How Much Do Caddies Make?

The amount that caddies make can vary widely depending on their level of experience, the quality of their service, and the level of competition in which they work. This article answers about how much do caddies make.

For decades, the job of caddies was carrying the golf clubs, cleaning the golf balls, and raking bunkers. However, today’s caddies are more than just bag carriers. They provide assistance to players helping them choose the right clubs, read the greens, interpret lies, and recommend courses of action.

Consequently, caddies’ job has become a much more lucrative profession than it once was. Read on to learn how much do caddies make.

How much do caddies make?

Typically, the caddie’s pay is a combination of a base salary and gratuity from players. On average, most caddies that work at country clubs make $30 per hour. However, it varies depending upon various factors, such as the performance of the caddy, level of experience, the type of golf course, and the tournament that the caddy is assisting.

Amateur caddies

Amateur caddies are the ones who assist amateur golfers, and they usually make less than professional caddies. They make an average of $20-$28 per hour or $100- $140 per 5-hour shift for an 18-hole round at a private country club. An amateur golf caddy can earn around $45,000.

PGA tour caddies

A PGA tour caddie works for professional golfers in PGA tournaments and makes more than amateur caddies. Although there is no rule for caddie pay, most PGA tour golfers pay around $1,500 to $3,000 per tournament.

Additionally, a PGA professional caddie usually has an agreement of 5% to 10% of the player’s winnings, which can be a significant amount if the player wins. For instance, if a golfer wins $10 million, his caddie will get a bonus of $500,000 to $1,000,000. Thus, most PGA tour caddies make millions in a year, depending on their player’s performance.

The duties of caddies

The roles and responsibilities of golf caddies have become increasingly complex over the years. Their pay scale has also grown to reflect that. Here are the duties of caddies:

Accompanying the players during their rounds and carrying the golf gear.
Providing expert advice on club selection, yardage, and course strategy.
Marking ball locations and raking bunkers.
Assisting players in reading the greens and judging distance.
Fixing ball marks and cleaning clubs.
Removing the pin from the golf hole.
Offering emotional support to golfers during tough times.

Requirements to become caddies

You don’t need any particular educational qualification or experience to become a caddie. However, you need to have knowledge of the game, good physical fitness, and stamina to handle a bag full of clubs to become a professional golf caddie (pro caddy).

Additionally, Professional Caddies Association (PCA) offers education and certification programs to help you stand out from the rest.

Top 5 highest-paid caddies

Here is a list of some of the highest-paid and most popular caddies.

1. Ted Scott

Tedd Scott is the highest-paid caddie. He has been with Bubba Watson, one of the top golfers on the PGA tour. They partnered for 15 years and raked in 12 wins together on different events, including 2 PGA tours.

Later, Tedd parted ways with Bubba, started caddying for Scottie Scheffler, and won four times in 2022. Thus, Tedd Scott earned a massive reward of $843,600 from Scheffler’s wins. Additionally, his base salary is estimated at around $135,000 per year.

2. Sam Pinfold

Sam Pinfold is another famous name and the caddie of the world’s top-ranked golfer Cameron Smith. While Pinfold’s base salary is estimated at around $120,000 per year, he has earned $540,900 for caddying Smith in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and a PGA tour in 2022.

3. Billy Foster

Billy Foster is currently caddying Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the US Open golf event in 2022. As Matt received massive prize money of $3,150,000, Billy Foster was given a generous bonus of $315,000 from the winnings. On the other hand, Foster takes $115,000 as his base salary annually.

4. Jim “Bones” Mackay

Jim Mackey is a golf commentator who turned into a caddie and caddied for Phil Mickelson for over two decades. Jim is currently caddying one of the famous professional golfers Justin Thomas. They together won an event in the 2022 PGA championship, where Jim received $270,000 as a reward. Additionally, he takes home $115,000 as a base salary annually.

5. Gary Matthews

Gary Matthews is currently caddying a young golfer Joaquin Niemann. Niemann won The Genesis Invitational 2022 and bagged over $4.6 million in prize money. Thus, Matthews has received a bonus of $216,000 from the winnings. Apart from this, Matthews takes $120,000 as his base salary annually.

Conclusion

Caddies are an integral part of golf tournaments and significantly contribute to the players’ success. How much caddies earn depends upon the performance of their golfers.

Caddying can be a lucrative job, but building connections and experience in the field is essential to make more money.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about caddies:

Every professional golfer has their own preferences when it comes to selecting a caddie. Some may prefer experienced caddies, while others may choose someone who is fit and has knowledge of the game. Some golfers may even pick someone who they get along with easily; perhaps members from their inner circle.

Yes, caddies do get paid more when their players win Masters or any other major event. The bonus they receive usually depends on the prize money and the winnings. Generally, caddies receive 5% to 10% of the golfer’s total prize money for winning a major event.

Yes, caddies fall under the self-employed category and are responsible for paying their own expenses, such as lodging, airfare, taxes, etc. However, most golfers offer to cover the caddie’s expenses.