How Much Do You Tip the Golf Club Cleaner Boy?

[Used2PlayALot]

I'm a DIY guy.   I don't like "service" of any kind.    I hate valet.  I don't have cleaning ladies.   I repair my own cars.

I went to a upper tier public and the kid grabs my bag off the cart and starts cleaning my clubs.   I am a crank, but I tipped him $10.

But I was not happy about it.   The next time, I made sure to drive my cart directly to my car and put my clubs away.

 

 

[Zekez]

Agreed!

[David in FL]

Tips at my club are shared by the outside staff.  I always tip at least $5 to cover any/all services I received from the bag drop through the end of round wipe down.  I’ll bump it up if there’s an unusual, or specific reason to...

[JGus]

I'm not a cheap guy, my issue isn't tipping for service, my issue is tipping someone to do the same thing I did the entire round.  I clean my clubs after I use them so there isn't any reason for someone to take a dirty wet towel and wipe them down at the end of the round.

But most are taught pretty well, start cleaning them when you're on the last green so you feel stuck tipping them as you walk off.

[mcanadiens]

"Golf Club Cleaner Boy"?

Ok. I know such jobs are done in places, but the combination of words just struck me funny.

The only tips anyone gets at my home courses are the waitresses and cart girls bringing us our beer.

[CarlSpackler]

I usually tip myself $50, but don't tell my wife.

[boogielicious]

3 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I usually tip myself $50, but don't tell my wife.

$75 on weekends and holidays.

[Used2PlayALot]

12 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

"Golf Club Cleaner Boy"?

Ok. I know such jobs are done in places, but the combination of words just struck me funny.

The only tips anyone gets at my home courses are the waitresses and cart girls bringing us our beer.

via Imgflip Meme Generator

My issue is that it's a service I don't need and did not ask for.

My clubs are clean.  It feels like a FORCED money grab to this cheapskate

[NJpatbee]

I tip 5 dollars but do not always accept the service.

[colin007]

I'm not usually allowed on the type of course that has golf club cleaner boys. 

[mcanadiens]

1 minute ago, colin007 said:

I'm not usually allowed on the type of course that has golf club cleaner boys. 

It should actually be it's own category of golf course. ... Golf-Club-Cleaner-Boy golf courses.

You have goat tracks, munis, daily-fee courses, resort courses, country clubs and then, at the top of the food chain, Golf-Club-Cleaner-Boy Golf Courses. 

That's when you know you've arrived.

[chilepepper]

I’ll tip a couple bucks. But it’s not a service I really want

[DeadMan]

I'll either give them $5 or whatever ones I have in my wallet.

I don't play courses with them all that often, so I don't really mind tipping them. I'm also not very diligent about keeping my clubs clean, so I appreciate that they do a better job of it than I do.

[David in FL]

22 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

"Golf Club Cleaner Boy"?

Ok. I know such jobs are done in places, but the combination of words just struck me funny.

The only tips anyone gets at my home courses are the waitresses and cart girls bringing us our beer.

What people may not realize is that wiping down clubs is just one small service that the outside staff provides.

Depending on the club/facilities, they also manage the bag drop and parking, manage/clean carts, pick balls and maintain the practice range, keep the area clean and free of trash, keep water and ice coolers filled on the course, manage/start the first tee, marshal, meet and greet guests, clean restrooms, help load and replenish the beverage carts, provide daily course insight, etc...

At many clubs, they’re the group that players interact with the most, and are an integral part of your overall experience.  Given the long hours, hard work, and often uncomfortable conditions, keeping a good outside team can be a challenge.  Paying them adequately helps.  You can do that by paying more in a base pay/wage (which is ultimately funded by members/players anyway), or by individual tips.  I prefer to tip.  In that way, I also have a bit of a say in ensuring that exceptional service is recognized, and mediocre is not.

[mcanadiens]

14 minutes ago, David in FL said:

What people may not realize is that wiping down clubs is just one small service that the outside staff provides.

Right.

Most courses have personnel that perform some combination of those tasks. 

But to have a dedicated golf club cleaner boy would be next level.

[CarlSpackler]

At the muni that I play, there are buckets of water on the range that might get changed a few times a month with brushes chained to them that appear to be 20 years old. There are hardly any bristles left on them.

[rehmwa]

1 hour ago, Used2PlayALot said:

My issue is that it's a service I don't need and did not ask for.

My clubs are clean.  It feels like a FORCED money grab to this cheapskate

I don't consider him a "cheapskate" - it's just the expectation the club itself sets and the employee is following along.

Other than that, I align 100% with that.  Don't grab my stuf, I didn't ask you to clean them.  I usually have to be quick to say, leave them, I clean my own.  But I don't pay for it unless I asked for it up front.  I don't like "tip jars" either in stores, it's a classless 'hint'.  However, my personal experience has been the employee asking me first if I want him to clean my clubs - I'm good with that.  I get to say "no, thanks.  I do my own".

Aside, I personally hate the concept of tipping, though I will, and have worked for tips.  The business should pay people for the job up front - the contract should be clear.  I shouldn't be the person resonsible for setting expectations for their employees.  The business is reponsible for their product, that includes the service.  Tipping has turned into an entitlement - it's meanlingless today.

That said, it's the world we live in.

44 minutes ago, David in FL said:

You can do that by paying more in a base pay/wage (which is ultimately funded by members/players anyway)

there, I stopped the sentence at the correct spot....  😛

as the customer - acknowedging exceptional service is easy - let the management know.  Ditto for crappy service.

Edited July 11, 2019 by rehmwa

[David in FL]

3 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

The business should pay people for the job up front - 

Guess who ultimately pays for those higher wages...