What's your opinion of the people who want to "wipe down" your clubs after the round?

[chriskzoo]

You know the routine - you finish your round, pull the cart around to drop it off and immediately one of the cart workers picks up a moist rag and starts wiping down your clubs in hopes of getting a buck or two. I know that the kids are just trying to hustle a couple bucks, but at the same time I find it annoying and have just gotten in the habit of saying "I'm good" as I pull up.

I would be much more inclined if they asked "Wipe your clubs down?" to let them do it and give them a buck, but as the routine usually goes, they are just there trying to kill time until you give them some money to leave, not really doing any kind of thorough job on the clubs.

[sean_miller]

  chriskzoo said:

You know the routine - you finish your round, pull the cart around to drop it off and immediately one of the cart workers picks up a moist rag and starts wiping down your clubs in hopes of getting a buck or two. I know that the kids are just trying to hustle a couple bucks, but at the same time I find it annoying and have just gotten in the habit of saying "I'm good" as I pull up.

You must travel in different circles - never seen that. Plus I tend to walk.

But . . . that would be annoying.

[bkoguy07]

Since they didnt ask and you didnt ask them, dont pay them just be like thanks lol and walk off

[chriskzoo]

  sean_miller said:

You must travel in different circles - never seen that. Plus I tend to walk.

LOL, I play a very normal public course for my league ($23 for 9 holes and a cart, this ain't Pebble Beach), so I see it every Thursday night.

[kfowler]

Wow you guys are cheap! It's the same as a door man hailing a cab for you or opening the door. Some courses provide that as part of there "service". There's nothing wrong with telling them you're ok and don't need a wipe down. I also see no issue with them trying to do it.

[sean_miller]

  chriskzoo said:

LOL, I play a very normal public course for my league ($23 for 9 holes and a cart, this ain't Pebble Beach), so I see it every Thursday night.

If it bothers you saying "no thank you", just be sure to clean them while you play and tell them that. Are they employed by the course?

[jetsknicks1]

  kfowler said:

Wow you guys are cheap! It's the same as a door man hailing a cab for you or opening the door. Some courses provide that as part of there "service". There's nothing wrong with telling them you're ok and don't need a wipe down. I also see no issue with them trying to do it.

I'm with you on this. Most of the time they're just kids trying to earn a few bucks. Is it really gonna kill anybody here to throw the kid a couple of bucks?

Where I get confused is when the guy running the cart out to your car, loading your clubs on the cart & wiping em down at the end is like 65 and retired. I'm never sure if I should tip the guy or not.

[dmc]

At the clubs Ive been a member at its' pretty standard to tip the bag handlers. They are just trying to make a few bucks. I also tip the cart girl, bartenders, waitress's ect. The guys that don't want to tip generally just take their bags directly to their cars. My clubs are stored at the club and it is standard procedure for them to clean the clubs before putting them away, they are also on a cart when I get there so giving them a few bucks is worth it to me.

[sean_miller]

  dmc said:

At the clubs Ive been a member at its' pretty standard to tip the bag handlers. They are just trying to make a few bucks. I also tip the cart girl, bartenders, waitress's ect. The guys that don't want to tip generally just take their bags directly to their cars. My clubs are stored at the club and it is standard procedure for them to clean the clubs before putting them away, they are also on a cart when I get there so giving them a few bucks is worth it to me.

If I kept my gear at the club I'd be the tipmeister. I don't, so I'm not.

[dmc]

  jetsknicks1 said:

I'm with you on this. Most of the time they're just kids trying to earn a few bucks. Is it really gonna kill anybody here to throw the kid a couple of bucks?

I'd don't discriminate by age. Maybe the older guy could use a few bucks also. He can alway's refuse or share it with the kids working there.

[ajschn06]

I can do it myself, thank you. And bag handlers? Where are you guys playing golf?

[dmc]

  sean_miller said:

If I kept my gear at the club I'd be the tipmeister. I don't, so I'm not.

