Not every caddie is on TV. Most work at local golf courses or country clubs, earning an hourly wage plus tips. Think of them as the unsung heroes of your weekend round.
At a public course, a caddie might earn $20 to $50 per bag, per round. You can double that with a generous tip—especially if you bogey every hole and they still smile. (That’s true friendship.)
At fancy private clubs, rates jump. Top caddies there can pull in $100,000 a year—cash, baby, and all in fresh khakis. It’s like being a personal trainer, but with more sunscreen and fewer squats.
How Much Does Scottie Scheffler’s Caddie Make? Ted Scott’s Earnings
The Wild Card: Professional Tour Caddies
This is where things get hilarious. Caddies on the PGA Tour are not employees. They’re independent contractors. So they’re basically freelance therapists who happen to know the difference between a 7-iron and a 9-iron.
If your golfer is Tiger Woods (or was, in his prime), a caddie could earn over $1 million a year. That’s because Tiger won a lot. And winning pays. In life and in golf.
But for a rookie on the tour? A caddie might scrape by on $30,000 to $50,000—if they’re lucky. It’s a feast-or-famine biz. One week you’re eating lobster, the next you’re sharing a gas-station hot dog.
