How to Get a Job as a Golf Caddy

If you’re passionate about the sport of golf, then becoming a golf caddy could be the best way to make a career in the industry. You’ll spend your days on the links and might even rub shoulders with some of golf’s greatest players – like Jim “Bones” Mackay, Phil Mickelson’s long-time caddy.

Most people need to learn how to get a job as a golf caddy that pays well enough to become a career. If you’re in the same boat, we’ve got you covered. Please keep reading to learn what a golf caddy does, how much they make, and what it takes to become one.

What is a Golf Caddy?

A golf caddy carries a golfer’s clubs at the most fundamental level as they go from hole to hole. But modern golf caddies tend to do a lot more than this.

For example, a professional caddy on the PGA tour will often help the golfer they work with choose clubs for different shots and advise them about the hazards they may not be aware of on each hole.

In this way, high-level caddies play a material role in the performance of the golfers they work for. The advice they give can be the difference between whether the golfer does well that day on the course.

What Does a Golf Caddy Do?

Most people assume that a golf caddy’s only responsibility is to carry clubs around a gold course. But that’s just the start of it.

If you’re a golf caddy that works for a professional golfer, you’ll often head out to each course on the tour a few days before the golfer arrives. It will be your responsibility to scout the course’s terrain and make notes of any potential issues the golfer may face while playing it.

Caddies are also responsible for providing advice targeted to the golfer they’re working for while the golfer is playing. For example, they might give the golfer a specific club recommendation based on what they know about the golfer’s driving capabilities or putting proficiency.

Put, a golf caddy acts as a partner to a professional golfer. This is why some of the top professional golfers keep the same caddy for years and years.

How Much Does a Golf Caddy Make?

The salary of a golf caddy depends on a few different things. If a caddy works for a course instead of a player, they may earn an hourly wage between $15 and $50 depending on skill and experience, as well as the prestige of the course.

However, a high-level golf cady salary can be upwards of one million per year. But these figures are reserved for the top of the profession, such as caddies who work closely with the best golfers on the PGA Tour.

As you think about the job benefits of working as a golf caddy, caddies typically earn a percentage of their golfer’s tournament winnings, which can add quite a bit to the caddy’s salary.

For example, the winner of the 2022 Masters earned a $2.7 million payout. Even if his caddy only took home 5% of that, it’s still a vast amount of money – especially when combined with everything else made during the year.

Job Benefits as a Golf Caddy

There are a lot of benefits to becoming a golf caddy that can appeal to certain types of people. You’ll get to spend your days working outdoors on the golf course. For some, that’s a dream come true.

Additionally, high-level golf caddies can earn a lot of money and get travel quite a bit. This helps keep the job extremely interesting and engaging since you’ll see the world while making good money.

Getting a Job as a Golf Caddy

Getting your first job as a golf caddy is a challenging thing. But rising the ranks to the point where this can become a career is more complicated. Here’s some advice to get you started.

Work on Your Golf Game

The best golf caddies stand out because they’re able to provide helpful high-level advice to professional golfers who already understand the game at the ultimate level.

To become capable of delivering this kind of advice, you may need to work on your golf game. Becoming a skilled golfer yourself will help you better understand the golfers you work for and provide advice that makes you an indispensable part of their team.

Start at a Country Club or Local Course

Most local golf courses and country clubs hire caddies to work for the golfers who play there. You can start in the industry by applying for one of these positions.

They’re often easy enough to get, but if you’re having a tough time, playing at the course where you want to work may help you get your foot in the door.

Network in the Golf Industry

The next step in this process is forming relationships within professional golf. Doing this will help you take action from being an amateur caddy at a local club to working for a golfer that travels the world to play the sport professionally.

You can do this by taking advantage of local tournaments that allow you to meet professional golfers and work as a caddy for one at a local course.

Know Where to Apply For the Best Jobs

If you want to turn your passion for golf into a lucrative caddying career, you must quickly pounce on the best job opportunities. JobsInSports.com can help you do that by sending you notifications when new jobs become available in your areas of interest so that you can always be one of the first to apply.

So why wait? First, sign up for a free account with us today.