Caddy Fees

[JMO TO]

[quote name='Gdane' timestamp='1394218358' post='8820641']
An experienced caddie shouldn't have any trouble servicing two players during a round and keeping pace of play, especially if its a foursome with two caddies. The only time service would become a problem for a seasoned caddie is if both players expect all of their putts to be read.

Aside from that, the caddie should have a decent idea of his players games after the first few holes, which should help with club selection, especially if that caddie has a strong familiarity with the course he or she is working at.

During my caddying days, the only time I would carry a single is if it was during a U.S. open qualifier.
[/quote] I spent last week at Bandon and had the same caddy for all but our first round. All of our rounds were under 4:30, so pace was not an issue. The caddy help with lag putts (there were a lot of them) and any time we called him in. He has very happy to have picked up a double bag gig over a single.

[golfheaven69]

[quote name='FSCMatt' timestamp='1394205620' post='8819135']
I know of a guy that has a deal with the course owner that when he makes his first million caddying the owner will match it. He's going to do it reasonably soon too. This is obviously a case of doubling 36 for years, but it's still possible.

$40,000 is easily doable singling 18 a day. Good caddies are making $100+ a loop. It doesn't take much extra to get to $40,000.
[/quote]

Most caddies I know make 30-50 and claim around 12-15. Not a bad gig.

[cristphoto]

[quote name='cdnrockies' timestamp='1394149578' post='8814725']
As there seems to be a few members with caddy experience here, has anyone encountered a player that decided [b]not[/b] to pay the recommended minimum. I've always been fortunate to have had very good caddies and have never had an issue with taking care of them properly (at least I think I do?). But I've always wondered what would happen if someone was miffed for whatever reason and decided not to pay?

I'm guessing it would be rare, but with just recommendations from the caddy master, I'd be pretty po'd if I just spent 5 hours working my bag off and got stiffed.
[/quote]

I didn't have that option at Pinehurst. When you book your T-time you're asked if you want a caddy. When I checked in the caddy fee was added in to my greens fees which I obviously had to pay before teeing off. All I can say is Pinehurst was so professionally run and efficient after being there a week I couldn't think of a single thing to legitimately complain about. I suppose if I did have a bad experience Pinehurst would do whatever necessary to please me.

[cdnrockies]

[quote name='cristphoto' timestamp='1394317781' post='8828135']
I didn't have that option at Pinehurst. When you book your T-time you're asked if you want a caddy. When I checked in the caddy fee was added in to my greens fees which I obviously had to pay before teeing off. All I can say is Pinehurst was so professionally run and efficient after being there a week I couldn't think of a single thing to legitimately complain about. I suppose if I did have a bad experience Pinehurst would do whatever necessary to please me.
[/quote]

It was the same way at Whistling Straits. You tipped the caddy accordingly after having already paid the club the caddy fee.

What I'm more curious about is how they handle it at places like Bandon or Chambers where they do not actually charge a caddy fee? You are only given a "recommended" range of fees by the caddy master. So if someone has a bad day that might not actually be related to the caddy, they can get paid nothing or very little for their afternoons work?

Would be interested to hear from some of the former caddies here?

[mringwelski]

Bandon has a smooth operation as well. When making reservations you are asked whether or not you want a caddy. If you would like to request a specific caddie you may do so by contacting caddie services. On the first round of your trip you will be greeted by a "Caddie Services Manager" and he/she is to introduce you to your caddie, explain payment, and any other questions related to caddie services. The Bandon way is that your caddie stays with you during the entire stay. If it isn't working out and you want to request a new caddie you can do . If you go on the Bandon Dunes website and find caddie services you should find everything you need. There is a $55 minimum so that's the least you'll walk away with. Bandon keeps business strictly between Caddie Services Managers and the guests and loopers are asked to thankfully accept whatever payment they recieve. If there is a payment dispute between a guest and a looper, caddie services resolves the dispute professionally. Generally you don't have to worry about getting a c-note when you're carrying they're bag through conditions they never thought they'd be playing in.

Looped there this past summer. Hope it helps

[wholeinwon]

I played at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club and when contacting the Head Professional setting up my time he told me it's a $150 caddie fee plus an additional tip which all could only be paid in cash. We didn't pay a green fee being Professionals (heard it's something like $400 as a guest fee at MPCC) and needed up giving the caddie $250 cash after the round.

Other than our $100 tip I have no idea how much the caddie kept from the $150 caddie fee.

The fee was for 2 bags, and we also had a cart which the caddie drove and we walked except for a few of the long treks when he would hop on the back and ride up with us.

