Have you found yourself wondering who pays for golf caddies to travel? Maybe you have been asked to travel as a golf caddie and want to know who foots the bill? Or are you curious and want to know more? No matter what the reason is that brought you here, we have the answer for you!
Knowing who pays for golf caddies to travel can be tricky, especially if you are new to the world of golf. You head online to find out more but are met with conflicting and contradicting information, leaving you unsure where to turn or who to trust.
Disappointed and frustrated, you start to wonder if you will ever know who pays for golf caddies to travel.
Well, no more! Today we are here with answers for you. Keep reading to find out who pays for golf caddies to travel and everything you need to know about golf caddies and their travel!
What Is A Golf Caddie?
Before we dive into today’s article, let’s have a quick recap for those that need it! A golf caddie is someone who carries the golf player’s clubs and bag. They move from hole to hole with the player, handing them their clubs and offering them any moral support and advice that the player needs.
The caddy plays a vital role in the golfer’s game. They need to hand them the right club when they make their shot. So they need to know the difference between the clubs, after all, the wrong one could cost the player the shot!
They also need to keep the golf clubs and other equipment clean for the entire game. A muddy club isn’t a good look!
Caddies need to have a good knowledge of golf to help offer the most support and advice to golf players. This includes knowing the golf course, where any obstacles might be, and the distance to the green.
Now that we have briefly established what a golf caddie is, let’s move on to see who pays for a golf caddie to travel!
Who Pays For Golf Caddies To Travel?
Although there are some discrepancies, most golf caddies are required to pay for their own travel. The money for their travel will come from the wages they earn as a caddie. When caddies are required to travel, usually for tournaments and competitions, they will be paid a special salary.
This salary is usually a weekly salary within the region of $1,500 to $2,000. The salary tends to remain fixed for the duration of the tournament, providing the caddies with a reliable income.
However, from this weekly salary, they must pay for their own travel to the tournament, and other venues, cover lodging, food, car rentals, and anything else they need to pay for. Quickly, that money can disappear, especially if it is an international tour!
The salary varies from caddie to caddie, and the tour or tournament they are working on. Some tours, like the PGA Tour, provide caddies of the winning golf player with 10% of the winnings, 7% if they finish top 10, and 5% if they finish outside of the top 10.
This additional income does help, but ultimately, the caddie still has a lot to pay out for!
It’s worth noting that caddies don’t have a great deal of rights or protection. The PGA Tour, for example, has no policy on the payment of caddies (other than what we mentioned earlier), other than professional golfers must use a caddie.
They get some subsidized healthcare but are required to pay for most of it themselves. They can also be hired and fired immediately, providing little security for caddies.
Of course, this does vary depending on the tour and the golfer the caddie works for. Caddies that work for golf courses tend to have better workers’ rights, but it is a bit of a lottery!
How Much Does It Cost Golf Caddies To Travel?
The cost will vary depending on where the golf caddie is traveling to! If the tournament is close by, then the caddie will have relatively low expenses. However, if the tournament requires international travel, then flights alone could cost the caddie hundreds of dollars.
That is without needing to pay for accommodation, car rentals, food, or travel insurance.
It can become expensive quite quickly, and that weekly salary we mentioned could be eaten up in no time!
Caddies usually get (see also: Does The Masters Winner’s Caddie Get?)a fair bit of warning before an upcoming tournament, so they can shop around to find the best prices and deals for the trip.
This can involve booking flights months in advance, making the most of flash sales for hotel rooms or Airbnb, and paying off flights and hotels in installments to spread the cost.
There is no getting away from it, though, the travel and accommodation could cost an entire week’s salary, leaving the caddie with little money to cover their food and expenses while they are working as part of the tournament.
However, there is some additional income waiting for the caddie at the end of the tour. They get a percentage of the winnings their golfer receives, with the amount varying depending on where they finish in the tournament.
This money can be used to cover any expenses from the trip that have been paid on a credit card, or put towards the next trip they need to take as part of their job. The additional money at the end of the tournament is sure to be well-received by the caddies!
How Often Do Golf Caddies Travel?
How often golf caddies travel will vary depending on the caddie and the golfer they work for. If the caddie works for a professional golfer that has qualified for several tournaments or competitions, then they could be traveling several times a year!
However, if the caddie is not working frequently, or the golfer they work for has not qualified for many tournaments, they might only travel once or twice a year.
It is hard to give an exact number, but golf caddies could travel to all 48 PGA Tour events, or they could only make one or two! It really depends on the golfer and which caddie they decide to use.
As there are so many tours, caddies can expect to travel a few times a year, depending on where they are based. They might be lucky and live close to one or two of the tournaments, or they might need to travel great distances for each one.
Golf caddies will also get a say in how often they want to travel. If they want to turn work down instead of traveling, they are free to do that too. Here, caddies have a little bit of control and can determine how often they want to travel.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, golf caddies usually pay for their own travel! The money usually comes from the weekly salary caddies are paid to be in the tournament with their professional golfer. This wage is usually $1,500 to $2,000 a week and needs to cover all of their travel expenses and healthcare.
Hi, my name is Garratt Shmidt and I have been playing golf in my spare time for almost a decade.
Before I found a passion for golf, I didn’t see the appeal. I thought it was slow, repetitive, and quite frankly boring.
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