Working as a caddie at a large, exclusive, championship country club (CC) vs. a small, private CC are two different animals. There are major differences in the quality of the course, the pay, the members, the caddie program, and more. Having worked as a caddie (which is a hired professional to a golfer) at both types of courses, I would say each certainly has pros and cons.

To be clear, I am not biased toward either type of golf course and even worked at two different country clubs at one time. It really depends on the individual, their time constraints, and their goals. I think there could be a point made that working both could be effective in comparison to only working at one country club. We will get into the reasons later why. This article will be a good starting point if you or someone else you know is looking into becoming a caddie in order to understand the work involved.

Championship Clubs: Potential for High Earnings

The private course that I worked at, which I won’t name to ensure an unbiased viewpoint, has hosted several important golf events in its history. It has a well-established caddie program that candidates can try to join via a lottery system if they don’t have a solid connection at the country club. It’s not easy to get in as only a small number of caddies are drawn each year.

Just like the club, their caddie program is also exclusive. A bit of luck may be necessary if you try the lottery system with a championship country club. I can’t guarantee that all private clubs use a lottery system like this, but I think it is safe to assume that the barrier to entry could be difficult if you aren’t related to the members or you don’t have a connection within the club. If you are looking to get into a course that has this kind of system, don’t let it deter you. Talk with people you know that can help you if you get into the caddie training. There isn’t a specific background you need to caddie, as long as you have an open mind to learn and excel in this field.

This type of training is important to take seriously and professionally for private championship clubs as well as small private clubs. It is your make or break. There will likely be a guide who will present you with tips to provide excellent service to the golfer. Here is an excellent video, especially if you are a visual learner, to give you an extra confidence boost before starting caddie training:

The difference in pay and time spent on the golf course will definitely be a major consideration in where you chose to work as a caddie. In my experience caddying at the championship course a few years ago, you usually had to attend the lottery drawings in person, which were typically between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. Names were drawn from a bag, and the order in which they were drawn would dictate who would get assigned the first, second, third, and so on golf rounds, also known as loops. If you were drawn near the back of the group, you might leave and come back later, especially if you were behind more than 100 other caddies, or you might not even come back at all if it was a slow day.

The waiting game at a championship course is a central part of the job. You need to stay at the caddie shack or be present when your name is called, or else risk losing the loop. I think you can see how this might be a large time commitment.

Smaller Country Clubs: More Versatility

Because of the time constraints of working for a championship club, I took another caddying gig at a small private club at the same time because I like their system better, but it came at a price. The smaller country club featured an interesting and attractive schedule for caddies. That involved signing up the week before to put in your availability for mornings or afternoons, and loops were assigned a couple of days in advance. This allowed for more flexibility in being able to get guaranteed loops vs. having to wait around several hours if you didn’t have a request from a member. That flexibility is definitely a huge plus, however, there is a noticeable difference in pay.

As you can guess, the championship club offered a larger base pay, and the members generally tipped a lot more if you could play the waiting game to make this a full-time summer job. The small private club offered great flexibility and the ability to build a consistent schedule, but the pay was less.

If higher pay is your primary goal, I would go for the championship course, but understand that you will sacrifice a lot of time and freedom. On the other hand, if you choose to work for a smaller course, it is possible to make good money and also take on other jobs if you so choose to. I understand everyone’s circumstances and goals are different, so this is something to keep in mind.

It’s also important to consider the work and social environments of a given course. Smaller country clubs have smaller caddie programs, in which everyone knows everyone in a close-knit community of caddies. For the most part, everyone I worked with got along there, but that wasn’t the case in the caddie shack at the championship course. At the championship course, the caddies were very diverse, coming from different countries and aging from 13 to 70 years old. The small club consisted mainly of high-school and college-aged caddies, with the exception of some caddies in their 30s or 40s.

Tournaments typically attracted older, more seasoned caddies back to the smaller clubs because of the increased payout. They would caddie two or three tournaments a year, which isn’t a bad strategy if you build a good relationship with a member, become their go-to caddie, and they pay you well. It could definitely be a nice side gig a couple of times a year if you don’t want to be a full-time caddie.

Other Parts of the Job

I started working at a championship course before I opted for a smaller club. I branched out because I wanted to have more time to golf and also spend time with my friends during my high school and college summers. In addition to the pay, the time spent at the course, and the types and number of people I worked with, there was another major difference I noticed when caddying at the two clubs.

At the championship course, golfers often expected you to hold their drinks and cigars on top of carrying their bag. When I went out to forecaddie, which requires caddies to run at least 250 yards down the fairway to a better viewing position, the golfer would take his cigar back and leave you with his drink most of the time.

When I started working for a small club a couple of years later, I was expecting the same, but I never held anyone’s cigar and rarely carried their drinks. I’m not really sure what it was, maybe just a certain culture that was developed at that championship course vs. the smaller club.

All in all, either type of course is a good idea to try. It is good to experience it for yourself because it might be a different situation for you. You might even want to work at both to see which one you like more, and you may very well appreciate having two jobs. Being a caddie is a nice resume builder for the customer-service industry and can show your loyalty to an employer if you consistently worked at one place through high school, college, and anytime after that.

Each course is different, so do some research to learn about a club and the requirements for their caddie program. You never know, you might even caddie for a professional golfer one day—anything is possible!

The connections you will make are well worth the job as well. Feel free to reach out to a Golf Expert here at Curated for any advice as you start this new adventure in caddying. Best wishes!