I've been to Bandon 3 times and have never taken a caddie but have seen the changes in the system others have alluded to in this thread while talking with the caddie managers and caddies during our stays or when they have been taking by someone I have been paired with.

[cdnrockies]

[quote name='mringwelski' timestamp='1394388569' post='8832531']
There is a [b]$55 minimum [/b]so that's the least you'll walk away with. Bandon keeps business strictly between Caddie Services Managers and the guests and loopers are asked to thankfully accept whatever payment they recieve. If there is a payment dispute between a guest and a looper, caddie services resolves the dispute professionally. Generally you don't have to worry about getting a c-note when you're carrying they're bag through conditions they never thought they'd be playing in.
[/quote]

Recommended fee is now $80-100 per bag. At least that is what the caddy master told me last month. Does this suggest that too many players were being cheap and tipping the caddies the minimum at $55? How many times did you see the minimum?

[mringwelski]

Yup $80-100 is for a job well done. I averaged about $120 a bag. I don't think the system suggests anything, it just keeps it very open which allows good work to be recognized and rewarded. I saw the minimum once on a double bag. He gave me $60 and a $2 bill and the other guy gave me $100 so it balanced out at $81 per bag.

[lazyjc4]

Wow, I guess there's a big difference between working at a resort and a club. I've caddied at a pretty prestigious East Coast club for the past twenty summers, and can usually expect to be tipped between $100-$180 for either double bags, or forecaddying for a foursome on carts. The company that runs the caddie program charges members $24 a bag for riders (of which I see $16 taxed on a paycheck) and $48 a bag for walkers (I see about $35 before taxes). The rest of the charge goes to the company. Uncle Sam getting a cut doesn't help, but a lot of clubs had to turn to a more "legit" system years ago.

[Thunder Dan]

Ok so I asked my Pinehurst Caddy, he said that most clubs contract their caddies from CaddieMaster. The $55-60 caddie fee is really a fee to the club which is meant to offset the expense of contracting caddies through CaddieMaster. Part of it goes to the club, part to CaddieMaster which the caddie gets their cut based on how many years they have under their belt. The clubs prefer this as CaddieMaster insures and ultimately pays the caddies. They are more or less contractors who work at a course but aren't employed by the course.

He also said he was on the short list to loop for the Open this summer and said that he wouldn't get the 10% of winnings, rather the same deal anyone gets with a CaddieMaster caddie, $55 plus tip.

[BENNYSUPREME]

I have only played one course with a caddy, Cascata in Las Vegas. I gave a little over 50% of the local greens fee since they didn't charge the caddy fee.

[OrlandoSean]

[quote name='Thunder Dan' timestamp='1394677106' post='8860031']
Ok so I asked my Pinehurst Caddy, he said that most clubs contract their caddies from CaddieMaster. The $55-60 caddie fee is really a fee to the club which is meant to offset the expense of contracting caddies through CaddieMaster. Part of it goes to the club, part to CaddieMaster which the caddie gets their cut based on how many years they have under their belt. The clubs prefer this as CaddieMaster insures and ultimately pays the caddies. They are more or less contractors who work at a course but aren't employed by the course.

He also said he was on the short list to loop for the Open this summer and said that he wouldn't get the 10% of winnings, rather the same deal anyone gets with a CaddieMaster caddie, $55 plus tip.
[/quote]
What? Caddie master is a joke. If he gets a bag for the Open I'm sure he can negotiate a number with the play. Most pros pay 120-200 just for Monday quals. He would be working for the player not CME for the tourney. Ive been in a similar situation last year and I got $150 per round plus a few extra for a decent finish. Tour players know that you get what you pay for and a $55 caddiemaster caddie is not what you want for the US Open. If that is the case then he would have to wear the issued jumper and shave everyday. Is your Pinehurst caddie Brad K or Charlie S? No, then he is not getting a bag.
Caddie Master manages less than 50 course around the country so there are hundreds of clubs that do it without them just fine, like my course. They are losing properties every month because clubs realize they can run a great program without them. Beginner caddies and washed teaching pros are who they employ, anyone with real caddie experience leaves very quickly.

[RickAstley]

Haven't read all the above posts (too many of them!), but I caddied all through high school and college summers. The fee at my course went straight to us, but was the minimum. It was suggested that if we did well, we get more. It's important to remember that a lot of caddies are young and an extra $20-40 means a whole hell of a lot as far as a thanks goes.

