How Much to Tip Your Caddie???

[Lihu]

  Golfingdad said:

It's 2 weeks from tomorrow (Nov 12) and I am thinking about playing hooky from work that day.  If enough people were interested, that would probably help me make the decision to skip work for the day.  :beer:

Did you get a consensus on how much to tip? If it is really $60 for the round, I would like to be number 12? :-)

[phan52]

  thescarecrow said:

Originally Posted by thescarecrow

Absurd? Having a servant carry your clubs while you are more than capable, that is absurd.

And we have some of the best golf courses in the world down here,with the majority being caddie free.

My apologies for having an a opinion

The best golf courses in the world (especially in the US) have caddie programs and will not allow you to walk without a caddie. Some of them will not even allow you to take a cart without a doctor's note. I have yet to play a course in the top 100 that doesn't have a caddie program, and I've played a lot of them (I am lucky that our Pro is wired in with the Pro staff at a lot of the great golf courses in the US)..

And believe me, those "servants" are very appreciative of the opportunity.

[Golfingdad]

  Lihu said:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Did you get a consensus on how much to tip? If it is really $60 for the round, I would like to be number 12?

No, it wasn't even my thread.  I only chimed in to mention that Tustin Ranch is the only "normal" course around here that I know of that offers caddies.  Normal meaning not private or super expensive (a la Pelican Hill)

[dave67az]

Great article in Golf Digest, Sep 2012.

Page 59 in the "Hungover Caddie" segment.

"Feel Rich Even If You're Not--How you treat a caddie isn't all about money."

I've never had a caddie, so the article was interesting to me.  It does give advice on tips (pardon any spelling errors, I'm actually typing this straight from the text since I couldn't find it online...

"It has been apparent throughout the entire round, but it's especially painful to watch you now, on your knees, spilling tees and ball markers as you dig for your wallet in your golf bag.  We've walked 10 feet off the 18th green.  Relax, you don't have to pay me this instant.

Now we're next to the bag rack.  I've given your grooves a final pass with a sharp tee and a hot towel, and instead of a firm hand-shake with a roll of bills, I'm watching you huddled a few feet away with your friends, shushing and whispering like school girls about who to pay and how much.

Here's a tip:  Have a figure in mind before the round begins.  If you're uncertain, discreetly ask your hosting member or a golf-shop assistant when you get to the course.  If you prefer to decide yourself, know that in 2012 the range is this:  a caddie at a high-end club near a major city can get $120 a bag, but the standard for a youngster at a more laid-back club in a rural area might be $40 a bag.  Use your best judgement.

I strongly suggest adjusting the pay figure according to your view of my performance, but that's another matter.  By having a number in mind from the start, it's one less thing to worry about, plus you prepare yourself to expect that value of service or more.  You're going to pay me, so you might as well enjoy it.

A note about gratuities:  I'm not a waiter at a restaurant.  My impact on your round is far greater than what some damn tray-carrier has on your dinner.  Twenty percent doesn't cut it.  In caddieing, there is no standard gratuity to calculate off the base fee.  The only rule is it should end cleanly in a zero, or a five if that's what it takes to make it go up.  When in doubt, give a man whatever he'd need to have a fully diverting night out in his hometown at his age."

[thescarecrow]

  phan52 said:

Originally Posted by phan52

The best golf courses in the world (especially in the US) have caddie programs and will not allow you to walk without a caddie. Some of them will not even allow you to take a cart without a doctor's note. I have yet to play a course in the top 100 that doesn't have a caddie program, and I've played a lot of them (I am lucky that our Pro is wired in with the Pro staff at a lot of the great golf courses in the US)..

And believe me, those "servants" are very appreciative of the opportunity.

Name the couses in Australia and Europe in your top 100 that you played with a caddie.

[ejimsmith]

  thescarecrow said:

Originally Posted by thescarecrow

Name the couses in Australia and Europe in your top 100 that you played with a caddie.

Australia?  Is that your argument, Australia? Come back when you make parole and hit the big leagues.

[thescarecrow]

  ejimsmith said:

Originally Posted by ejimsmith

Australia?  Is that your argument, Australia? Come back when you make parole and hit the big leagues.

What are you talking about?  Parole? Big Leagues?

Sorry, you are not making any sense.

[phan52]

  thescarecrow said:

Originally Posted by thescarecrow

Name the couses in Australia and Europe in your top 100 that you played with a caddie.

I don't have courses in Australia and Europe in my top 100. But I'll give you a sampling of courses I have played that require you to take a caddie if you want to walk.

Pine Valley

Oakmont

Merion

Winged Foot

Baltusrol

Shinnicock

National Golf Club

Bandon Dunes

Pacific Dunes

Bandon Trails

Old MacDonald

Pebble Beach

Seminole

PGA National

LA Country Club

Bel Air Country Club

You will never play any of those courses without a caddie. And they are hardly "servants", as you called them. They make nice money and they love the job.

Caddie programs around this country have allowed thousands of young people to get scholarship money for college through philanthropic organizations like the Evans Scholarship Fund and the J Wood Platt Scholarship Fund. Caddying teaches young people responsibility, and helps to grow the game by introducing them to the game in a responsible manner. Myself and my three brothers all worked our way through school by caddying and I was extremely thankful for the opportunity. My home course has a robust caddie program and I hope it never goes away. We can carry after 3:00 PM if we choose and I take advantage of it often late in the day to play a few holes. But when I play 18 holes I always take a caddie and I am proud to be able to help these young men improve their lives in this manner.

