Golf beverage cart workers have a unique role on the golf course. These workers serve food and drinks to players during their round via a mobile cart. These are different to the workers who work in the clubhouse as they are stationed on the course itself and are there to help keep golfers refreshed and hydrated.
Although they are not always present on public golf courses, they are a regular feature at private clubs. Players typically love these workers because it means they don’t have to venture all the way back to the clubhouse mid-round to purchase a beverage.
With this job becoming more and more popular, we are going to take a look today at how much these workers make on average, in addition to providing you with some tips for if you’re just starting out as a golf beverage cart worker.
How Much Money Do Golf Beverage Cart Workers Make? Hours And Tips
As golf beverage cart workers tend to work in private clubs, their salaries vary on a club by club basis. One thing that is typical across the board is that cart workers are paid by the hour, not with a salary.
According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a golf beverage cart worker in the United States is $ 33,453, which works out at roughly $15 an hour. Add it tips and that number can sore to as high as $21 per hour. While that may not look appetizing as a long-term career, it could be a great position for a university student looking to work part-time alongside their studies.
As state above, the $15 an hour does not take into account the fact that there is also the opportunity to make tips while working as a golf beverage cart worker. In fact, successful golf cart workers can make up to half their income in tips. Golfers at a private clubs tend to be quite wealthy so if they are provided with good service, they typically will tip the golf staff well.
As with any job, you can’t bank on tips to supplement your salary all the time. During holidays or tournament weekends you can make upwards of $200+ while rainy days or slow weekends can lead to no tip income at all .
Another thing to consider when looking at the earnings of golf beverage cart workers are the non-monetary benefits. Working for a private golf club will likely result in you receiving various benefits including business networking, reduced green fees, and discounts at the club shop. If you are an avid golfer, then working as a golf beverage cart worker could see you land some unique benefits.
What Hours Do Beverage Cart Workers Work?
The hours of beverage cart workers will, again, vary from club to club. Some clubs will want a cart worker out on the course all day every day while some might only be interested in having one on during the peak times or in the summer months when traffic is at its highest. Most beverage cart workers can expect to work Thursday to Sunday from 9am-6pm during seasonal peaks. These shifts are typically split between available staff.
With that in mind, being a beverage cart work is not a job that you should rely on for consistent income as the hours are not always reliable. Rainy or slow days can lead to cancelled shifts, which sometimes happen on short notice.
Is Working A Beverage Cart A Hard Job?
Working a beverage cart is a more difficult job than it sounds. On the face of it, it seems that all you have to do is stand outside on a beautiful golf course in the sun and serve people food and drinks. Not to mention the fact that you are likely to pick up tips throughout the day.
In reality, it is more strenuous than that. For starters, you will have to keep going back and forth to the clubhouse to ensure your stock is always fully replenished. On top of that, the cart itself can be quite difficult to drive especially when it’s carrying a heavy load.
Despite the fact you have a golf cart, there is still an element of physical excursion with the job which can prove to be difficult on a long, hot summer’s day. Anyone who has played a full 18 hole round of golf before will tell you about how tiring it is. So, for the times you aren’t on your golf cart, the job will involve a fair bit of walking, so it isn’t exactly going to be light work.
Another potential challenge will be the golf course clientele. In any client facing interaction, you always run this risk of encountering obnoxious and, in some cases, downright rude customers. When serving alcoholic beverages, this risk almost becomes a certainty. Beverage cart workers need to have thick skin and the ability to stand up for themselves. This is important factor that a potential beverage cart worker needs to account for before starting this position.
From a mental point of view, it isn’t smooth sailing either. Most clubs will require their golf beverage cart workers to manage the stock inventory at the end of the day, so you need to be on the ball and good at inputting data electronically. Additionally, you’ll need to be a quick mathematician to deal with money and change.
Tips For New Beverage Cart Workers
If you are thinking of applying for a position as a golf beverage cart worker, or if you have already been accepted for the position, then we have some tips here for you that will help you in the role:
- Be friendly. At the end of the day, your main job is to provide excellent customer service so be friendly to customers and help them have a good time while they’re on the course. Being helpful and welcoming to players will only increase the chance of tips, too.
- Try to only take orders on the tee box. If you start serving people while they’re on or around the green then you’re going to hold up the group behind them. This is only going to cause an unnecessary backlog to play and could impact the tee times for rest of the day.
- Don’t disrupt play. This one seems like common sense but respect the golfers on the course and don’t ask for orders while someone is going through their practice swing or approaching their ball. While some players won’t mind too much, others could get really annoyed and lodge a complaint against you.
Final Thoughts
Overall, a golf beverage cart worker has the potential to be a really fun job for the right person. It can be a great way to earn some extra cash on the weekends while at the same time brushing shoulders with some influence and wealthy golfers. On the other hand, unreliable work and inconsistent tip income can be real challenges for a beverage cart worker looking for consistent wages. If you have been thinking about working as a beverage cart worker, give it a shot. At worst, you will meet new people while adding some cash to your wallet.
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