I’ve been a caddie for 16 years and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “soon you’ll have to get a real job”.
If you find the right courses and meet the right people, you can easily pull in 2-3k per week working 20-30 hour weeks. 20 hours if you consider just five 4 hour rounds, or 30 if you consider the commute and extra stuff on both sides of the round.
Yes, you don’t get the perks nor the stability of a corporate job. That is its biggest down side. But being paid to workout in the sunshine, meet influential and interesting people, and at a place where people want to be is special. You’re there to hangout with some guys for a few hours and have a great time.
I have a degree in electrical engineering and decided to put it in my back pocket for when I need it. I just love this job more than anything.
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Not really an unpopular opinion.
Seems like you’re really worked up over people telling you it’s not a real job, though.
You figured it out. Enjoy that shit
Live you life and enjoy it mate. Doesn’t have to be forever but it’s good for now.
Popular Opinion: more than 99% of the world’s population would love to have Steve Williams’ job/career.
You do you, but I can’t support anything that involves supporting the world’s most boring activity and ‘sport’ of golf.
You will undeniably make way more doing any electrical engineering related job, then you will become the one with the caddy
Not a real job, just lucky.
In a well -paying job with no security, make sure to invest a part of your money in stable assets like debt funds and g-sec bonds so that you have a safety net in your old age.
I mean, it’s a job.. not a long term career
It’s not a career. It’s just a job. There’s nowhere to go and it’s not the top. That’s fine too.
In college I was friends with the soon to be caddy of Patrick Reed and he’s killing it.
Is your life enjoyable?
Are you happy where you’re at?
Does your income allow for comfort?
If your answer is yes to these than who cares what others say. Live life and enjoy what you got going on
That’s beautiful
Who is this unpopular with?
I agree, lots of growth and room for advancement
I’d rather work to be the interesting guy having my clubs carried than carrying someone’s clubs for them. But that’s just me.
It’s the same reason serving isn’t a career. As in you get little to none benefits so it’s hard to build a life out of it
But of course you can make a career out of anything. Some jobs are just harder to do it
Reminds me of the movie Lifeguard (1976). Everyone was pressuring this guy to get a regular job and not to keep being a lifeguard in his 30s, but he didn’t want all that noise.
Not an unpopular opinion, since I don’t think caddying is a job most people spend any amount of time thinking about (in a positive or negative way).
If it pays your bills, it’s a real job.
If you could “easily” make $100-150k caddying, people would be lined up around the block. Caddies on the PGA tour make around that number, the average guy isn’t getting close
If I had known it paid that well, I would have become a caddy. I hate my office job. You get to be around people when they’re trying to be happy. I get to be around people when they’re miserable and/or politicking.
I disagree with you, but fuck what I or anybody else thinks.
If you’re happy, you’re happy. And that’s all that matters. It’s your life
https://www.google.com/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/11175291/parkinsons-disease-linked-living-near-golf-course-study/amp/
Hoh man I shoulda kept schlepping clubs for half drank beers and ditchweed tucked into the back nine at the shitty local course growing up huh
I’m not a part of the golf world so maybe I’m just clueless. But 2k for 5x 4 hour rounds means people are paying $400 for a caddy for one round?
I assume this is the top 0.1%
How does one become a caddy? What else do you do besides carry and hand over clubs? Hell I’ll quit my job next week and start caddying.
My neighbor is a professional caddie. He makes great money.
Tom, is that you?
Yeah, and you will probably get an electrical engineering job at one of the companies owned by the people you caddy for.
That kind of quality networking is something golf courses could almost charge for.
I always kind of thought it would be kind of a hard thing to get into.
How many Caddyshack jokes do you have to endure in a given week?
Sounds way better than the last 20 years of doing web development in the corporate world, working countless unpaid hours only to deal with layoffs and a tanking job market.
Corporate job stability is extremely overrated. I’ve been thinking of a career change and this might just be it for me actually as I love golf. I’m just not sure I’m good enough at reading putts lol
AYFKM? I’d KILL for a caddying job!!! Q
Sounds fake, you’ve got an engineering degree but you’d rather caddy with zero benefits.
Check out The Parable Of The Mexican Fisherman if you haven’t already
My brother got into this. I think it might be deceiving though- the op-
There are only so many courses. My bro is trying to pay for school and does fly to a state for the summer. Great money… but dont be deceived by op headline. Its seasonal and regional. So tech correct but all things considered its not a tip any more than “an undertaker is a legitimate career”. Oc it is, all things considered. Thank God my brother uses it to pay for school.
