For 30 years, Robert “Bobby” Hopkins has schlepped golf bags around Wykagyl Country Club as a professional caddy making a living on bag fees and tips.
Now Hopkins is demanding minimum wage and overtime compensation in a class action complaint filed Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court in White Plains, for working up to seven days and 69 hours a week.
“Caddies are an intricate part of the experience of playing a round of golf at Wykagyl,” Hopkins says, but the country club is violating state and federal labor laws.
Wykagyl traces its history back to 1898 when golf in America was taking flight. The current course opened in 1905 in New Rochelle, and it has been the site of several professional tournaments.
About 90% of the golfers use caddies, according to the complaint.
They retrieve balls, clean the golf clubs and balls, fix divots, rake sand traps, and remove the flag when golfers are putting. When asked, they suggest the golf club to use.
Their shifts begin around 7 a.m., the complaint states, and they work until dark six to seven days.
The caddy master usually assigns the caddy to two golfers for each 4-hour to 4.5 hour round of the course, and the caddies work up to two rounds a day.
Their sole compensation is $120 per bag, according to the complaint, plus a tip at the golfer’s discretion. They are not paid for the time waiting for an assignment and they do not receive wage statements.
Hopkins also claims that the club has never notified caddies that they are tipped employees, which would entitle them to a lower minimum wage.
The complaint does not state how much Hopkins typically makes in bag fees and tips. A rough minimum can be calculated on the information provided but not including bad weather or sick days that would reduce his income or tips that would increase his compensation.
Carrying two bags for one round a day for six to seven days would earn $1,440 to $1,680 per week in bag fees. Assuming a 35-week season, the caddy would earn at least $50,400 to $58,800 in bag fees. Carrying up to 4 bags a day would double the income on those days.
Receiving the $15 an hour minimum wage for service workers in Westchester County and $22.50 overtime pay for the 57 to 69 hours a week Hopkins says he works would earn $983 to $1,253 a week and $34,377 to $43,838 per 35-week season.
After his attorney gave the country club a draft of the complaint on Oct. 14, some members of the club allegedly told Hopkins that they did want him to caddy for them, and some allegedly relayed harsh messages through other caddies, calling him selfish and greedy. The complaint depicts the critical statements as retaliation and harassment.
Hopkins is demanding unspecified damages for alleged violations of state and federal laws on overtime pay, minimum wages, and spread-of-hours pay; failure to provide wage statements and labor notices; and retaliation.
Wykagyl General Manager Robert Kasara did not reply to an email asking for the club’s side of the story.
The lawsuit, filed by Manhattan attorney Douglas B. Lipsky, was brought as a class action on behalf of all 60 or so caddies who work at Wykagyl.
Hi, brings back great memories of caddy days at Pelham CC in ’70s.
When I started it was $6 a bag, we got a raise to $7 then $8 a bag. A good round was carrying two bags say $16 then carry putters for 2 on a golf cart $4-$5 each. As you gained seniority you had less wait time, of course some days were slow or it would rain, or be cold. You could pay a good portion of college expenses by caddying and learning to play golf, we were allowed to play the course on Mondays, I still play avidly.
I kind of worked my way into working in the golf shop and one day had he job to escort Gene Sarzen for the day when he was part of club tournament. Then there are the Caddy Scholarship programs and Caddy Day programs at which there were meals and gifts the members provided.
As the rates have gone up caddying has become a profession, away to make a living, and weekend job for folks who need to make extra money like teachers. The people at golf courses who should recieve more consideraiton might be the staff who do maintenance, cut the grass, make the courses look so perfect.