Opinion & Analysis
Stop making excuses: 5 cost-efficient ways to start golfing (and improve)
- “I want to start playing golf, but it’s too expensive.”
- “I never get any better at golf, and it’s too expensive to improve.”
- “I can’t afford new clubs or a golf membership, so I can’t possibly get better.”
Please stop saying these things, because for 99 percent of people, they’re simply not true.
The vast majority of Americans have enough money to be able to purchase one used putter, one used sand wedge, one used 7 iron, and one used golf ball. That’s all you need to start playing golf… and not just start playing, you can actually get really good at golf with just three clubs and a golf ball. If you have exactly zero extra money, then sell a few things on eBay to support your initial golf club purchase. If you have nothing to sell, go to a local garage sale and purchase something for a deal, then flip it on eBay. Or better yet, find golf clubs at a garage sale! If you simply can’t come up with any money at all, and you can’t find a friend or relative who has old clubs you can borrow, get to your local golf course and I bet they’ll give you a few clubs for free out of the lost and found. If you want to play golf, or you want to get better at golf, there are plenty of ways to do it for cheap and/or free!
And if you can afford to purchase a Starbucks coffee in the morning, pay cover at a nightclub on Fridays, or have enough to eat out at restaurants (not during happy hour) then you have enough to play golf!
As you may already know, I’m the editor of GolfWRX. In May, I switched from playing golf righty for my entire life, to playing lefty. Why? Because of a back injury… and the challenge to break 100. Since I switched to south paw three months ago, I’ve not only broken 100, but I broke 90 and 85. My low score so far is an 83 (on a relatively easy course: 68.8, 115). Do you know how much money I’ve spent on golf since I switched? According to all my bank account transactions over that time period, I’ve spent $908. That’s including my full set of clubs, range sessions, all rounds of golf, lead tape for my slice, golf gloves, and other equipment. And you know what? I’ve overspent. I’ve played rounds of golf I didn’t need to play, bought buckets of balls I didn’t need to and spent too much on golf clubs. The reality is that I could have easily spent way less.
Golf can be as expensive as you want it to be. You can spend $50k on a membership, $10k on golf trips, $10k on a set of clubs, and $500 or more per golf outfit. Or, you can hit TJ Maxx or a thrift shop for collared shirts if you need them, and follow my guide below to learn how to play golf for cheap.
Full disclosure: Yes, I get golf balls for free (perks of the job) and had obviously already had golf apparel from throughout my career. For video footage, I received a free club fitting from Club Champion (the fitting was free, not the used golf clubs I bought), and a free full swing analysis from Urban Golf Performance.
1) Used golf clubs
This is the number one barrier to entry into the sport of golf, in my opinion. An all-too-common misconception is that you need to spend $500 on a driver, $1000 on irons, $300 on wedges, and of course, at least $200 on a putter. This is so wrong that it hurts my soul — and I’m a journalist, who don’t even have souls.
If you’re a beginning golfer who’s never played the game, head to your nearest big box store (Golf Galaxy, Dicks, etc) or a used golf store (do a quick google search in your area) and pick out the cheapest putter, wedge and 7 iron you can find. Or, head to a local golf course and check out the lost and found; they will either sell you a club for $5, or often, they’ll just give it to you for free. You do not need a driver or a fairway wood or a hybrid or a full set of irons. We’re simply learning the game right now — how to make contact, get the ball airborne, what it means to swing a golf club, etc. A beginning artist doesn’t need to buy expensive paint brushes and fancy tools; just get a cheap paint brush and some paints and start experimenting.
If you’re someone who sort of knows how to play golf already, or you’ve played a few times and want to have a full set, used golf clubs are a great option. Search eBay, rockbottomgolf, TGW, local used shops or the other many options online for a set of golf clubs. Technology that goes back as far as 10 years is all you need; and the bigger the better when it comes to irons and wedges. You want big soles and big toplines (ask customer service for game-improvement wedges and irons)… these will offer you the most forgiveness and help you achieve more height and distance on your golf shots. Also, invest in a bunch of used golf balls; there are plenty of online options, or spend $10 at a local golf course scouring the used golf ball bin. You don’t need premium $50-a-dozen golf balls. You can even buy foam or plastic golf balls to hit in your house, apartment or backyard.
Here’s are the clubs I bought for my lefty set, and it cost me only $430!