Just don’t pay no 50 cents for no Coke
I worked in the restaurant/bar industry for years and I heard about these ‘real jobs’ about a million times over those years lol
Plus free golf🤷♂️
Don’t see a downside.
What’s a caddy?
I used to work as a valet at a fancy spot – best job I ever had. On average, I was making around $25 an hour (with good nights exceeding $35/hr) and I got to bullshit with my coworkers, only had to work hard for about 2 hours out of the 6 hour shift and it kept me fit, since we ran for cars (usually doing about 4 – 5 miles/shift)…Not to mention the opportunity to drive super cars that I wouldn’t have otherwise – Ferraris, McLarens, rare vintage cars, you name it.
I had a lot of fun with this job. I currently make nearly twice as much as I did on an average night of valeting, but I still miss it. It was just awesome – I was cool with all my coworkers, we were all young guys trying to figure life out, we drove cars we could only ever hope to own (and enjoyed those cars beyond the boundries of the job to be sure) and made good money doing it while staying fit.
Godspeed to you man – do what you enjoy if you can afford it.
Yeah, I’ve always heard stuff like that. “Imagine being a great golfer but you wind up caddying in this professional tournament”… and it’s like… that would be an amazing accomplishment. People don’t realize too that caddying is much much more than “just carrying clubs”.
That’s more than double my pay and half my house and I went to college (to be a teacher, jokes on me)
I don’t think it’s that easy and you might just be a good Caddie
Bullshit.
Taking the low end of your post (20 hours per week for $2k) is 5 loops per week, 2 bags. Comes out to approximately $200 per bag. Is that true??? If so, crazy but good for you.
you’ve cracked the code. ride that train as long as you can
If you’re happy doing what you do and you earn enough to support yourself and any dependents you might have, you have won at life. Forget what anyone else says.
On the other hand, if you and your kids live with your parents for financial reasons, you probably need to consider a career change.
Well the world needs ditch diggers
If you don’t already, keep a notebook in case you get any good ideas when you are bouncing around influential people.
Here’s your flowers. Now go get therapy
2k per week is pretty damn good maybe I need to switch careers lol
Anything that pays your bills is a legitimate career. If you like it then it’s even more legitimate.
I have a buddy that caddy’s at Pebble. He’s done with work by 11, makes good money, has benefits and mingles with some fun people. Seems like he’s got it figured out to me.
I know from talking to some professional caddies that they can make absolute bank. The ones I knew blew it all on booze and coke but they still made enough money to drink and snort drugs all off-season and not have to work.
Don’t people who spend a lot of time on golf courses have an increase in medical issues due to an increase in lawn care chemical exposure.
Edit: gold -> golf
Who cares? If it works for you, it works for you. Don’t waste time explaining this to people, they don’t care and will continue to make the same comments.
I wish I enjoyed walking on manicured lawns as much as you. You did it. You hacked the system
But what if you hate golf? Can you still be a successful caddy?
I’m not rich enough to have an opinion on this.
You’re getting like a $500 tip on average?!
Roughly $120k per year income for working 30 hours a week INCLUDING commute?
Damn bro, you have definitely made it in life.
As a former caddie myself, can you explain the math? I’m assuming to make that money you have to carry 2 sets of clubs twice a day for the 6 day week? From what I understand caddies are paid $100-$150 per bag per round.
Having caddied for my dad and his friends once, honestly, I could get down with it if I could. I can’t walk for very long, but if I get to drive a golf cart, I could do it.
What do you mean with working out?
Also if you enjoy it, fuck the rest.
It’s called a low percent job. You happen to have the good one. It’s like being a YouTuber. Very high risk, but if you can pull it off, keep doing it. It would be irresponsible to recommend it though.
question how long are you able to do it? How long are people going to want to keep you on?
what happens when you get to be 45, and the money stops?
No way you have enough saved for the remainder of your life.
It pays the bills comfortably, you have a good fallback, and you’re happy at work; my friend, you’re right where you should be.
If it pays the bills its a job, the problem is something tells me one does not simply “find the right people” or even just happen into that position
YES! This is an awesome testimonial.
My dad did this after 40 years as an insurance exec – couldn’t believe he was making almost as much being on a golf course as he did as a corporate firefighter!