[ghalfaire]

Caddie?  Where do you find a course with caddies?  Not around here I'm pretty sure.

[Golfingdad]

  phan52 said:

Originally Posted by phan52

I don't have courses in Australia and Europe in my top 100. But I'll give you a sampling of courses I have played that require you to take a caddie if you want to walk.

Pine Valley

Oakmont

Merion

Winged Foot

Baltusrol

Shinnicock

National Golf Club

Bandon Dunes

Pacific Dunes

Bandon Trails

Old MacDonald

Pebble Beach

Seminole

PGA National

LA Country Club

Bel Air Country Club

You will never play any of those courses without a caddie. And they are hardly "servants", as you called them. They make nice money and they love the job.

Caddie programs around this country have allowed thousands of young people to get scholarship money for college through philanthropic organizations like the Evans Scholarship Fund and the J Wood Platt Scholarship Fund. Caddying teaches young people responsibility, and helps to grow the game by introducing them to the game in a responsible manner. Myself and my three brothers all worked our way through school by caddying and I was extremely thankful for the opportunity. My home course has a robust caddie program and I hope it never goes away. We can carry after 3:00 PM if we choose and I take advantage of it often late in the day to play a few holes. But when I play 18 holes I always take a caddie and I am proud to be able to help these young men improve their lives in this manner.

Not exactly a sampling of clubs that applies to most people out there though.  Half of those are country clubs that 99.9% of us could never play, and the others are $250 and up resort courses.  (Unrelated side note:  I've recently heard from somebody that played there that LACC doesn't even allow shorts)

If you are playing those courses regularly you shouldn't have to worry about how much to tip your caddy ... just round up!

[thescarecrow]

Phan 52 you sound like a true humanitarian putting these kids through college, however, all the courses on your list are in the US are they not.

Phan52 you said you have played all over the world with caddies, me  thinks you are dreaming.

[phan52]

  thescarecrow said:

Originally Posted by thescarecrow

Phan 52 you sound like a true humanitarian putting these kids through college, however, all the courses on your list are in the US are they not.

Phan52 you said you have played all over the world with caddies, me  thinks you are dreaming.

I suggest you actually go back and read what I said, instead of putting words in my mouth.

[phan52]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Not exactly a sampling of clubs that applies to most people out there though.  Half of those are country clubs that 99.9% of us could never play, and the others are $250 and up resort courses.  (Unrelated side note:  I've recently heard from somebody that played there that LACC doesn't even allow shorts)

If you are playing those courses regularly you shouldn't have to worry about how much to tip your caddy ... just round up!

Question: If you had the opportunity to play any of them, would you pass it up because you had to use a caddie?

And a lot of them used to require long pants, but don't any longer. The only one that required long pants when I played it was Winged Foot but that was a long time ago.

[thescarecrow]

  phan52 said:

Originally Posted by phan52

I suggest you actually go back and read what I said, instead of putting words in my mouth.

The best golf courses in the world (especially in the US) have caddie programs  }  Quote Phan52.  Then Phan52 you go onto to say

I have yet to play in the top 100 that does not have a caddie program,and i have played in lots of them. Your words Phan52. Reading this, you would assume you have played the best courses in the WORLD, as you say LOTS OF THEM.    Your words Phan52. Your Mouth Phan52

[Golfingdad]

  phan52 said:

Originally Posted by phan52

Question: If you had the opportunity to play any of them, would you pass it up because you had to use a caddie?

And a lot of them used to require long pants, but don't any longer. The only one that required long pants when I played it was Winged Foot but that was a long time ago.

Most definitely!  In fact, when (being optimistic here and not saying "if") I play Pebble someday I am splurging for the caddy and not carting it around that place.  Seems blasphemous.

[phan52]

  thescarecrow said:

Originally Posted by thescarecrow

The best golf courses in the world (especially in the US) have caddie programs  }  Quote Phan52.  Then Phan52 you go onto to say

I have yet to play in the top 100 that does not have a caddie program,and i have played in lots of them. Your words Phan52. Reading this, you would assume you have played the best courses in the WORLD, as you say LOTS OF THEM.    Your words Phan52. Your Mouth Phan52

Yes, my words. Yes, I am fortunate to have played a lot of great courses. And yes, I have yet to play a course in the top 100 that does not have a caddie program. Is that hard to understand?

And I get it. You don't like caddies. But, like I said, you will never play any of those courses without a caddie if you want to walk. Caddies are part of the experience and it is a wonderful thing. Deal with it. Or don't. I really don't care.

[phan52]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Most definitely!  In fact, when (being optimistic here and not saying "if") I play Pebble someday I am splurging for the caddy and not carting it around that place.  Seems blasphemous.

I believe that, even with a cart, you would have a caddie in your group at Pebble.

[Golfingdad]

  phan52 said:

Originally Posted by phan52

I believe that, even with a cart, you would have a caddie in your group at Pebble.

All the more reason why it would be ridiculous to try and end the experience as fast as possible by racing around in a cart.  When I'm fortunate enough to play there, I am going to make the most of it.