do you tip for bag drop? do you tip for cleaning your clubs at the end of your round?

[forepoints]

Some of these high end courses have bag drops where someone loads up a cart with your bag. (eg. The Golf Club at La Quinta and Westin Mission Hills will come out to your car and pick up your bag) Also, when you finish a round, there's guys waiting to wipe your clubs.

Do you tip any of these guys and how much is acceptable?

[Kieran123]

I always tip. Usually $5

[David in FL]

I tip at the end of the round to cover it all.  Usually $5 per bag.

[Golfingdad]

I'm happy to tip people but my biggest problem is that I'm rarely prepared.  I, very often, have no cash.

If the parking lot driveway doesn't force me to go to the bag drop, I will just park in the lot and bring my clubs up myself.  If I have to drop them there and I have cash, I'll give him 2 or 3 bucks.

The club cleaning deal at the end of the round annoys me because its just a silly money grab to me.  I have a towel and I wipe my clubs down after every shot, so there is no need for him to wash them.  If they are polite they will ask me if I would like them cleaned and I'll say no thank you.  Many times, though, they just start scrubbing away while making small talk with me.  When they do that, if I have a couple of bucks, I'll give them a tip (2 or 3 bucks also).  But if I don't, I won't feel too bad about it.

(One of the courses around here is really sleazy about it ... instead of waiting at the cart barn, he stands at the 18th green and washes your clubs while you are putting out.  You have no choice.  I don't like that at all.)

[forepoints]

That's what happened to me at Mountain Vista in Palm Desert. They wait at the 18th hole and while you're putting, they're wiping down your clubs and you feel like a heel not paying the guy. I hate that too. What if you regularly play at one course and they try to wipe down your clubs, are you expected to pay every time?

[forepoints]

How many times you play? If you play every day at the same course, do you still pay every round?

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by forepoints

How many times you play? If you play every day at the same course, do you still pay every round?

If you ate at the same restaurant every day, would you tip the server each day?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by forepoints

That's what happened to me at Mountain Vista in Palm Desert. They wait at the 18th hole and while you're putting, they're wiping down your clubs and you feel like a heel not paying the guy. I hate that too. What if you regularly play at one course and they try to wipe down your clubs, are you expected to pay every time?

If I'm playing somewhere that I know does it (about 1/2 the places I play around here do) then I will try and have a couple bucks on hand and ready.  When I forget, I always try and grab my clubs off the cart before he starts because I don't want him to waste his effort for nothing.  (I try to cut off solicitors as early as possible too so they don't have to waste their breath but some of them talk so fast :))

I only play about once every two weeks right now, and at different courses most of the time.  If I played at the same one a lot - especially to the point that the guys there recognized me - then yeah, I'd make it a point to tip every time.  Maybe lean towards $2 instead or 3 or 5 if I'm playing more often, or if we're talking about a CC with guys who are the same every day and know your name, maybe give them more money less often ... or even treat him like the gardener or mailman and give him one big tip at Christmas (or a bottle of whiskey or something :))

Side note:  There's one course around here that does something pretty cool.  They have free valet parking and you valet also takes your clubs.  You just tell him your tee time (and of course tip him :)) and go inside, pay, and when you get out back your clubs are in the cart ready for you.  At the end of the round, similar thing in reverse.  Guy starts cleaning your clubs and you just walk in through the clubhouse, clean up, whatever, and when you get out front your car is there waiting with the clubs in the trunk.  The only problem I have there is am I suppose to tip the club cleaner guy a couple AND the valet a couple at the end as well?  I already tipped the valet at the beginning too.  I don't mind it, but at the same time, I'm not made of money so I don't want to be throwing around cash too much above and beyond what's expected.  (Then again, most people who play these level of courses ARE made of money so throwing around cash might very well be what's expected.) :)

(That's Monarch Beach for the Socal-ers who might be wondering, by the way)

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Almost every single one of the 100+ golf courses in this area have a bag drop area with guys who unload clubs from your car and load them onto your golf carts. I always tip them $5. Every time. As for cleaning my clubs after the round, there are a decent % of courses that do offer that service, but I either decline, or don't tip for it after my round. I actually like to clean my own clubs each week before my next round. I usually don't let the guys at the course do it.

[dak4n6]

I always play with a wet towel (no that's not one of my playing partners) and keep my clubs clean, so I always decline the club cleaning after a round but still give the guy $3 - 5 depending on what I got.

[hacker101]

WOW, now I know I should be charging my son to clean his clubs!

Or should I just pay myself because for him to pay me I have to give him money.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by hacker101

WOW, now I know I should be charging my son to clean his clubs!

Or should I just pay myself because for him to pay me I have to give him money.

You clean his clubs?!

We need to chat......   The primary reason to have kids in the first place is indentured servitude!

[xmanhockey7]

Yes tip for both.

[ejimsmith]

i agree with the discussion about cleaning the clubs after a round.   usually they will do a quick clean, but i do a more thorough one at home with a scrubber and a bucket.  i won't decline though, and will often up the task by asking them to hold onto my clubs while i hit the 19th tee.   i'm a big fan of a bag drop though.   all that aside, both tasks are a $5 bill, and i usually carry that with me, even if i'm new to the course, just in case.   i figure its a small amount to me, but is a lot to them.   i'm usually a very good tipper for most things, restaurants, valet, bartender, etc..

[forepoints]

Quote:

If you ate at the same restaurant every day, would you tip the server each day?

I would tip at a restaurant everyday because someone has to wait on me. But on a golf course, I don't have to have my clubs cleaned every day.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by forepoints

I would tip at a restaurant everyday because someone has to wait on me. But on a golf course, I don't have to have my clubs cleaned every day.

Simple enough.  Tell them not to bother with your clubs.  In my mind though, if someone who works primarily for tips provides me a service, I'll tip them an appropriate amount each time I avail myself of that service.

[hacker101]

Originally Posted by David in FL

You clean his clubs?!

We need to chat......   The primary reason to have kids in the first place is indentured servitude!

Ya it is either clean the clubs in the garage or listien to the wife in the house....I think I will keep cleaning the clubs that is worth somthing!

[forepoints]

What bugs me the most are the guys who take the tip then just zip up your bag and not clean the clubs. I tipped the guy for 2 bags, my wife's and mine. He cleaned off my bag then skipped hers because she had iron covers on them. Guessed he figured it was too much work to remove and clean them.