How Much to Tip a Golf Caddie in 2026 (Caddie Fees, Forecaddies & Course Staff)

The Caddie Fee Is Not the Tip

Most courses with caddie programs charge a set caddie fee per bag — often somewhere around $50–100 for 18 holes, and well above that at famous resort courses. Depending on the course, some or all of that fee goes to the caddie, and some caddies are independent contractors who earn little beyond the fee itself. Either way, the gratuity is expected on top.

A useful rule of thumb is to tip at least 50% of the caddie fee, and up to 100% for a caddie who read greens well, kept pace moving, and found your wayward drives. On a $90 fee, that means $45–90 in your caddie’s hand at the end of the round.

Check your bill or ask the pro shop whether a “caddie gratuity” is already included. A handful of courses build a suggested gratuity into the fee, and you don’t need to pay it twice.

How Much to Tip a Caddie by Course Type

If you’re on a golf trip and staying at the resort, the same logic applies to the rest of your stay — we cover bellhops, housekeeping, and concierge in the hotel tipping guide.

Forecaddies

A forecaddie walks ahead of the group, spots drives, rakes bunkers, and reads putts, but doesn’t carry bags — players ride carts. Because one forecaddie serves the whole foursome, each player tips individually, usually $20–50 per player. A group of four tipping $40 each puts $160 in the forecaddie’s pocket, which is fair for five hours of work.

Some courses make a forecaddie mandatory with a per-player fee. The tip still goes on top of that fee, the same as with a traditional caddie.

Bag Drop, Cart Attendants, and the Beverage Cart

• Bag drop: $2–5 when someone unloads your clubs at arrival. Many golfers tip once at the end when the same staff load the bag back into the car.
• Cart attendant: $3–5 for wiping down clubs and returning the bag after the round. At courses without a bag drop, this is often the only staff tip.
• Beverage cart: $1–2 per drink, or round a small order up to about 20%. If you run a tab all day, tip on the total with the 20% tip calculator.
• Locker room attendant: $3–5 for a shoe cleaning, or a few dollars if you used the locker and towel service.
• Starter and pro shop: no tip expected.

Private Clubs: Guest Etiquette

Private clubs often run on different rules. Many prohibit members and guests from tipping staff directly and fund staff gratuities through dues or a holiday fund instead. The exception is usually the caddie, who is commonly tipped in cash even at member clubs.

As a guest, ask your host before the round. Hosts frequently prefer to cover the caddie fee and tip themselves; offering to tip your own caddie is polite, but follow their lead rather than pulling out cash at the bag drop.

How to Hand Over the Tip

Bring cash. Caddies and bag-drop staff are almost always tipped in bills, handed over with a handshake at the end of the round or in the parking lot when your bag is loaded. Some pro shops can add a caddie tip to a card, but it isn’t universal — see cash vs. card tipping for why cash is still preferred here.

If your caddie was disengaged or showed up late, tip at the low end rather than skipping it — and mention the problem to the caddie master, who can actually fix it.