2) Short game practice area
When you’re starting out, short game practice should make up 100 percent of your time and effort. At first, don’t even go to a range or a golf course. Putt on a carpet in your living room while watching golf on TV. Try to mimic the tempo, grip, and look of the strokes you see (don’t watch Adam Scott, though). Set up a solo cup or a shoe as your target. If you have a carpet, or a small backyard, you can start chipping using your wedge, too. Work on hitting down and through the ball. Remember, swing down and hit the ground to get the ball to pop up. Golf is a game of opposites.
After you’re comfortable and ready to head to a real green, seek out a local short game area. Most golf courses have a putting green that allows you to chip and putt. The best part? They typically don’t charge for the use of this area!! My local muni has both a chipping green and a putting green; this is where I spent 95 percent of my time practicing during the first few weeks I switched to lefty. Learn how to get the ball airborne on chip shots, how to simply hit the green every time from a variety of lies, how to not three putt from twenty feet, and how to make those 3 foot putts. These are crucial skills to learn, and they will provide you the fundamentals for when you hit the range and take your first full swings on a range.
Again, this is completely free.
3) The range
Once you get your short game and putting to the point where you’re comfortable, it’s time to hit the range for the next few weeks. Yes, many public ranges give you only 30 balls for 5 bucks, or 80 for $10, BUT, most local ranges also have range membership deals, or some cash-saving deal where you get more range balls or tokens for your money. Invest in that deal. Take advantage of what they’re offering, because you’re going to be grinding day-in and day-out at this range. If it’s 100 bucks for 12 jumbo tokens instead of getting only 10 for full retail, do that! This is where you’re going to make yourself into a real golfer, and for WAY cheaper than playing golf everyday at a real course. If you can get an unlimited range membership? Even better! Capitalize on any range deal you can find. If you’re lucky enough to have a local golf course that has a free hitting mat and a net (yes, these do exist), then you’re in luck. You just found a free range and saved yourself hundreds of dollars.
Now, what are we going to do at the range… bang drivers? NO. For the first week or two at the range, really we only need a wedge and a seven iron. Spend your entire jumbo bucket hitting wedges and seven irons, teaching yourself how to hit the ball and get it in the air. You already know that hitting down on the ball is the most effective way to get the ball into the air, because you’ve been practicing that technique over and over and over again at the short game area for the past two weeks. And you’ve developed some great hand-eye coordination in that time as well. Now, we’re just lengthening the swing and teaching our bodies how to react at a faster pace. It’s all about getting the ball into the air consistently and teaching ourselves the golf motion, which will feel very weird at first, but your body will adjust.
Many golfers and people in the golf industry will tell you that you need to get lessons before even bothering going to the range. I disagree, for most cases. Give yourself a chance to develop the proper hand-eye coordination necessary to play golf by yourself before muddying your thoughts with professional advice. The human body and brain is smart… it will take only a few dozen times topping the ball or completely whiffing for you to start to self correct. You just need to give yourself the freedom to learn on your own and experiment.
Remember: Hit down on the ball for it to pop up!
When you start being able to get the ball in the air every time, then and only then is it time to start experimenting with a driver. But, you don’t even need to learn how to hit a driver before heading to the golf course…
4) Executive/Par 3 courses
Full-length 18-hole golf courses are not the only way to play golf, improve, and have a good time playing the sport. Actually, in my opinion, they’re not even the best option.
Chances are, there’s an executive course (consisting of mostly par 3s, but also par 4s or even par 5s), or a pitch-n-putt course (mostly short par-3s) nearby where you live. The chances are also high that playing the course will run you less than $20, and probably more like $8-10.
These courses will give you the opportunity to play real golf against a set par, but you won’t have to deal with the long time commitment, pressure of impatient golfers, or the large cost to play a full 18 holes at a course. Playing an executive or pitch-n-putt course over and over again will allow you to get comfortable actually playing the sport of golf; hitting tee shots, trying to save bogey or par, holing out under pressure for a score, walking a golf course, figuring out yardages, basic etiquette and pace of play.
I’ve told this story on the Two Guys Talking Golf podcast, but when I was growing up, my dad refused to allow me to play golf on a full 18 hole course until I beat him (he’d give me a stroke per hole) on our local pitch n putt course. It took me several rounds and lots of heartbreak to beat him, but once I did, I was fully prepared to play on a real course because I had so much practice playing golf already. You should do this too as a beginner.
5) Twilight golf
So, it’s finally time to go play a full 18 holes for the first time. But, you start checking out the course rates online and the weekend prices are absurd. “Fifty bucks just to play golf? Who can afford that?!” you may be thinking. And you know what, I agree. Golf is ridiculously expensive… but it doesn’t have to be!
