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

[Radford Wooly]

I thing that would be great to have someone clean my clubs, but they need to ask your permission first!!

[Fat Slice]

I forget where I was playing...some fancy-schmancy place...I remember enjoying the course. Anyway, what happened was a new one on me. While we were PUTTING on the 18th green, a couple of cart-jockeys came out to our carts and started polishing the clubs. I thought that was a little over the top. Made me laugh more that anything else.

[Fat Slice]

  jetsknicks1 said:

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.

Hey man, maybe he needs to pay for his viagra? Also, some of those old guys have 2 or 3 girlfriends. He might really need the cash!

[CG031]

As one of those 18 year old kids who work at a golf course, we are just trying to make a few dollars. 7.50 an hour doesn't go that far.

[right handed phil mickelson]

As one of those 'kids' who 'wipe down' clubs for a living, let me tell you a couple things about this. It's included in our job to wipe down peoples clubs when they come in. Of course I always ask if they want it done or not. But, we know it's not guaranteed that we will get tipped for doing it. It's still in our job description and we are entitled to do so. If a person politely responds with "I'm ok" or something along those lines, it doesn't hurt our feelings at all. It just gives us less work to do. But keep in mind, some of these kids (including me), live off those tips. I make minimum wage, plus tips. Those tips cover over half of my salary. It won't hurt to give a buck or two to the people who wipe down your clubs. Any little bit helps for us. Just keep that in mind :)

~RHPM

[chriskzoo]

I think it just dawned on me why I find it annoying - it reminds me of the "squeegee guys" you see in many big cities who sit in the median and then start wiping down your windshield if you get caught at a red light.

[steelernation]

Yea clean the clubs BUT DO A GOOD JOB! I had one kid wipe a cloth over them and BS for 3 minutes looking for $ Clean EM! Ill pay ya!

[goblue107501]

I just say "thanks, they're good. I take care of them as I go." Can't stand those guys. Don't like the bag drop guys either.

Some people like the 'service' part of some courses, I really don't care. I have always, and will always, just take care of my own stuff. I don't like that it is expected to give someone a buck or two to take the clubs out of the car or wipe them down after.

[danieldrieberg]

I usually say No but I tip them. Cart prep etc. My son was a cart person. $5.00 /hour and dealt with a lot of arrogant people. Next time look the kid in the eye. If he has a job at a golf course he is generally industrious AND working there because he loves the game. Cut em some slack.

My son enjoyed the tips but were not necessary. Just treat him respectfully. Another tip in lieu of $ was the used balls left in the cart.

[Fat Slice]

What cracks me up is how hostile some people are to the kids who run bags and carts while at the same time they have no problem throwing $5 to a pair of big boobs who brings them beer.

[sean_miller]

  danieldrieberg said:

Another tip in lieu of $ was the used balls left in the cart.

Good call - when I was young(er - lol) working on golf courses, free golf balls were the best currency!!

[kafka01]

  ajschn06 said:

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

I wish i had this in my club on a regular basis - i only get this service when on holiday. I would gladly tip them (but they have to do it right of course, not just wipe them down but also clean the grooves).

[TourSpoon]

I worked at a club when I went back to school for my master's degree back in the early 90s. We would run the carts up to the bag drop, load the carts, wipe the clubs (clean them), hold the bags in the cart room if you were eating or run them out the bag drop. We lived off tips and got to know the regulars quite well. Most of those guys had no problem throwing us a buck or two and some people stiffed us or were just rude. We never got an attitude with the occasional stiffer because some of them didn't know any better or were just out of singles, or the guys that said no thanks...but the regular rude guys were a different story. When the guys who tipped and were cool needed a favor, they got it...sometimes a few extra holes, free range balls, ride out to the car, or even running their clubs to the car when they went to eat and running the keys to them in the clubhouse. But when a rude stiff came by he got the party line.

Now I know what you are thinking so this may surprise you but it wasn't the amount they tipped it was that they did tip and that they didn't have an attitude about it. We never got bent over the guys who carried their clubs or who said no thanks, it was the guys with the iron covers that watched you pull each one of them off and clean their clubs and then stiff you that were the worst (or the guys that were just rude). They probably wondered why no one ever turned in an iron cover that was lost on the course...

Anyway, the guys (especially the college students) that are out there hustling will always get my two bucks for loading up my bag and taking care of my clubs. I applaud the fact that they are trying to make a living and not playing X-box.

Now with that said, I do not feel obligated to tip anyone who watches me put my bag on the cart and take it off, because they are not hustling or performing a service.

[DocWu1948]

One course I play has only one guy at the pro desk, no starter, no rangers, no water on the course, a cart girl who ran out of drinks, and not enough staff in the bar, but when you're done, there's an employee there to wipe down the clubs.