Are you considering giving up on golf due to the price tag? Wait! Hear me out!
While there are several factors to consider, playing Golf can cost you a few thousands of dollars. There are the costs of golf bags, apparel, cars, clubs, among others. Indeed, it can cost an arm and a leg, as such, relatively out of your budget.
However, if you love the game, these prices shouldn’t kill off your enthusiasm. Thankfully, there are a few approaches you can leverage to budget your game and play it for cheap. Thus, if you are wondering how to play golf for cheap, this article highlights some practical steps you can implement to get the best of both your sporting and financial worlds.
How To Play Golf For Cheap – Our Top 10 Tips
1. Get creative with your golf club set
According to a recent survey, on average, a complete golf club set costs $1000. So, undoubtedly, it constitutes the price of playing golf to a significant extent. However, there are ways to avoid its over-the-roof expenses.
Do you have club-making skills? Then you might want to consider building your golf club sets. Purchase the components separately and assemble them. With this, you can save a lot of cash.
However, if you don’t, you should consider purchasing used clubs. Similar to cars, almost every piece of golfing equipment has a sizable used market. However, in contrast to vehicles, most of us are not aware of their existence. Research on trusted sites, where you can buy use clubs, or even sell your previously used clubs for some cash which you can use to upgrade to a better set, right on these platforms.
2. Teach Someone You Know How to Golf
This definitely requires some form of understanding of the game. Therefore, if you don’t understand it, don’t try to teach it.
However, there’s still a way out.
Instead of just teaching what you think is right, consider various learning avenues available for you – the cheap ones, of course. Tutorials from certified instructors are always the best way to acquire the proper knowledge about the game and improve your understanding alike. However, golf instructors can be relatively expensive. Thus, score the net: go on YouTube and get some professional lessons, just at the cost of a few minute’s ads. Look up various articles – they are all at your fingertips.
Once you believe you truly understand what the game is, teach it to whoever wants to learn or is willing to listen. This is entirely free and might just be your best bet in thoroughly understanding the game with little-to-no cost. Try to teach in simple terms; if you can’t, that means you are yet to understand it enough to implement it in your game.
3. Take your food to rounds
We all know how inflated some snacks at the course are. Imagine having to buy a sports or energy drink at well over 25-50% of its normal price. That’s sizable price inflation. Unless you are one of the lucky ones who play in golf courses that serve foods at meager costs, one of the best ways to save some cash is by stopping at a grocery store before your rounds.
Bring your food! Unless you’d prefer gobbling down chips and hot dogs for five bucks when you could get a healthier alternative cheaper than that.
4. Walk; Don’t ride a cart!
We often don’t even realize a course charges us a cart fee plus the green fee. They do this under the radar, making your bill come out inflated and higher than when you could have just walked. It’s a cost you can forget. A little bit of exercise doesn’t hurt anyone!
5. Play at the Golf course for free
Yea, you read right; you can get free golf. All you need to do is show up at the course just about 2 hours before it goes dark. Some head pros usually offer discounted rates, or sometimes, they might even allow you to play for free. Although this might not always be the best situation, at least you don’t have to wait on groups in your front.
Besides, you don’t always have to go to a fancy course to play the game. You can also opt-in for the cheaper options that cost less, provided that you can’t find a free option.
6. Get cheap yet quality balls
Addressing how to play golf for cheap is never complete without highlighting affordable alternatives to acquire balls. Firstly, you can get it second-hand. However, balls may not seem like a sizable percentage of your budget, every cost matters. Several websites sell second-hand golf balls, just like clubs, with reasonable discounts.
Of course, nothing is more exciting than acquiring a box of premium golf balls, especially if you are quite a professional player. However, you can still get decent-quality recycled or refurbished balls.
However, brace yourself, head for the court during winter, explore every available lake, and fish out your golf balls if you are up for the challenge. Although this looks weird, a lot are into it than you think. That’s how they get to sell even more online.
7. Discounted Apparel
The golf season ends in winter. By this time, many shops are looking to unload and get rid of some of the current collections to create space for the next season’s collection.
Although they might not be the trendiest or are out-of-season, these clothes can save you some cash and also help you upgrade.
8. Never throw out ‘worn’ shoes
Are your shoes looking dirty or worn? Try cleaning them with the correct materials, and you’ll be amazed at how new they can be again.
You don’t have to spend another $150 on a new shoe. Just clean and treat them rightly.
9. Time to buy a membership? Negotiate!
While this might not work for everyone, there are numerous courses out there that are pretty not-so-rigid with their membership. Leverage those options.
Find out about the flexible alternatives, take note of what each is offering and use that information wisely. Create networks and form relationships with the head pros of your best golf course choice.
Once you’ve created a dorm of relationship, creatively also whether they would give you a temporary membership or a discount, if the response Is positive, you might get some flexible rates, terms, and conditions that the standard option doesn’t feature.
10. Play 9 Holes Instead Of 18
Some golf courses offer you the option to play 9 holes, which saves time and money. For instance, some courses have a flat rate for 18 holes and others may discount your second nine so ask about both if you’re interested.
Many golfers simply can’t afford to play all 18 rounds in one day due to time constraints or skill level restrictions. If this applies to you then consider playing 9 instead – while still experiencing many of the benefits from an entire round!
In most cases, even those who are skilled enough will benefit from skipping a few rounds because they’ll be able to really focus on what they need to work on without being distracted by other aspects of play.
Wrapping Things Up
Golf is an expensive sport but there are ways to save. Use our top tips and enjoy your game without so much guilt! Good luck out there and enjoy all that golf has to offer.
