There is no question that employing a professional caddie will enhance your golf experience. Whether by providing great reads and shot recommendations to help lower your scores, or by accelerating pace of play through handling the more mundane tasks (fixing divots, raking bunkers, pulling and replacing pins, carrying and cleaning clubs), caddies have long been an integral part of the game that have seemed out of reach for most everyday golf enthusiasts.
While caddie services will help you play better and focus on the actual golf experience, very few public courses offer them. It’s in that vein that Caddy Time is positioning itself to offer the true high life: A world-class caddie experience for all players on all courses.
The caddies
Caddy Time caddies range from seasoned veterans to those starting out. Prospective caddies are asked to fill out a questionnaire on the system’s app (explained below), and are then assigned a skill ranking based on the results.
The highest level of caddies (Platinum) are professional-level with extensive industry experience, while the lowest level (Bronze) are kicking off their new career or side hustle.
The cost to employ each differs, as well. A Bronze-level caddie should fetch ~ $70 for a round in the Milwaukee area, while the low-handicap option (outlined below) will guarantee you a Gold-level caddie, at minimum, for an extra $30 (many of these rounds are accepted, though, by Platinum-level jocks – like ordering an Uber and having an UberXL show up without the extra charge).
Platinum caddies, who are 5-handicaps or better, are otherwise $120 ($50 more than a Bronze-level option) per round. The $120 Platinum-level fee will ensure a Platinum-level caddie is provided, while the Gold-level option will ensure either Gold or Platinum.
“If I want to reserve a caddie for an 18-hole round at Wanaki Golf Course in Sussex, Wisconsin tomorrow, would it be accepted?”
This is the first question I set out to have answered, and the answer is “Probably.”
Almost 400 caddies are currently registered to work with Caddy Time in the state of Wisconsin – primarily in the Madison and Milwaukee regions – and the likelihood of getting a round picked up by one of them with one day’s notice is high but not guaranteed.
Caddy Time recommends at least 48 hours notice to ensure a successful pairing.
As their roster of professional loopers continues to fill out, the lead time to reserve one will also go down.
Getting started
Registering for Caddy Time is quick and easy. Simply download the app from Google Play or the App Store (for Apple/iPhone users) and register your account. It should take about a minute to enter your name and contact information, then select whether you are a Golfer or Caddy (this is also how you can register to get jobs!).
Putting in a request is just as simple by using the + button on the screen to schedule a new round. Enter the course (which will auto-populate), date and time, length of round and expected logistics, including:
- Walking: Is there a more luxurious golf experience than walking the course with a caddie?
- Riding: The caddie will ride along with you or on the back of the cart
- Physical assistance: The caddie’s primary focus will be on physically assisting you as you move about the course
You will also be asked if the round will be competitive or executive in nature, which are defined as:
- Competitive round: The caddie’s primary focus is as a strategic golf partner
- Executive round: The caddie’s primary focus is on the golfer’s comfort
Caddy Time offers five optional add-ons, which include (along with added cost):
- Low handicap ($30): The caddie will be a 10-handicap or better
- Platinum caddie ($50): The caddie will be a 5-handicap or better
- Picture package ($20): As part of the caddie’s duties, they will also focus on taking photos of the group
- Coaching package ($85): Platinum caddie will caddie for the golfer and provide personalized coaching throughout the round
- Language caddie ($75): Specify a preferred language for communications
The Caddy Time experience
From the caddie’s perspective:
“In the past couple years, I have picked up the obsession that is the sport of golf.
From playing the game and knowing the ups and downs, difficulty of scoring well and certain shots, you gain an appreciation from seeing others do it well. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to caddy at a local golf course in the summer so I had some experience in my background. This past season, I had a good friend of mine introduce me to Caddy Time and sold it as a new app that provided a nice side hustle to make some money while doing something you like being around. The app was easy to set up and the test you take to become a caddy was straight forward and to the point. The requests come through as a notification based off of the radius you set up for your area(s) and the payment worked well as it went straight to my account for the established fee. The tips at the end of the round were a nice addition from the group as I was only contracted by one of the golfers but ended up helping the rest out in any way possible. When you work hard, people tend to notice and show their appreciation!