[cristphoto]

[quote name='OrlandoSean' timestamp='1394679173' post='8860225']
[quote name='Thunder Dan' timestamp='1394677106' post='8860031']
Ok so I asked my Pinehurst Caddy, he said that most clubs contract their caddies from CaddieMaster. The $55-60 caddie fee is really a fee to the club which is meant to offset the expense of contracting caddies through CaddieMaster. Part of it goes to the club, part to CaddieMaster which the caddie gets their cut based on how many years they have under their belt. The clubs prefer this as CaddieMaster insures and ultimately pays the caddies. They are more or less contractors who work at a course but aren't employed by the course.

He also said he was on the short list to loop for the Open this summer and said that he wouldn't get the 10% of winnings, rather the same deal anyone gets with a CaddieMaster caddie, $55 plus tip.
[/quote]
What? Caddie master is a joke. If he gets a bag for the Open I'm sure he can negotiate a number with the play. Most pros pay 120-200 just for Monday quals. He would be working for the player not CME for the tourney. Ive been in a similar situation last year and I got $150 per round plus a few extra for a decent finish. Tour players know that you get what you pay for and a $55 caddiemaster caddie is not what you want for the US Open. If that is the case then he would have to wear the issued jumper and shave everyday. Is your Pinehurst caddie Brad K or Charlie S? No, then he is not getting a bag.
Caddie Master manages less than 50 course around the country so there are hundreds of clubs that do it without them just fine, like my course. They are losing properties every month because clubs realize they can run a great program without them. Beginner caddies and washed teaching pros are who they employ, anyone with real caddie experience leaves very quickly.
[/quote]

The caddie I had at Pinehurst was Keith and he was excellent. He was Graham McDowell's caddie when G-Mac played mostly European tour events. He would be a great asset to any US Open player (man or woman) this year as he knows those greens inside and out.

[dcmidnight]

At the Ocean Course the caddy fee was baked into the greens fee, recommended caddy tip was $75 a bag. Caddies were awesome, they both double bagged but thats pretty much been my experience everywhere I've had a caddy. Caddies were just top notch all around. Already reserved the same guys for our trip back there end of this month.

[Thunder Dan]

[quote name='OrlandoSean' timestamp='1394679173' post='8860225']
[quote name='Thunder Dan' timestamp='1394677106' post='8860031']
Ok so I asked my Pinehurst Caddy, he said that most clubs contract their caddies from CaddieMaster. The $55-60 caddie fee is really a fee to the club which is meant to offset the expense of contracting caddies through CaddieMaster. Part of it goes to the club, part to CaddieMaster which the caddie gets their cut based on how many years they have under their belt. The clubs prefer this as CaddieMaster insures and ultimately pays the caddies. They are more or less contractors who work at a course but aren't employed by the course.

He also said he was on the short list to loop for the Open this summer and said that he wouldn't get the 10% of winnings, rather the same deal anyone gets with a CaddieMaster caddie, $55 plus tip.
[/quote]
What? Caddie master is a joke. If he gets a bag for the Open I'm sure he can negotiate a number with the play. Most pros pay 120-200 just for Monday quals. He would be working for the player not CME for the tourney. Ive been in a similar situation last year and I got $150 per round plus a few extra for a decent finish. Tour players know that you get what you pay for and a $55 caddiemaster caddie is not what you want for the US Open. If that is the case then he would have to wear the issued jumper and shave everyday. Is your Pinehurst caddie Brad K or Charlie S? No, then he is not getting a bag.
Caddie Master manages less than 50 course around the country so there are hundreds of clubs that do it without them just fine, like my course. They are losing properties every month because clubs realize they can run a great program without them. Beginner caddies and washed teaching pros are who they employ, anyone with real caddie experience leaves very quickly.
[/quote]

My caddie was a teaching pro (still is) and caddies. He said that if there was anything works out for compensation it would have to be hush hush or the tip. Since he is an employee of Caddiemaster the pro is only obligated to $55 plus tip of $30 and up depending on service

[xan_user]

[b]one[/b][b] (hilly and tough) [/b][b]private club near me;[/b]


[quote]
Caddie Bag Fees
Including Gratuity
Caddie - 18 Holes $75
Caddie - 9 Holes $45
Forecaddie - 18 Holes $50
Forecaddie - 9 Holes $30
Single Bag Request Caddie - 18 Holes $90
Single Bag Request Caddie - 9 Holes $50

Cash compensation is made directly to your caddie at the end of each round for above caddie fees.[/quote]

there is also a caddie administration fee of about $10-20 per guest to pay for a "tip" of sorts to the caddie master. but that is charged to the member annually, not to the guest player.

