Should you tip golf-bag attendants before or after your round? And how much?!

Doug from New York asks: When is the suitable time to tip the bag attendants? On arrival? On departure? Both?

Dear Doug,

Most golf-etiquette questions have a Caddyshack connection. In this case, I’m considering of the scene where Rodney Dangerfield’s Al Czervik breezes up to Bushwood in a gaudy crimson Rolls-Royce and hops out, flashing payments.

“Here, kid,” he says to the valet. “Park my car. Get my bag and” — pausing to provide an appraising look before urgent extra dough into the younger man’s palm— “put on some weight, will ya?”

Point is, if Rodney can do it, you can, too. There’s no rule in opposition to tipping upfront. But there’s no expectation for it, both. Handing out gratuities upon arrival is the outlier transfer, a beneficiant gesture that, like all tipping, is greatest dealt with discreetly. We all know real-life Czerviks who brandish their billfolds in look-at-me mode. They aren’t a lot sharing their wealth as they’re looking for consideration, simply as they’re with the vehicles they drive.

If your coronary heart is in the best place — because it clearly is, or you wouldn’t be asking the query — you know that tipping isn’t about you. It’s concerning the different particular person. You need to guarantee that nobody on employees is getting stiffed.

In that regard, you can relaxation straightforward.

Most golf equipment permit tipping for out of doors companies. Sometimes, the chances are weighted by seniority. But everybody winds up receiving a share. Everyone additionally is aware of that tipping typically occurs at departure, not arrival, so there aren’t any urgent expectations. You received’t get the stink-eye if you don’t tip the worker who greets and helps you when you pull up. They’ll get theirs later.

As for the suitable gratuity? Figure you ought to half with at the least $5/bag, so $10 in all if you’re additionally selecting up your companion’s sticks.

Of course, no attendant might be miffed if you slip them a couple of dollars upfront, too. Just don’t touch upon their weight.

Josh Sens

Golf.com Contributor

A golf, meals and journey author, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes throughout all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He can be the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.