How Much Do You Tip the Golf Club Cleaner Boy?

[Shindig]

I generally keep my clubs clean during the round.  Why isn't there a service to wash my grips for me?  That's the thing I usually neglect.  Although given the quality of club cleaning I have seen the few times it has happened to me, maybe I'm glad they aren't grabbing my lovely new grips.

I used to tip $2-$3, but that probably started the first time I experienced it in 2006.  I hadn't heard of the practice before.  Now I'm thinking I should tip $5 next time it happens.  I did tip $5 for a great bag drop guy last time I played the Mission Hills resort.

[JxQx]

TypicI don't encounter it very often as I don't play that high end of golf courses but when I do I usually tip $5 or so and have no issues doing it. It's pretty menial in the grand scheme of cost for the round (usually $75+). 

[Golfingdad]

On 7/11/2019 at 7:09 AM, David in FL said:

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.

I don't always carry much cash with me, just in general these days, so what usually happens is as I'm driving back after the 18th I check and see.  If I have a 5 or 10, I'll let them clean the clubs and give them that.  If I don't have any cash, I just tell them no thanks before they get started and don't let them waste their time.

But for the reasons you already mentioned, it's not just the club cleaning that they're handling so I try and remember to have cash for them before I go play. :)

[Double Mocha Man]

22 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I don't always carry much cash with me, just in general these days, so what usually happens is as I'm driving back after the 18th I check and see.  If I have a 5 or 10, I'll let them clean the clubs and give them that.  If I don't have any cash, I just tell them no thanks before they get started and don't let them waste their time.

But for the reasons you already mentioned, it's not just the club cleaning that they're handling so I try and remember to have cash for them before I go play. :)

A forward-thinking Golf Club Cleaning Boy would get a credit card swiping device for his phone... c'mon, it's 2019!  And aren't there any Golf Club Cleaning Girls?

[bones75]

I didnt realize i was so cheap. I usually just give like $2, and im not thrilled about it (my clubs are clean). And i never thought about them pooling tips.  But if the club cleaning dude was anything like the guys i knew who worked at a cc when we were in high school, the amount they contributed to the tip pool was definitely less than they got (they were kinda jerks).

[Double Mocha Man]

11 minutes ago, bones75 said:

I didnt realize i was so cheap. I usually just give like $2, and im not thrilled about it (my clubs are clean). And i never thought about them pooling tips.  But if the club cleaning dude was anything like the guys i knew who worked at a cc when we were in high school, the amount they contributed to the tip pool was definitely less than they got (they were kinda jerks).

When you meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gates he's gonna ask you how well you tipped and if you killed any insects.  If you tipped well you get to play the good course everafter.  If you killed insects the second layer of gatekeepers are insects that you killed... they are 12 feet tall.

Tip!  You can't take it with you.  And be kind to bugs.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Double Mocha Man

[bones75]

3 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

When you meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gates he's gonna ask you how well you tipped

Noted. And i will pray everyday that this is all St Peter will ask me about.

[Double Mocha Man]

Just now, bones75 said:

Noted. And i will pray everyday that this is all St Peter will ask me about.

Remember, St. Peter is up to speed with technology, he listens in on Google Assistant.  He knows all about you...

[bones75]

Just now, Double Mocha Man said:

Remember, St. Peter is up to speed with technology, he listens in on Google Assistant.  He knows all about you...

Well if he can see my browser search history anyways, i'm thinking it wont make a difference and i may as well not tip at all!

[Double Mocha Man]

13 minutes ago, bones75 said:

Well if he can see my browser search history anyways, i'm thinking it wont make a difference and i may as well not tip at all!

Yep, you're probably toast.

[Used2PlayALot]

13 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

A forward-thinking Golf Club Cleaning Boy would get a credit card swiping device for his phone... c'mon, it's 2019!  And aren't there any Golf Club Cleaning Girls?

Credit cards are so 1980s.

Even Paypal is obsolete

Today, it's Venmo for mobile personal payments.

Edited July 13, 2019 by Used2PlayALot

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, Used2PlayALot said:

Credit cards are so 1980s.

Even Paypal is obsolete

Today, it's Venmo for mobile personal payments.

Venmo is not FDIC insured. That is so 1933.

[Shindig]

4 hours ago, Used2PlayALot said:

Credit cards are so 1980s.

Even Paypal is obsolete

Today, it's Venmo for mobile personal payments.

Kids these days want Bitcoin and/or The Overwatch. 

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, Shindig said:

Kids these days want Bitcoin and/or The Overwatch. 

I say carry cash and use it like it's going out of style. After all, it's so 1800s.  And golf is so 1400s.😁

[Used2PlayALot]

11 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Venmo is not FDIC insured. That is so 1933.

Guess who Venmo users pay?   Other Venmo users. 
Have fun waiting your your 1929 bank run.  

 

9 hours ago, Shindig said:

Kids these days want Bitcoin and/or The Overwatch. 

 

Clearly you've never used Bitcoin.
Bitcoin is way too complex for clicky-click Millennials to use.

 

[bwdial]

I generally don't patronize golfing establishments with this sort of luxury, but when I do, I tend to tip a couple of bucks.