Twilight golf is the greatest thing ever for broke golfers who want to improve. Almost every course I’ve ever been to has a twilight rate during the weekdays.
Here’s how it works: If you tee off after a certain time, say 5pm or 6pm, you get a wildly reduced rate than if you play during the day. Sometimes the twilight rate can be half the daily rate, or even less. Yes, it’s named twilight for a reason; because at some point during your round the sun will set. But that’s fine, because there’s several advantages…
- If you play quickly, you can still get in 18 holes. And you didn’t have to pay the full price for it.
- Often, there aren’t many other twilight golfers out there. You essentially have the course to yourself. Want to hit a few extra chip shots or tee shots for practice? Fire away. Sometimes, I’ll even play two balls per hole. While the USGA doesn’t recognize it as a real round if you’re taking practice shots or playing more than one ball, it doesn’t really matter. The goal is to get better at golf for cheap, and what better way to do that than on an actual 18 hole golf course, for a reduced rate?
- In the summer, you aren’t getting the worst of the midday or morning heat.
- You can play after work or school. You don’t have to take a day off, or even leave early from work, and you do’t have to take up your entire weekend day. Leave work at your normal 5pm time, get to the course by 530, play until dark at 8:30pm, then get some dinner and have plenty of time to relax or enjoy family time before bed.
So, buy/acquire used clubs, go to the free short game area or range for a few weeks to a month, then start playing executive or pitch-n-putt courses until you’re comfortable. Then, play some twilight golf! After a couple months, reward yourself for all of the money saved and improvements made, and make a weekend tee time at a course in your area that you want to play with some of your friends who golf. They’ll be shocked that you just started playing a few months ago and can already beat them. What they won’t know is that you spent next to nothing to do it.
Other tips and tricks to save money
- Use tees and golf balls that you find throughout the course instead of buying new ones.
- Walk instead of taking a cart… carts can be a ripoff depending on the course rates, and walking is very relaxing.
- Budget your money — decide how much money you want to spend on golf per month, and don’t go over no matter what. If that means going to the short game area instead of the golf course one day, then your score will probably thank you for it anyway. And it’s rare that you actually NEED that new wedge, or putter, or driver. If it’s not in the budget, then don’t feel pressure to make any purchases.
- Watch YouTube videos instead of getting lessons. YouTube can be a great place to learn the physics, fundamentals and techniques that are required to improve your golf game. No, you’re not going to get personalized swing advice on YouTube, and you’re not going to suddenly start breaking par after watching a few videos, but in terms of gaining knowledge about the game, it’s a free and great place to start. There are a plethora of professional instructors who have YouTube channels that will be very helpful in your journey.
- Take care of your equipment. Clean your clubs; don’t snap them over your leg or throw them down the fairway. Don’t toss your glove or head cover near the cart and drive away and leave it on the ground. Don’t get pissed after a shot and slam the leg of your golf bag and break it. As we established, golf is expensive enough already; don’t make yourself purchase things twice.
Is there anything I missed? If you have any cost-saving tips for beginners, or for avid golfers on a budget, leave them in the comments below!
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
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‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
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Adam
Feb 19, 2021 at 10:37 am
This article was a few years ago, but I have to say that if you have a few more dollars you can save a ton of time looking for used clubs by purchasing a new, custom 7-iron from Gigagolf for about $25 plus shipping. Add a wedge for another $25 and a putter for about the same, and you have a simple setup for maybe $85. Once you have those, you can add a great hybrid for $60 plus shipping.
Also, you can grab a bag of x-outs from Walmart for $10.
Any hobby or sport takes time and money, but golf doesn’t have to be crazy expensive. The author of the article is young, and I think the big advantage young people have for learning golf is that they often have more time than adults to devote to it.
A. Commoner
Aug 28, 2018 at 4:09 pm
Mr. Tursky,you have written an excellent treatise and deserve plaudits. Unfortunately, the level of reading comprehension, inability to grasp simple concepts, and unwillingness to rid oneself of biases and faulty constructs show in reactions.
SV
Aug 23, 2018 at 3:49 pm
It’s easy to save money on clubs, don’t buy new. I have played for years and it has been years since I bought new, other than at clearance price with an additional markdown to get it out of inventory.
Also, I agree about starting on Par 3 or executive courses. As a matter of fact PLEASE start on one of these. Start your kids there too. There is nothing worse than having a beginner in prime time clogging up a course when they can’t get the ball airborne and/or hit it over 20 yards.
Lovejoy
Aug 23, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Watch YouTube instructional videos?
You mean like Shiels and Crossfield?
No,no,no.