That’s like when I would kick someone out when I was bartending and they would try and insult what I did for a living. Dude your card declined on your hundred dollar tab. I make more than you do in a week on Monday.
Not really a golfer, what do caddies do exactly?
“put it in my back pocket”, a degree with little to no experience in the last decade (especially an engineering degree) isn’t going to get you anywhere. You might as well just burn that piece of paper, you’re a caddy now. With your experience I’d be looking at private caddying for someone on the PGA tour.
LOOPS! 🪄⛳✨
Actually this can be expanded to basically any job where you provide services directly in person to rich people. Especially if it’s a place where they socialize and thus make it a point to pay you well.
You have no idea what I’d give for a job that pays the bills and I genuinely enjoy. That sounds like the dream. Right now I’ve got neither and it feels a little hopeless sometimes.
Opie?
Yo so I’m a dog groomer and for some reason if you google our salaries it looks like I would be making dirt I mad very close to six figures last year (more if I counted cash tips) and still get comments about a real adult job meanwhile my wife with a couple degrees people assume pay the bills while I’m actuality with her “adult job” makes significantly less than me. people just genuinely don’t know and that’s okay if your happy and your bills are paid let em say what they say and continue doing what you like and is paying your way through life
Don’t sweat it. I’m a bartender and I serve a lot of caddies in my area. We compare tips and they get it. Many other people will make conversation by asking me what I do for a living.
Don’t get me wrong, I have side jobs. I do landscaping, light home repairs, I’m an artist and it helps with bills but bartending is enjoyable, fulfilling, and keeps me socialized when I’d rather crawl in a hole and let depression overcome.
But if someone asks me, I spread my arms and say “This. Someone’s gotta serve you, amirite?”
I’ve tried big girl jobs. I’d love insurance and a retirement plan but no one offers that and it’s boring as fuck with no incentive to stay if I don’t get benefits. So here I am making more than the people that look down on me.
I don’t know much about golf but sign me up. I’ll learn real quick what all the clubs are and what they’re meant for.
I have a question. 3000 a week, assuming you get to keep everything, for 30 hours a week means you earn 100 an hour. Who is paying you $25 non-stop for 15 minute caddy rides?
Any exchange of your time & service for money IS a REAL job.
What is caddying
How much do you earn if you don’t find the right courses or meet the right people?
Being involved in Golf is one of the worst things you can do for the planet, community, and public health.
Are you happy? Are you fulfilled? Does it meet your needs and further your goals? Sounds like it does! I believe you are winning sir!
Fellow looper here. I work at very high end clubs and do very well. It takes some time to work your way up in the ranks. You have to have the right personality for it. I’ve been able to play some spectacular courses because of it. Including Augusta National many times!
Been working golf course maintenance for ten years now. I keep hearing the same thing.
“Don’t you want a career?”
My guy I do have one. I’ve been doing it for ten years. It might be glorified lawn maintenance but all my shit is paid. And I didn’t have to sell my soul and all my free time to a CEO.
Fuck man… I’m sure you have an incredible social network of influential people. I’m sure for any reason if you ever “had” to work a standard job, you could just ask some of your contacts. So much hiring is done on “who you know that knows a guy.” You are living the dream.
As long as you pay taxes and invest right, you could make some serious money to fund a very cushy retirement. Idk what your lifestyle is, but if you can afford even 1k a month in stocks, like the S&P index, you could be looking at almost 2 mil in 30 years.
The biggest thing is how long you can do the job. Age takes a toll, so invest for your future.
MetalNutSack unchained
I hate sports but even I support this 1000%
Tiger Woods’ caddy used to be the highest paid “sports person” from New Zealand .. might be a small group of caddies that get to stick with the major winners and get rich, but still..
I didn’t know this is something people looked down upon (I get it with your explanation though) but surprisingly enough I’ve always wanted to try out a caddy job. Those carts just look so fun and like you said, you’re hanging out in the sun with some people just chillin. I wish I understood golf better and had the time if I did, id definitely do this job
Cheech did it well. Even bagger vance.
Does it also come with free rounds of golf? Asking for a friend
Electrical engineering degree without relevant experience or actively practicing it is useless. You’d start as an entry level engineer
That sound pretty damn good but the whole degree in your back pocket thing will that really work 16 years down the line and you have the degree and no job experience?
Absolutely. I have good paying career, and I’d do it if I could, but I am not good or knowledgeable at golf.