As I said in my post, some guys just keep their clubs in their cars and don't tip. I don't have a problem with that. The kids are doing me a service so I don't mind tipping them. When I play somewhere else I generally don't tip the bag handlers unless they do something for me besides just loading my clubs on a cart.

[Bullitt5339]

  ajschn06 said:

I can do it myself, thank you. And bag handlers? Where are you guys playing golf?

While the course that I'm a member of doesn't have it because it's a small course, I play a lot at Myrtle Beach and Southern Pines/Pinehurst and all the courses come out and pick up your clubs, load them on the cart for you and pull the cart around so that you're ready to play when you come out of the Pro Shop. I always throw the guys a few bucks, they're just trying to make a living like anyone else.

[shades9323]

  chriskzoo said:

You know the routine - you finish your round, pull the cart around to drop it off and immediately one of the cart workers picks up a moist rag and starts wiping down your clubs in hopes of getting a buck or two. I know that the kids are just trying to hustle a couple bucks, but at the same time I find it annoying and have just gotten in the habit of saying "I'm good" as I pull up.

I would guess it is part of their job at the course, not so much hustling for money. It was part of my job as an attendant when I worked at the course as a teen.

[dmc]

The kid that bugs me is the one on the practice range. As soon as I set a club down he comes over to wipe off the club. Now I know the kid is just trying to make some money, but at least wait till I'm finished.

[double_j]

I'll tip them a few bucks if they ask first or if they're generally polite about things, etc.(e.g., asking how the round went, if we enjoyed ourselves, etc.) because I'm generally too lazy to wipe down my clubs myself.

If I'm out of singles (from having excessively tipped the cart girl) or just don't feel like paying then I'll just let them know that it's not necessary. That way I don't feel bad about not tipping if they go ahead and wipe down the clubs anyway.

[WUTiger]

  ajschn06 said:

I can do it myself, thank you. And bag handlers?

I think

ajs here asks the key question. As for private country clubs, each club has separate rules on tipping for extra services . Some places allow tipping, whereas others do not allow for on-the-spot tipping by members, or especially outside guests. The do not clubs operate from a couple of principles - let's not mar the social experience by flashy money-changing; and/or let's reward the staff for teamwork. In the late 1970s I tended bar at a mid-level country club, and all the members were assessed a gratuity when they ate at the dining room, and, I believe, played a round of golf. This money went into a pool for the service workers, and we received a share of the gratuity according to how many clock hours we worked during the month. We also got an hourly wage, and with the exception of the January-March quarter when members were scarce, the gratuity always exceeded the take from hourly pay. In the OP's case, the club-wipers may be an outgrowth of the "country club for a day" business plan. In the 1990s many upscale public-access courses which opened up. For $90 a round, you could get the "country club" experience - bag boys, clean your clubs and shoes afterward, post-round drinks on the veranda. Only trouble was, periodic economic downturns have tended to hurt these courses. The big $$ people went to private clubs, and people like me wanted a golf club where I could play a pleasant 18 for (hopefully) $30 or so. I wanted basic friendliness from the staff, not pampering. I went there as an amateur athlete, not aristocrat for a day. The situation of the schoolboys jumping up to wipe off your clubs - not sure if that's a thing the course arranged, or if it's like the street intersection entrepreneurs who used spray wash your windshield at traffic lights in hopes of getting $5. I would ask the pro or club manager at the course the employment status of the club-cleaning lads before making a judgment. And, let's not be too rough on the kids. We need more golfers for the future.

[jetsknicks1]

  dmc said:

I'd don't discriminate by age. Maybe the older guy could use a few bucks also. He can alway's refuse or share it with the kids working there.

  ajschn06 said:

I can do it myself, thank you. And bag handlers? Where are you guys playing golf?

I don't play alot of big $$$ courses but a lot of them do have guys who will run the cart out to your car and load it up for you. I only ask about the "Older" guy because I live near a huge retirement community and a lot of the courses around there have retired guys working part time. These courses generally don't have kids working them and I guess I feel a little weird about tipping somebody who's already retired and is only working to have something to do.