Buggies, Caddies and Etiquette in Florida
Florida is cart country, but the picture is more interesting than that: Streamsong was built for walking, TPC Sawgrass runs a real caddie program, and the resort norm of a cart in every fee shapes how the whole state plays. Here is how to plan your rounds.
Photo: Streamsong Resort via Google.
The short answer
Expect to ride. The default Florida round comes with a shared cart, very often built into the green fee, and many resort and community courses are routed on the assumption that everyone uses one. Distances between greens and tees can be long, summer heat is serious, and the cart with a cooler in the back is simply how the state plays golf.
The exceptions are the destinations traveling golfers care most about. Streamsong's courses were designed for walking and the resort goes walking only in the heart of winter. TPC Sawgrass lets visitors walk the Stadium Course with a caddie. And the famous private clubs of the southeast coast remain caddie cultures behind their gates. If walking matters to you, Florida can deliver it, you just have to choose deliberately.
Carts, walking and caddies at the courses that matter
| Venue | How it works |
|---|---|
| Streamsong | Designed for walking; carts available roughly March to late December at about $35 per person, walking only from late December through February. Caddies required before 8 am or with a cart on Red, Blue and Black; The Chain is walking only. Caddies are paid in cash at the player's discretion |
| TPC Sawgrass | Visitors may walk only with a caddie, otherwise carts are mandatory. Double bag walking caddie about $70 per golfer, single bag about $110, suggested gratuity around $50 cash; forecaddies serve riding groups. Reserve caddies up to 48 hours ahead |
| Resort golf, Orlando to Naples | Cart included in the fee is the norm; walking is often restricted at peak times and some communities require carts. Forecaddie service exists at the premium tier |
| Municipal and daily fee courses | Walking is usually allowed, sometimes after a set hour; cart fees commonly $20 to $40 where charged separately. Push carts are widely accepted |
Policies verified June 2026 from resort and club published information; they vary by season, day and time of day, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee times with our tee time partner.
Riding, heat and the Florida rhythm
From June to September the cart is not a luxury, it is heat management. Tee off early, drink more water than you think you need, and treat the afternoon thunderstorm as a scheduling fact rather than a possibility; sirens clear the course and the cart gets you in fast. In winter the calculation flips, and walking a morning round in 20 C sunshine is one of Florida golf's quiet pleasures where the course allows it.
Cart discipline is the etiquette that matters most. Follow the day's rule on the first tee board: cart paths only after rain, or the 90 degree rule when fairways are open, meaning you cross to your ball at a right angle and return to the path. Keep carts well clear of greens, tees and marked hazard lines, and park behind the green facing the next tee so the group behind can hit.
Caddies and how to use them well
Florida's caddie culture lives at its destination courses and great private clubs rather than across the state. At Streamsong the caddies know the blind lines and the enormous greens on three very different courses, and first time visitors get their money's worth in saved shots alone. At TPC Sawgrass a caddie turns the Stadium Course from an ambush into a strategy lesson, and tells you exactly how much of the 17th green to trust.
The etiquette is simple: caddies at these venues are independent contractors paid in cash at the end of the round, so visit a cash machine before you arrive, listen to the read the first few holes before second guessing, and tip toward the generous end if the loop was good. A caddie who has walked you around Streamsong Red in a four ball has earned it.
Etiquette and how to plan around it
Pace is the local religion. Florida tee sheets run full in season and the marshals are not shy; ready golf, one practice swing and a cart that keeps moving will make you welcome anywhere. Dress codes at resort level mean a collar and no denim as the safe baseline, covered in detail in our Florida dress code guide.
When you build the trip, decide which rounds are walking days and book those courses first, because Streamsong's winter walking window and Sawgrass caddie slots are exactly the things that sell out. Fee levels across the state are in our Florida green fees guide, the seasonal calculation is in when to play Florida, and the courses worth planning around are ranked in how to play the best golf in Florida.
Plan a Florida golf trip
We build Florida trips around the rounds that need planning, Streamsong, Sawgrass and the resort golf between them, with hotels and tee times costed to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling, with no obligation.
Florida buggies, caddies and etiquette questions
Are golf carts included in Florida green fees?
Very often, yes. Most Florida resort and daily fee courses price the round with a shared cart included, and many expect you to ride. Where carts are charged separately, Streamsong's roughly $35 per person in 2026 is a typical figure. Always confirm directly before booking.
Can you walk at Streamsong?
Yes, Streamsong was designed for walking and is walking only from late December through February. Carts are available the rest of the year on Red, Blue and Black, with a caddie required before 8 am or when taking a cart on those courses. The Chain is walking only.
How much is a caddie at TPC Sawgrass?
On the Stadium Course in 2026, a double bag walking caddie runs about $70 per golfer and a single bag caddie about $110, with a suggested cash gratuity around $50. Visitors may walk only with a caddie; otherwise carts are mandatory. Confirm current rates with the club.
What is cart etiquette in Florida?
Follow the day's cart rule, usually cart paths only on wet days or the 90 degree rule when fairways are open, keep carts away from greens, tees and hazard lines, and park behind the green pointing to the next tee to protect pace of play.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Cart and caddie policies and indicative rates verified June 2026 from published resort and club information. Last reviewed June 2026.