] heavy) What sucked the worst about it was one of my guys was slicing it right all day, and the other guy was hooking it left!
I spent the entire day running back and forth from one side to the other. And when you run with two sets up clubs, you can't just full out run...you have to sort of squat as you run to keep the clubs from banging around.
The next few days my legs and shoulders were [censored] jello.
So yeah, what Evan said.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

[ 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.

[/ QUOTE ]

1. Never heard of this. Great idea.

2. Pet peeve: One or two guys in a foursome have a caddy. The others walk, carry their own sticks or pull a trolley. Caddy still gives advice, chats, hunts for balls, pulls the pin. Do the other lads think to tip for these services at the end of the round? Never. So now, I simply ask them to.

I had a loop for a senior tour player a few years back for a pro-am. Did the amateurs toke me for my services? Hardly. (The pro wasn't too generous, either. My compensation was to be some unspecified percentage of the purse, if any.) In fairness, it was a writing assignment, although I was a fully qualified looper with significant course knowledge.

3. My first loop was in 1956. Age 12. Had to wait all day in the caddy shack from dawn to dusk for a week doing my initiation penance. Finally got a little old man's late in the day little old bag, a single, in a fivesome. It was the third time out that day for the other two senior double loopers. One leather-tough old caddie in the group just had one arm, his left (and he'd been right-handed). He could handle two bags, extra balls, the pin, and roll a cigarette, all at what seemed like the same time. He'd noodle in the muck of the course pond at sundown for lost balls and could beat most two-armed players at the club golfing his ball.

So, my man hits one in the tall right rough on the long second hole and my worst nightmare looms -- a lost ball! And I am marking this short hitter's ball flight like a hawk. I go straight for the site, drop the bag, and start a furious hunt. Two caddies and five players join me. Minutes go by. I am frantic. Then the one-armed man has a thought, walks over to my man's bag. lifts it up, and there's the ball... the mortification of a lifetime.

Your man might have tipped me a quarter after the round, out of mercy and out of his pocket. The caddie master would have stolen more than that from my fee; we had no access to the tickets members signed. He had a piece of all the action -- candy bars, sodas, used balls, card games, and made a little book for the members, too.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

[ QUOTE ]
What sucked the worst about it was one of my guys was slicing it right all day, and the other guy was hooking it left!

[/ QUOTE ]
If you're doing this help the caddie out and take a club while you're walking up the fairway. If you're in the [censored] and there's no way you're going to hit it near the green, just take whatever club you like to lay up with. 9 times out of 10 you don't need to be anywhere near the ball to make this decision. If you're on the green and near the caddie while you're walking up the fairway, take your putter. There's a good chance that the caddie is going to have to rake a bunker or get the pin or something else that won't allow him to hand you the putter immediately when you step on the green, there's nothing he can do about it.

I could go on but I'll leave it there for now. If you help the caddie with basic stuff like this the round will be much better for both of you.

Re: Proper tip for a caddie
 

I'm playing at a private club on Monday for a work event. Last year we had one forecaddie per foursome. He looked like he was about 14. I don't remember him running ahead to spot balls. He wiped off our clubs after shots, raked traps, replaced divots. Occasionally we asked for tips on where to hit, and he wasn't much help at all, to the point that we joked amongst ourselves. (Not to be mean; just that we were hoping for a little guidance.)

What is reasonable? $20/player? I really don't feel he's worth more than that, unless you guys tell me that's way too low.