We have all been in that situation at a private course, or even a public course.

The annoying kid who cleans your clubs and takes the cart away small talks his way to maybe a few dollar tip.

For the record, I can call those guys annoying because I’m one of them. I flip carts and wash clubs for some extra cash on the weekends.

But here is the great debate.

Should you tip them?

Here are rationales for both sides, and then my obvious thoughts on it.

Don’t Tip:

Well, it is their job. They get an hourly wage and they are doing exactly what their job description says. Why does this kid need to be fake nice to me? Just talk to me like a human and have a good conversation. I think it is so weird when they are quiet and or shy and the whole experience of you trying to put stuff away, while they clean your clubs is the worst.

Tip:

They are going above and beyond for you. When you tip them, they remember you and make sure to treat you well. People do this regularly get the most attention and washed the best. You talk to them more and feel more connected to the for some reason or the other.

At the end of the day, just tip them. At a private course, it is worth it for many reasons. 1. They could remember you didn’t tip and not even clean your clubs. They remember who tips, so get on their good side early. Throwing 3-10 bucks at someone flipping carts isn’t going to break your bank,

Plus, most of the time, like myself, they are doing it as college kids looking for some extra money to spend on the weekends. The older guys working just want the free golf.