Even beginners’ group instruction is a better option to learn the fundamentals properly.
Darryl
Aug 23, 2018 at 7:26 am
Why do you have an account on a golf forum then?
Rascal
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:46 am
If you wanted to let all your insecurities out, may I suggest the bar?
mo_golf_joe
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:24 pm
Great read! Ideas I’ve never considered were mentioned but also kudos to the editor on scoring in the 80’s after switching to southpaw! Awesome.
Cost-efficient ways to start golfing, I mean it’s in the title.
1. So trying to be mindful of a budget implies we have income to spend.
2. Starting any sport or hobby implies we have the time available to do just that.
Sarcastically obvious, but we realize choosing the hobby of golfing is a ‘first world problem’. Heck so is griping on the internet.
Wow some of these comments are unbelievable! So let me get this straight. Folks come to the GOLF WRX site forums to bash golf or golfers with assumptions of a ‘privileged’ social status? Well some people don’t and never will have access to internet. What a privilege you have in using the internet to speak about something done for leisure so negatively.
Gadzooks. Why log in to GOLFWRX at all?
Nack Jicklaus
Aug 22, 2018 at 6:48 pm
I play better the less I attempt to practice. I quit spending money on range balls and have never been happier golf wise.
acew/7iron
Aug 22, 2018 at 4:55 pm
We spend money on what we enjoy and WANT to do…If Golf is in your DNA you will spend the money and you will play. If its not then you do what PPl who dont golf do.
Tom
Aug 22, 2018 at 3:59 pm
Golf seems to be following what has happened to tennis, people enjoy watching the best players play, but don’t play much themselves…the cost excuse isn’t the real objection, its the time.
Beat
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:06 pm
Not even the same. People gave up tennis because they didn’t want to be BEATEN by somebody else. And because most don’t want to run around like that and hurt their legs and ankles and egos. In golf you’re just doing it to yourself.
iutodd
Aug 22, 2018 at 3:38 pm
So…if you want to start golfing cheaply…first go to Dick’s. Then a used golf store. Then look online (hope you have a credit card). Then head to Goodwill. Then to a golf course to see if they have any lost/found club. So…4-5 trips just to hunt down 5 golf clubs. And/or wait a week for them to get shipped to you.
Then go buy golf balls. Make sure you get them at the golf course, or look on line again. Another trip, another week.
Now you have to PRACTICE. Spend all your spare time at the chipping green – 5-7 trips. Then spend $100 for a range membership – another 10 trips.
NOW you might actually sort of be ready to go out and play golf.
Maybe it’s not the cost that keeps people from picking up the game. I love golf and I’ve played 5 rounds this year. Been to the range ONCE. And I already have all the stuff and actively want to play. But….life you know? Two kids and a pregnant wife and a house that needs updating…finding the time to golf is hard enough even when I’m already pretty good at it.
Golf requires a lot of time and has steep learning curve. It also requires fairly serious monetary investment. $430 is a LOT of money to a lot of people. This article seems relevant:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/22/fed-survey-40-percent-of-adults-cant-cover-400-emergency-expense.html
But, yeah, 99% of us can just drop $430 on clubs and another $200 on practice/rounds of golf just to learn the game – to say nothing of the huge time investment. Sure.
I don’t disagree with the advice on how to get started – I disagree vehemently with the tone and how this article is framed. Tone deaf and privileged come to mind.
DIRTY D NASTY
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:12 pm
Privileged is embedding a cnbc link from your smart phone, guy. Golf is accessible if you really want to play is the tone of this piece.
millennial82
Aug 22, 2018 at 3:25 pm
use a penny not a quarter for ball markers.
Rascal
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:48 am
This is the best advice.
duffer987
Aug 22, 2018 at 2:04 pm
“I want to start playing golf, but it’s too expensive.”
“I never get any better at golf, and it’s too expensive to improve.”
“I can’t afford new clubs or a golf membership, so I can’t possibly get better.”
Please stop saying these things, because for 99 percent of people, they’re simply not true…
…And if you can afford to purchase a Starbucks coffee in the morning, pay cover at a nightclub on Fridays, or have enough to eat out at restaurants (not during happy hour) then you have enough to play golf!
Sorry but this is disingenuous nonsense. “99% of people”? You’d have to be in the gilded 1% if you think 99% of the people are doing that every week and it’s skipping one night out to pay for golf instead.
I get it, that golf does not need to mean $50k buy ins and $500/month, but how many people get good at golf and enjoy it – and more importantly stick with it – when they are using 4 or 5 clubs from Goodwill and lurk around their local muni’s practice green?