FAQ: What are weekly expenses like – on average – to travel to a Tour stop?
By The Caddie Network Staff · December 19, 2019
Through our readers and social media followers here at The Caddie Network, we often receive questions related to the caddie profession. We’ve collected the most frequently asked questions from our readers and followers and tasked actual PGA Tour caddies to serve up the answers based on their experiences. Here are the answers — from PGA Tour caddies — to the questions we most often receive from you.
The PGA Tour is like a traveling circus. It’s pretty much the same people each week, but in a different city. With all that travel comes plenty of expenses — expenses that caddies obviously have to pay with their own money. While it ranges from city to city, here’s a closer look at what weekly expenses are like — on average — to travel to a Tour stop.
What are weekly expenses like – on average – to travel to a Tour stop?
Expenses are about the amount of your weekly salary (before the bonus). Hotels and airfare are big hits, depending on cities that host the event. Los Angeles will cost more than Moline. Caddies are resourceful, so if their salary is $1,800, they will find ways to stay at that number.
What is constant is that the money goes to the same places every week. Air, hotel, car, food… my expenses on these constants average $1,500 to $2,000. They just fluctuate between themselves. Sometimes you get a good flight, but high room rate. Get what I’m saying? Caddies spend 90 percent of salary on expenses!
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I assume the schedule is talked about and set for the year. But what if your pro wants to audible out to China/Singapore/Dubai for some easy cash. Any help with those expenses?
Pro’s will definitely help with international costs! A lot of caddies do drive split hotel cost, able to stay with friends/family. Plus tournaments feed the caddied well. I’m thinking that $1,500 is on the high side.
do you get a hot dog at the turn?
I would gladly offer a spare bedroom with its own bathroom for a caddy for a tournament the next time one is in the Washington DC area. No strings attached and I’m not a nut. Just a golf fan. How do you let caddies know it is available?
Maybe I’m naive, I could see this for players/caddies starting out. But, how could so many caddies, that have been around for years, stay in the game if every week was break even? I would think, given the payouts, and the longevity of many, there must be more to the equation. I would think caddies of all the “established” pro’s make a handsome income.
They don’t make their living on their base salaries. Their net is the ten or so percent of winnings.
Apart from a major I think it’s a long time since a caddie earned 10% for a win.