Im sure caddies there sometimes get more, but im not sure how often, or how much.

[dornstar]

Just out of curiosity, anyone know the caddie fee for Plainfield Country Club?

[JMO TO]

Heading to Streamsong and wondering what an appropriate tip would be (website states $100+tip). My only previous experience with caddies is at Bandon and it was simply $100/bag (we added a lump sum tip at the end of the week).

[FSCMatt]

[quote name='JMO TO' timestamp='1424208697' post='10973159']Heading to Streamsong and wondering what an appropriate tip would be (website states $100+tip). My only previous experience with caddies is at Bandon and it was simply $100/bag (we added a lump sum tip at the end of the week).[/quote]

It's the same as Bandon. I have friends that have been at both and make similar money.

[JMO TO]

[quote name='FSCMatt' timestamp='1424209132' post='10973217']
[quote name='JMO TO' timestamp='1424208697' post='10973159']Heading to Streamsong and wondering what an appropriate tip would be (website states $100+tip). My only previous experience with caddies is at Bandon and it was simply $100/bag (we added a lump sum tip at the end of the week).[/quote]

It's the same as Bandon. I have friends that have been at both and make similar money.
[/quote]Would $120 a bag be appropriate?

[lincolnduff]

Course I looped at it was all between caddies and their players. Suggested was $80 a bag walking $40 for carts. Minimum was $60 but that was never really an issue, rarely did I get less than $80 per bag. $90 or $100 was nice for a job well done. But the money was always cash straight to me, course didn't get any fees and It wasn't taxed. Now there were days, especially long summer days where I would get there at 7am and sit until 3 or 4 and not get a loop and go home empty handed. We weren't forced to be there though, we could show up whenever we wanted, take off whenever we wanted and unless you had a repeat player or a tournament you didn't know when your tee time for the days was. It was up to the caddy master to assign you to the player.

[mringwelski]

[quote name='JMO TO' timestamp='1424209265' post='10973237']
[quote name='FSCMatt' timestamp='1424209132' post='10973217']
[quote name='JMO TO' timestamp='1424208697' post='10973159']Heading to Streamsong and wondering what an appropriate tip would be (website states $100+tip). My only previous experience with caddies is at Bandon and it was simply $100/bag (we added a lump sum tip at the end of the week).[/quote]

It's the same as Bandon. I have friends that have been at both and make similar money.
[/quote]Would $120 a bag be appropriate?
[/quote]

yup i also know caddies from Streamsong and its pretty much the same as Bandon. $120 sounds right to me

[cbbaron]

[quote name='mringwelski' timestamp='1424285277' post='10979201']
[quote name='JMO TO' timestamp='1424209265' post='10973237']
[quote name='FSCMatt' timestamp='1424209132' post='10973217']
[quote name='JMO TO' timestamp='1424208697' post='10973159']Heading to Streamsong and wondering what an appropriate tip would be (website states $100+tip). My only previous experience with caddies is at Bandon and it was simply $100/bag (we added a lump sum tip at the end of the week).[/quote]

It's the same as Bandon. I have friends that have been at both and make similar money.
[/quote]Would $120 a bag be appropriate?
[/quote]

yup i also know caddies from Streamsong and its pretty much the same as Bandon. $120 sounds right to me
[/quote]mringwelski do you still caddy at Bandon me and the wife are going first week April for three days don't know I can come up with cost for caddy all three days but was thinking day we play Pacific Dunes of maybe hiring a caddy

[mringwelski]

I don't sorry, moved on to bigger things. Depending on your experience with links golf I would suggest getting a caddy for your first round. There is also forecaddie/walking caddie services available. Walking caddy fees for a two some is roughly 50-60 dollars and they can give you the low down on all the wacky nuances on the golf courses. Basically doing everything a caddie does, other than carry your bag. PM me if you need anymore info I'd be glad to help

[cbbaron]

[quote name='mringwelski' timestamp='1424293454' post='10980117']
I don't sorry, moved on to bigger things. Depending on your experience with links golf I would suggest getting a caddy for your first round. There is also forecaddie/walking caddie services available. Walking caddy fees for a two some is roughly 50-60 dollars and they can give you the low down on all the wacky nuances on the golf courses. Basically doing everything a caddie does, other than carry your bag. PM me if you need anymore info I'd be glad to help
[/quote]Thank You will reach out to you in coming weeks real excited about Bandon so is my wife we go to Arizona all the time have never used a caddy except for a fore caddie at TPC and Troon North but figure Pacific Dunes would not be complete without a caddy