Too cheap to hire a caddie ?

[V. Kmetz]

Maybe courses that have a caddie drive for the player are interested in lessening the damage to the golf course?   Have you seen where people drive these things?

Let's make no mistake, it's not the usual arrangement...it's only put in play for medical or weather reasons.


But yes, CM you are right, the superintendents I've known trust the caddies a good deal more than the members/guest for good cart usage..


cheers
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[Chris Kane]

When I was in Australia my local friends advised me to not tip anything... zero. They said the wait staff, for example, were well paid and didn't require gratuities. I think the minimum wage in Australia is $17 an hour. How many of the illustrious business moguls on this site have employees making less than that... much less than that. In America the minimum wage is $7.25.

When was this? A lot of people now tip in restaurants when the service is good (i.e. exceeds expectations), though very rarely the 15-20% expected in America.


Like in the UK though, an American would be considered cheap and nasty if they don't tip in an Australian restaurant - those double standards again!

[Michael Whitaker]

When I was in Australia my local friends advised me to not tip anything... zero. They said the wait staff, for example, were well paid and didn't require gratuities. I think the minimum wage in Australia is $17 an hour. How many of the illustrious business moguls on this site have employees making less than that... much less than that. In America the minimum wage is $7.25.

When was this? A lot of people now tip in restaurants when the service is good (i.e. exceeds expectations), though very rarely the 15-20% expected in America.

Like in the UK though, an American would be considered cheap and nasty if they don't tip in an Australian restaurant - those double standards again!

Chris - this was in 2011, so not that long ago. To be fair, though, I was told that (as an American) if I felt guilty for not tipping (which all Americans do) and had to leave something behind, 10% should be tops. But, like I said above, everyone loves free money and I can see where servers in other countries might be upset when their American customers don't leave them the magical 20% tip they've heard so much about. In Australia, the average meal in an upscale restaurant was priced at least 25% higher on the menu than a comparable meal in The States. But, this price included all taxes and (I was told) allowed for a proper wage for the server without the need for a big tip. That's one of the things I really like about the pricing of goods and services in other countries... the price they quote is the price you pay. A £50 purchase doesn't turn into a £60 purchase with numerous local taxes tacked on at the checkout.

[Charles Lund]

On my first trip to Australia I went to a Japanese restaurant.

I asked the young waitress if she could help me select some items to sample.   I enjoyed the selections and thanked her when I paid the bill.  I left a ten percent tip.

A week later I went back to the same restaurant.  The woman at the door asked if I had a booking.   The place was quite empty but she told me many would be arriving so I needed a booking. 

I looked over to the other side of the restaurant and saw the waitress from my previous visit.  She waved at me and came over.   She extended her hand and grabbed mine nd led me to a table.

Experiences like this convince me of the benefits of tipping.

I have had caddies quite a few times during solo golf travel, often so I have someone to talk with a bit while paired up with others.  I generally tip the recommended amount or slightly higher, over and above the actual fee.  I was able to hire the same caddie at Cape Kidnappers and Bandon Dunes because the same individual worked in both hemispheres.  He was a very good caddie and liked the fact that I remembered to ask for him.

Hiring one person as a forecaddie or asking one caddie to perform multiple duties is generally acceptable and less expensive than multiple caddies.  Of course, anyone wishing to benefit from assistance would need to contribute to the tip pool.

Charles Lund

Charles Lund

[Chris Kane]

Chris - this was in 2011, so not that long ago. To be fair, though, I was told that (as an American) if I felt guilty for not tipping (which all Americans do) and had to leave something behind, 10% should be tops. But, like I said above, everyone loves free money and I can see where servers in other countries might be upset when their American customers don't leave them the magical 20% tip they've heard so much about. In Australia, the average meal in an upscale restaurant was priced at least 25% higher on the menu than a comparable meal in The States. But, this price included all taxes and (I was told) allowed for a proper wage for the server without the need for a big tip. That's one of the things I really like about the pricing of goods and services in other countries... the price they quote is the price you pay. A £50 purchase doesn't turn into a £60 purchase with numerous local taxes tacked on at the checkout.

Agree with all of that - I usually tip between 5 and 10% for good service here. Anything above that is excessive - as you say the waiters are already paid a proper wage, so tips are a bonus.