This article originally appeared in The Undercover Newsletter, where we grant anonymity to people in golf who’ve got something to say. Here a locker room attendant who has worked multiple PGA Tour events is interviewed by Editorial Director Max Adler. To receive this newsletter regularly, sign up to be a Golf Digest+ member.
I have worked over 50 tour events as a locker room attendant. It’s a privilege to take care of the best golfers in the world. It’s usually a 100-hour week. My pre-tournament checklist runs several pages and includes much more than just shoe service and locker nametags. I’m organizing tables for massage therapists, Shotlink and autograph items; coordinating dry cleaning, mail, and FedEx shipments; keeping tabs on security and cleaning services; installing new mats on tiled floors so players with steel spikes don’t slip and fall, making sure there are enough towels when it rains, and on and on.
I want to be respectful, grateful and not sound greedy, yet fair is fair. The PGA Tour has a mandatory $50 locker fee each week. Those that honor it usually pay more. Many pay twice as much and a few well beyond. I sincerely appreciate being tipped because it is part of how I and other locker room attendants make our living. But this past season there were several events where a significant number of players did not pay.
It used to be the rare exception on regular PGA Tour events if someone didn’t pay, maybe one or two at most. Usually, it was an honest mistake, and I believe it is still that way. But I’ve noticed the problematic events tend to be opposite other big events and so the fields have a more varied mix of players from many tours. The primary reasons for not tipping are not knowing better, trying to save some money, not understanding the amount of work performed by the attendants and cultural differences.
At a PGA Tour event this summer, won by a European, I managed the locker room. There were over 40 no-pays out of a field of 156. Sorry to say and no disrespect intended, but most were DP World Tour players. A DP World Tour official told me that each player was made aware of the American tipping culture and policy. I do not think $50 is asking a lot. I also worked a LIV event in America this year where 12 of the 48 golfers were no-pays. Although a few were extremely generous.
I respect all the pros and want to do a good job. I do not expect everyone to tip like Phil Mickelson. Personally, I think that players who miss the cut on the PGA Tour should be paid $5000.00 minimum for weekly travel expenses, although that is another matter. How much is a fair tip? I say $100 each for PGA Tour players and $200 each for LIV Golf players, providing we do our job. The exact amount is your choosing and the winner’s tip is another topic. If we don’t do a good job, then we shouldn’t get any tip. Fair enough?
In 2023, two PGA Tour rules officials installed a screen as part of the computer registration process that explained the required $50 fee. To advance to the next screen, the player registering had to click accept. I would prefer there not be any system at the end of the week to monitor payments. Check-outs are busy and fast-paced, and it is possible to forget who paid. It would be embarrassing to ever have to ask a player’s name when he is paying. Also, it would be terrible if someone was ever put on a “no-pay list” when in fact he had paid. The best solution is to keep educating players that there is a locker fee (a fee is not a tip, by the way) and hopefully we’ll see fewer no-pays. Also, LIV officials could mention taking care of the locker guys or make it a policy, too.
I liked it this summer when one tournament director sent a group email to the field after play concluded reminding any pro who might not have paid to please do so. That promoted six players to pay who hadn’t. One general manager at a different tour site suggested charging each player a set locker fee at registration, but I’m against that. Although I appreciated him caring. I would rather see cheerful giving than players being forced to do so.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