I was paired up with four quality golfers (would guess all 5-handicap or better) that were all close friends and happened to be relatively the same age as I am. I was able to walk a beautiful course at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, a top course in the area that I have had the opportunity to play twice before but not since their remodel. I was excited to get out and see the upgrades that were made as well as get an idea of how things may be set up for the Sr Open in ’23. The round was a good one, competitive group with a little banter between holes amongst friends to keep the mood fun and light. With my busy schedule this past summer, I was only able to fit in one round as a caddy but it definitely left me wanting to get back out there. If you have the free time and appreciate the game, I highly recommend taking advantage of this great opportunity!”
Ben Hertel
Caddy Time Caddie
From the company, and a customer’s, point of view:
“I have been with Caddy Time since July of 2021 and have been excited about our app since day 1! The app officially launched in September of ’21 and we have seen such amazing growth in the first year with both golfers and caddies. We are now in 40 states and 7 countries and are seeing our users grow on a daily basis.
My own experience with the app has been flawless, from the ease of setting up caddie requests to payments in the app and of course communications with the caddies once my requests have been accepted.
In the past season I have had 2 personal experiences where a caddie gave me a huge competitive advantage. in July where my caddie Isaac had course knowledge to help with target lines and coach ability with my fellow golf partners. The other experience was with my caddie David in August when he went above and beyond to help us secure a 2nd place finish in a tournament by having yardages readily available and make the round a smooth-comfortable round like we had been golfing buddies for years.
Caddy Time is a great app that brings the old tradition of having a caddie on your bag into the digital age with an “Uber” like ease of use that will elevate any golfer’s round!”
Nicholas Bauer
Vice President of Caddy Time
Golf course operators
With golf as hot as it is these days, many courses are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition by offering a unique or elevated experience.
As a few examples here in Wisconsin, SentryWorld in Stevens Point switched to an all-inclusive model this year, offering a single rate of $275/day that includes 18 holes with cart as well as all the food and drinks that can be consumed during a round.
Some properties, like Lawsonia and a handful of private clubs in the state, are partnering with providers of unique riding experiences like Finn Scooters. Grand Geneva had GolfBoards available the last time I was there in 2018, and others have remote-controlled carts and trolleys available for rental.
The very best, like our state’s great destination resorts – Kohler, Erin Hills and Sand Valley – rely heavily on world-class caddie programs to take their guests’ on-course experience to the next level.
Your course does not have to be a world-class resort to offer a terrific caddie experience, though. In fact, with the emergence of Caddy Time, courses can now set up a third party caddie program without ever employing an FTE to manage it. The Caddy Time system can work for courses without ever involving contracts, investments or other headaches, and can even provide a small revenue stream whereby the course is paid a small dollar amount for each round caddied on-property.
If offered, do you have members or guests who would employ caddies either regularly or on special occasions? If so, and if you’d like to learn more about how Caddy Time can help you elevate your course’s golf experience, simply fill out the form below to get the conversation started.
Caddy Time is doing great things right here in Wisconsin!
Along with being the official caddie partner for the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour of Canada, Caddy Time also partners with the Wisconsin Junior Golf Foundation and has committed to donate $1 for every round caddied in Wisconsin toward an end of year scholarship fund.
It’s my opinion that we should all do our very best to make that donation sizable!
The next time you’ve got a big round lined up that you’re hoping to make the most of, give Caddy Time a try and discover for yourself how a professional caddie can elevate any and every round of golf.
Get 15% off your caddied rounds by mentioning WiscoGolfAddict in the app!
Set up your own Caddy Time account using this handy walk-through – mention WiscoGolfAddict in the “Notes” for 15% off your caddied round!
