Tipping on the golf course

Deni

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
142
Reaction score
0
Location
Palm Harbor, FL
Handicap
20
So I have been having a blast getting back out on the course and enjoying the game. With that being said I have a question in regards to tipping the staff that you encounter at the course. I have seen two scenarios depending on the course played and was wondering what is considered etiquette for tipping?

1. The guy that takes your clubs and loads it on your cart.
2. At the completion of a round the guy that comes over and starts cleaning your clubs off for you.
 
Personally I try to give $5 and $5. That is just me and I have no reason whatsoever why haha
 
You are generous soul Wicked. I give the guy a couple of bucks at the end of the round but they don't do a good job. Of course for a couple of bucks, what do I expect?
 
I tend to tip 10-20% of the greens fees. Unless of course the greens fees are super expensive. I have a $5 max for clubs in and clubs out. But I do tend to tip more to the guy after the round if he cleans my clubs. Seeing how he does more work he gets more.
 
I usually tip the guy at the end of the round. Some times I'll get the guy at the beginning, but I don't feel bad if I forget, at the least with the first guy. At my club though, I always tip the first guy because it's actually a pain lugging the bags manually from one side of the pro shop to where the carts are.
 
So I have been having a blast getting back out on the course and enjoying the game. With that being said I have a question in regards to tipping the staff that you encounter at the course. I have seen two scenarios depending on the course played and was wondering what is considered etiquette for tipping?

1. The guy that takes your clubs and loads it on your cart.
2. At the completion of a round the guy that comes over and starts cleaning your clubs off for you.
We have neither. And I just as soon do my own.
 
I don't play many courses that have staff like this. In fact, the last place I played that did was at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY a few weeks ago. The parking lot is huge and I parked, changed my shoes, loaded up my bag and headed up to the Pro Shop. The bag guy saw me walking up and came out to meet me about 1/4 of the way to the bag drop, took my clubs, and put them on the cart as I headed in to the Pro Shop. I didn't tip this guy. After the round, I did flip the guy who wiped down my irons a few singles that I had bunched in my pocket. In all honesty, it's more awkward for me than anything. I'd just assume load and unload my own bag.
 
I don't play many courses that have staff like this. In fact, the last place I played that did was at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY a few weeks ago. The parking lot is huge and I parked, changed my shoes, loaded up my bag and headed up to the Pro Shop. The bag guy saw me walking up and came out to meet me about 1/4 of the way to the bag drop, took my clubs, and put them on the cart as I headed in to the Pro Shop. I didn't tip this guy. After the round, I did flip the guy who wiped down my irons a few singles that I had bunched in my pocket. In all honesty, it's more awkward for me than anything. I'd just assume load and unload my own bag.

That's me. I never let my clubs out of my sight. Make's it too easy for them to become someone else's clubs..........
 
I usually tip both of those guys a few dollars if I haven't already done their job for them.
 
If a course has those guys I will just politely tell them I'll take care of my clubs and wave them off. I hate feeling obligated to tip someone when it is something I can easily do for myself.
 
I feel the same about it being awkward because it is something I can easily do on my own. For me it just seems very similar to tipping someone at Starbucks for making the coffee that I paid for but I get the flip side as well.
 
I'll tip the guy $2 for loading my bag onto the cart. However, at the end of the round I don't want a kid with a filthy rag touching my clubs, so I try and avoid him. If they actually did a decent job of wiping the clubs clean, I'd be more than happy to tip them, but that is never the case. Its like the guys in the city who run out at stop lights and wipe your windshield and expect to get tipped, even though your windshield may be dirtier when they're done wiping it.
 
Ill usually tip the people working the food in the clubhouse
 
I tip both a couple of bucks, but I will avoid the guy who wipes down the clubs altogether if I get the chance.
 
Ill usually tip the people working the food in the clubhouse

We do that. Since we don't have anyone else to tip at our course! (Also the beverage cart girls)
 
I'll tip whoever is providing a service to me
 
The only time I've seen such services is at upper tier courses.... Chambers Bay here in SeaTac, Arizona Golf Resort and Longbow in Mesa. Chambers bay caters to golfers, even if you don't elect to take a caddie. The 2 in Arizona pick you up in the parking lot and take you to the club house and your clubs to the range, since practice balls come with your round. Just prior to your tee time they load your clubs on your cart, which also come with your round, and check to be sure you have snacks and beverages. I bypass the after round services. I clean my clubs after each swing and again when I get home. I do tip, but never more than $5.
 
$5 to my good guy's and $1 to the dbags that whine...
 
Personally, I don't tip the guy/gal loading the clubs.

There's a few reasons for that:

1) I usually don't have my wallet out
2) I'm usually busy going in to pay for the round or doing something else
3) Before I could even think about it, the person is usually gone, loading someone else's bag or off doing something else.
4) I don't really think it's expected.

I do tip the cart girl and I do tip at the end of the round if I let them wipe off my clubs. I'll typically tip the cart girl a buck or two depending on how much stuff I'm buying, and will tip the club cleaner between $3 and $5.
 
At places where they do that $5 at least each way - in and out. There are places where they store and clean and do valet its usually $10 for the car and clubs, $5 for the car only, and $5 the guy who unloads them for storage. (he's probably cleaning them).

Excellent service could net more but I make sure I have tip money at those kind of places. No tips and you could wait a while for the guy to throw your bag in the car rather than load it in the car.
 
$5 to anyone that touches my bag to and from the cart and my buddies are pretty cheap so I'm usually dropping a $20 on the guy that takes the bags off the cart and cleans the clubs.

Cart girl gets $1 per drink. If she has to put up with any grief from my friends she gets more lol.

I remember when I was in high school and what a few bucks meant to me and most of these kids are making minimum wage or less.
 
I tip a few bucks to everyone who serves me or my group in some way. They don't make much money and a few extra dollars doesn't matter to me any more.

I remember wondering if I had enough gas in the car when working through college and not wanting parents to pay my way.

Been blessed since, don't mind helping a few kids or folks out when they've earned it.

How much? Depends on the change in my wallet, but always $2-5. If just buying a water from the cart, a $1 unless of tipping for the others in the group.
 
Back
Top