Make the round work
Caddie vs Forecaddie: Roles, Fees and Gratuities
A forecaddie commonly supports a group playing from carts, while a walking caddie may carry bags. The exact duties and bill belong to the facility’s service offering.
Competitive Play · Updated October 22, 2026
Two fictional service quotes for four golfers
Original worked example
Two fictional service quotes for four golfers| Situation | What changes | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Group forecaddie | Assume a$160 group service fee. | Equal base share:$40 each before the stated gratuity arrangement. |
| Walking service | Assume$90 per golfer for the requested service. | Four golfers’ base total:$360; confirm the number of caddies and bags. |
| Gratuity | Neither example silently includes an amount. | Ask the facility for its current guidance and who receives payment. |
| Availability | The request has not been confirmed. | Do not present the service as secured until the operator confirms it. |
Fictional players, numbers and arrangements. No real booking, measured equipment trial or actual event policy is represented by the example.
The short version
- Confirm the role and group size.
- Separate required fees from recommended or discretionary gratuities.
- A request is not always a guaranteed assignment.
Ask what the service does
Bag carrying, spotting, yardage help, green reading and group support can be packaged differently. Check whether players walk or ride, whether bags are carried individually or in pairs and whether the booking needs a particular group size.
Pebble Beach states that caddie requests are availability-dependent. That published example is a reminder to distinguish a request from an assigned service, not a statement about every resort’s staffing.
Normalize the bill
The fictional$160 group fee becomes$40 per golfer only under the stated equal split. A per-player quote cannot be divided again merely because one person supports the group. Ask whether a service charge includes any gratuity and whether cash or another payment method is expected.
Use the current facility guidance rather than a universal tipping percentage. Do not count an optional recommendation as a tax or label an included charge discretionary.
Plan the practical arrangements
Confirm booking timing, meeting place, bag restrictions and any cancellation terms. A walking service can have different bag and pace considerations from a cart-based group service.
Reconcile the whole round through green-fee inclusions and rental-club costs.
Official sources
Official provisions checked October 22, 2026. Read their full wording and current event conditions.
Your next move
Read the governing source
Check the complete official procedure and your event conditions before acting.
Read the governing source(Official source), opens in a new tabKeep reading
Sources and review
- What it covers
- Published program, policy or product documentation checked October 22, 2026. Season-specific conditions are not extended to 2027.
- Checked
Primary sources
What this page cannot tell you
- Fictional examples; no entry, purchase, provider account or actual course condition is verified for the reader.
- No independent specialist has reviewed this guide.