If you love golf, enjoy the outdoors, and want a career that puts you right at the heart of the action, becoming a golf caddie might be your perfect fit.
From helping recreational golfers enjoy their rounds to guiding professionals under tournament pressure, golf caddies are essential to the sport.
In this ultimate guide, we cover everything you need to know about becoming a golf caddie - whether you're just starting out or dreaming of walking inside the ropes on the PGA Tour.
Is it Golf "Caddie" or "Caddy"?
Both spellings are widely used, but context matters:
- “Caddie” is the traditional and more formal spelling, particularly in the UK and in golf literature. It's the preferred spelling used by professional organisations and golf clubs.
- “Caddy” is often used informally in American English, and also refers to equipment (e.g. golf cart caddy, tea caddy).
If you’re writing professionally or applying for a job, use “caddie.”
What Does a Golf Caddie Do?
Golf caddies provide crucial support to players on the course. While responsibilities vary based on level and location, common duties include:
- Carrying and managing the player’s clubs and equipment
- Offering yardages, shot advice, and reading greens
- Repairing divots and pitch marks, raking bunkers, and keeping the course tidy
- Providing moral support and helping maintain pace of play
At the professional level, caddies become strategic partners - calculating distances, analysing conditions, offering mental support, and collaborating on game plans.
At club level, they focus more on carrying bags, spotting balls, and ensuring the player enjoys their round.
In some resort or elite settings, caddies are also expected to provide hospitality-like service, managing the golfer’s comfort and enhancing the experience.
Lifestyle and Work Conditions
Caddying offers unique rewards but demands a flexible, active lifestyle:
- Physical strain: Caddies can walk between 5 and 10 miles per round, often carrying 15-20kg bags. Tasks include raking bunkers, fixing divots, and tending pins in all weather conditions. Long days can be physically exhausting, especially when double-looping.
- Travel: Club caddies may work locally, but top resort caddies sometimes move with the seasons, working in warm-weather destinations during winter. Tour caddies travel extensively - up to 30 weeks a year - crossing countries and continents.
- Seasonality: In the UK, Europe, and northern US, golf is seasonal, typically April to October. Some caddies travel abroad to find off-season work.
- Work hours: Tour caddies often arrive before sunrise, help players warm up, walk the course in advance, work tournament rounds, and stay late to prep for the next day. Even at clubs, caddies can work from dawn till dusk on busy days.
- Mental and emotional strain: Caddies are part-psychologist, part-strategist, and must support players through both triumph and failure. The emotional pressure is real - particularly in competitive settings.
- Unpredictable income: Income varies week-to-week. Club caddies rely heavily on tips. Tour caddies often only profit when their player makes the cut or places highly.
Despite the challenges, caddying offers rewards few jobs can match: time outdoors, access to iconic courses, camaraderie with fellow caddies, and in some cases, life-changing earnings.
Industry Trends and Hiring Insights
The role of the golf caddie continues to evolve with changes in technology, golf culture, and player expectations:
- Technology integration: While GPS devices and rangefinders are now common, caddies - particularly at tour level - still provide unmatched strategic insight. Many use digital yardage books during practice rounds to prepare for competition days.
- Return to walking golf: There is a growing emphasis on walking the course for health and tradition, particularly at high-end clubs and links-style courses. This trend is fuelling renewed interest in caddie programmes.
- Caddie associations and representation: Professional associations like the APTC (Association of Professional Tour Caddies) in the US and the ETCA (European Tour Caddies Association) advocate for better working conditions, sponsorships, and income stability.
- Sponsorship opportunities: Some tour caddies now wear sponsor logos on their bibs or hats - an important income stream, especially for those supporting lower-ranked players.
- Diversity and access: Programmes like the Evans Scholars Foundation (US) and the Caddie School for Soldiers (UK) are working to broaden access to the profession. These initiatives bring new talent into the game, including ex-military, students from underserved communities, and aspiring female caddies.
