What is a good summer job for me?

Is being a caddy a good summer job? What is the pay like?

• I am 15 years old and being a caddy at a local golf course is what I am looking into doing for a summer job. Do caddies make good money? This is all amature golf, just at a local country club. It is a private club and I think it gets its fair share of rich folk. My dad has golfed and belonged to the club for at least 25 years. I am not a golfer and do not know much about the game, but I am willing to learn. Please share your experience if you have ever been a summer caddy and please explain what the pay is like, is it good? bad? what is an average days pay and please give me any tips you can. I've heard that you can make $100 dollars a day, is this true?

• Answer:

  The answer is that it depends. There's no simple answer. By that- it depends on how you are hired. Most courses (not all, but a goodly number) hire caddies as independent contractors. Meaning you aren't paid a wage, per se, but simply paid as on a basis of tips. This is something you need to ask about and get the answer to, and it varies by course. I spent two summers working as a caddie at a private club in the Toronto area. How much you make depends on how good of a caddy you are, how much you're willing to work. I could easily do two loops (rounds) a day and would occasionally get a partial third loop), and what the arrangement is with caddies and the course. My first summer, I got stuck with the bottom feeders and had to grit my teeth, smile, and act appreciative for the odd five dollar tip for a five-hour round in 35C heat (or roughly a dollar an hour) or the senior ladies who'd stiff you because they didn't think they should have to tip a caddy, or be yelled at because somehow, it's your fault that Mister Forty-Plus Handicap sees Greg Norman hit a five-iron 190 yards on tv and thinks it's your fault that he can't hit a five-iron 100 yards (no, it's because this guy couldn't break 100 to save his life). Rich people can be a load; they treat people like crap and they can be bad tippers, or if they lose their bet with their buddies, then they take it out on your tip. But then you get the great tipper who gives you $200, the guy who likes you and requests you and is good for $100. I made good money doing it, but it's hard work. I met some good people, and some really rich people who I wouldn't stop to pee on if they were on fire. Much like life. My point is this- over the course of a 4-5 hour round of golf you'll see people's true selves come out and you're dealing with them the whole time. Being able to deal with this while not going insane can be a wonderful skill to pick up. As the new kid, you can expect to get the bottom of the barrel of loops; the known bad tippers, the slow/halt/lame, and the like. Most likely, the known big tippers/high rollers will go to the caddies who have seniority. It's more than carrying a bag that can weigh 35-50 pounds for 4-5 hours while walking 5-6 miles. It's giving your loop yardages, helping guests (who don't know the course) layout and assistance on where to/where not to hit their shots, reading greens if asked, raking bunkers, cleaning clubs, and the like and dealing with people. It's been said that caddies are expected to show up (on time), keep up (don't lag behind your player), and shut up (don't offer advice/opinions unless asked). Not untrue, but you should also have knowledge of the course, layout, be able to give your player accurate yardages (if asked), hand them the club they ask for (if you know they're on the green hand them their putter) all while being polite to someone that may not necessarily think much of you. Does what I describe sound like something you can handle? Go for it. If your tender mercies are offended if someone speaks down to you, or if you think people should show you "respect" and don't like being "disrespected", don't bother. Hint- rich kids who've been mollycoddled by mommy and daddy their whole life make horrible caddies because they grew up thinking that the world somehow owes them something. Kids who grew up poor or in working class homes tend to fare much better. Not always, but more often than not. I'm not trying to scare you off; it's sad that so many courses are doing away with caddies, and it's a great way to learn the game and make money. Best of luck either way.