Tipping at Golf - How much do you Tip? ...for which services

Most of the courses I play don't have staff loading bags or cleaning clubs but when I do play somewhere that does I always tip them. Sometimes I'll let them know I'm heading right to the range and opt out of them wiping down my clubs, but I still provide the tip, just for them offering me the service. Usually it's maybe $5, same as I'd tip the beer cart girl when I buy a round.

mikeg_74 said:

I get that and can be expensive, but I was a bartender for 11years so I'm a little generous because I've been on the other end if I'm dropping $70-$100 to play golf I better not be complaining about tipping IMO.

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But there is another side of this too. As mentioned I also happen to be fairly generous with tipping in general. Firstly there are very many players of this game who need (not want but need) to be as cost efficient with their golf as they can simply due to not having the luxury of much disposable income at all. Golf is an expense and very many people have to make it as budget feindly as possible or they wouldn't be able to do it or at least wouldnt be able to do it as much as they currently do. Very many are not even playing much due to finances to begin with. Saving 10 or 5 or even 3 whatever on an on going basis is what allows many people to then play golf more in the first place.

Some are lucky and have cheap golf available while others only have expensive golf available and many fall somewhere in between. But regardless of how much it costs its still an expense and the terms expensive or cheap are only relative to ones financial status anyway.

Sure, there are cheap people and some ridiculously so. But there are also very many who do really have trouble parting with extra costs when it comes to playing a game they love but are financially stressed. Its not just golf. Its balls, teees, gloves, clothes and shoes, gas to travel, food even if from home, etc, etc.....Saving a few bucks each time out may not be cheap but may be necessary. The biggest reason I came to golf most all the time without cart rental is because every 2n1/2 rounds without a cart gives me a free round of golf cost wise.

When you mention that you better not complain about tipping when you pay 70 to 100 to golf I would agree if you indeed have the extra money besides the golf to do that. If the golf in ones area costs that much and one stresses to pay that, well then...........hes not going to feel the same way and just possibly he doesn't want the services anyway. At my courses I don't want attendants carrying my clubs, cleaning them, nor catering to me. I'm not asking for it, don't need it and honestly don't want it and I wouldn't want to feel like I need to tip people everytime I play this game in which I have only a limited amount of disposable income to play. I would tip them anyway because I feel its what should be done imo. But just that I don't want it in the first place.

Not many of the courses I play regularly offer club cleaning, but the ones that do, we'll usually tip $5-20 for our entire foursome. I'm not a big fan of the service really as my clubs aren't usually in need, but I understand that it is the kid's job, and as someone who once worked for tips, I'm more than happy to do so. I also tip on drinks on the course, appropriate to the amount of drinks/food/whatever that we order. Bar & wait staff has to do something special for me to tip below 20%.

Never had a caddie, however I tip $5 for club cleaning and 20% on drink service. Usually tip more for on course drink service.

I tip the guy cleaning $5 or so and he does a pretty decent job. Just wish they did it on Sundays as well.

The cart girl gets a few bucks every time she stops. A few bucks more if it's a certain one that makes a killer drink. Got to stay on her good side.

I don't typically tip the guy who loads my clubs, because I'm generally walking with my clubs from the parking lot. By the time I get up to the cart guy, I'm like 2 steps from the cart. I do however tip at the end if they clean my clubs and unload them to the bag drop. I typically tip the cart girl $1 for a single drink, or up to $5 if I'm buying for the group.