Everyone has gone threw the same thoughts at some time…what is the appropriate tip? It adds a level of anxiety into various situations which can be awkward. In some cultures tipping is considered unusual behavior and service members may be equally uncomfortable receiving a tip…a diminishing segment of the population!

A recent USA Today story caught my attention. It goes into great detail for US domestic travel but what about the overseas golfer, what considerations should be taken into account;

• In the British Isles use 10% as a rule of thumb when tipping as compared to 15% in the USA
• In New Zealand & Australia tipping is less expected than USA but more so than in previous years

Having said that what are the relative amounts you should tip, for a job well done. As the USA Today writer points out it it should not be a requirement. Personally I wish the recipient of a tip just make an effort to say thanks, or even a nod of gratitude. Unspoken is fine.

It is hard to go through a list as exhaustive as the article, but my advice would always be to have small denominations of local currency in your pocket…do not be the ugly American and tip the bellboy in Italy with US dollars! A small gesture of some value for effort is appreciated…in local currency!

A number of nicer resorts and hotels charge a daily fee which is in lieu of tipping any member of staff, personally I prefer this solution as it takes the logistics and guess work out of this practise.

Finally, be sure you know the general tipping guidelines for the country you are visiting, specifically if it is part of the culture or frowned upon. In the globalization of the world, tipping is one US export which has done extremely well!
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+