Run down your get-me-to-the-golf-course mental checklist. Clubs, check. Shoes, check. Glove, hat, balls, check, check, check. Sunscreen, got it. Dollar bills to tip the bag boy? Whoops!
Bag boy, beverage cart driver, golf pro, caddie…. Where does tipping start, and please, where does it end? Is there any one who has not driven the cart directly to their car after a round just to avoid all the confusion and save a couple of bucks?
If you play at municipal courses you probably won’t encounter tipping situations, but sooner or later in the universe of golf you’ll find yourself face to face with a person who has given you a service. What to do? We’ve collected golf tipping guidelines from local pros and from the web, mere suggestions and educated guesses to help navigate one of the biggest mysteries in golf – tipping.
Generosity generalities
Adjust gratuities according to where you’re playing and the level of service you receive. If you’re at a high-end course, tips should be higher. And if you’ve received outstanding service, a larger tip is always appropriate and welcomed.
Bag Drop
Taking your bags from car to cart, $1-3 per bag.
On the return, taking bag to car including cleaning, $1-3 per bag.
Beverage Cart Driver
25% with a $1 minimum is about right. And if it’s an outing where the refreshments are free, you should still tip. Folks rely on tips to supplement their wages.
Starter
Not usually, unless something out of the ordinary has been done.
Caddie
If you’re playing at a course with a caddie, you’re at a high-end place. Tip an experienced caddie $50, a somewhat experienced caddie $40, and a rookie $30. You don’t have to tip the caddie master.
Golf Instructor
A tip is always appreciated, but is not customary. If an instructor has rocked your golf world, go ahead and show your appreciation.
Club Personnel
If you belong to a club, don’t forget the folks who man our clubhouses, listening to our personal play-by-play wrap-ups, answering our questions, carting our clubs, attending to our needs over the whole season. Instead of handing over a tip each time you golf, you might give a larger tip a few times over the season.
“Got it!”
At moments of sheer tipping confusion at the golf course, is there a sweeter sound? My partner is handling the tip!. I vow to be better prepared next time.
Got more tipping insights? Send us a post.
Disclosure: The author is related to a former bag boy!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Since the guy or girl at the bag drop often loads the clubs into a cart and drives it to the starter area I get confused about when to tip. At the time the bag I’d taken from the car? When you get to the starter area? At the end of the round do I tip the guy who cleans my clubs or the guy who takes them to the bag loading area in front of the clubhouse? Need more detail if possible. Great advice website!!!
[Reply]
Sandell Bennett Reply:
May 18th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Doug White, PGA Professional at Barton Hills offers these insights:
Tipping is very different from club to club, course to course. I played a course this past winter where tipping was prohibited. As for a bag drop, as a general reference if clubs are taken out of a car and put on a cart etc then a tip would be appropriate ($1) and then if reloaded back into the trunk the same tip would be appropriate. Sometimes when a foursome all shows up together they might throw a $10 bill at the kids and that would be good for pick up and cleaning as well. I would say in general if clubs are cleaned after a round another ($1) for that would also be appropriate. We have a end of season tip pool for our staff so members can just tip at the end of the season with a lump sum and not have to worry about having to carry cash with them to the course. Also, if someone has guests out with bag drop and pick up with club cleaning then they would most likely tip on the spot as well.
[Reply]