- Hiring dynamics: Most caddie roles - especially at clubs - aren’t advertised. Walk-ins, recommendations, and referrals matter. For tour roles, caddie-player pairings often begin through informal networks, player referrals, or serendipitous opportunities during amateur or developmental events.
Career Progression for Golf Caddies
Caddies can enjoy a diverse and rewarding career path, often moving through several stages:
- Starter/junior caddie: Begin at local clubs or resorts, learning the basics of carrying bags, reading greens, and managing pace of play.
- Experienced club caddie: After building trust and knowledge, you may be requested by name by members or offered high-profile loops at prestigious destinations.
- Tournament and elite amateur caddie: Volunteering for top amateur events or caddying for elite juniors can open doors to regional and national competitions.
- Professional tour caddie: From Korn Ferry (US), Challenge Tour (Europe), or LET Access Series (women’s), progression to main tours depends on building a relationship with a promising player.
- Top-tier tour caddie: With experience and proven success, caddies may be approached by elite professionals seeking reliable, trusted partners.
Some caddies diversify over time, becoming caddie masters, swing coaches, tournament logistics managers, or golf instructors. A few move into golf media or work in caddie training and recruitment.
Skills Required to Be a Golf Caddie
Becoming a top-tier caddie requires more than physical endurance. You need a balanced mix of soft and hard skills:
- Golf IQ: Deep understanding of the game, including rules, club distances, shot options, and scoring formats.
- Physical fitness and stamina: Caddies walk miles each day, often in extreme weather. Core strength and foot care matter.
- Mental toughness: Stay focused over 4-6 hour rounds. Remain calm under pressure.
- Communication: Read your player’s mood. Speak clearly and concisely. Offer advice when needed, or stay silent when it’s best.
- Organisation: Keep clubs clean, manage equipment, prep for weather changes, and stay one step ahead of the player’s needs.
- Emotional intelligence: Anticipate emotional shifts and support players accordingly.
- Adaptability: Be prepared for last-minute tee time changes, bad weather, or travel shifts.
Golf Caddies Salary: How Much Do Golf Caddies Make?
Club Caddies (UK & Europe)
- Base fee per round: £50-£60
- Expected tip: £20-£30
- Total per loop: £70-£90
- 2 rounds/day in peak season: £140-£180
- Seasonal earnings: £15,000-£25,000
Club Caddies (US)
- Base fee: $40-$100 per round
- Tips range: $40-$100 depending on club and player
- High-end clubs: $150-$300 per day, more for double bags
- Seasonal earnings: $15,000-$35,000
Professional Tour Caddies
- Weekly base pay: $1,500-$3,000 (PGA/DP World), $1,000-$2,000 (LPGA/LET)
- Prize money cut: typically 5% (normal), 7% (top 10), 10% (win)
- Top caddies can earn $500k-$2M/year
- Lower-ranked tour caddies may only clear $10k-$30k after travel costs
Best Caddies in Golf
Some caddies have earned legendary reputations, including:
- Steve Williams - Worked with Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, and Adam Scott; helped secure 14 of Woods’ majors.
- Jim “Bones” Mackay - Phil Mickelson’s longtime caddie, now with Justin Thomas.
- Joe LaCava - Caddied for Fred Couples and later for Tiger Woods during his 2019 Masters comeback.
- Fanny Sunesson - One of the first successful female caddies, notably with Nick Faldo.
- Ted Scott - Currently with Scottie Scheffler, earned over $2.5M in 2023 alone.
Golf caddies are much more than bag carriers - they’re strategists, psychologists, travel companions, and essential members of the golfing world. Whether you’re working at your local club, guiding a VIP at a resort, or competing on the biggest stages in golf, caddying offers a pathway into one of sport’s most unique professions.
With the right knowledge, dedication, and networking, anyone can begin their journey into caddying. Start local, stay reliable, keep learning, and who knows, you might one day help a player lift a major championship trophy.