Is Playing Solid Golf Accessible For Everyone?

icroth

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Something that's been on my mind a lot lately relating to golf is who and how people play the game. When I watch people on the internet (EAL, Rick Sheils, Golfmates, Golf Sidekick, etc.) or read articles on the game, everyone likes to talk about how everyone can play golf and you can play it anywhere in the world. This is definitely true...but at least in my opinion...only to a point. Sure, anyone could theoretically pick up a club and go to a golf course and play a round. But to play decent golf, appropriate golf, to play golf a lot, is not for everyone.

For example, I am (to put it lightly) pretty poor. I don't have the money to be a member or to play golf at my local club at least once a month. I have 6 clubs and a putter and a pair of old golf shoes with some C grade balls I bought at Target. Now, I make it work (like a ~baus~ I must say) and I go swing at the local park and dodge the moms walking dogs and teenagers out for a run. I make up holes as I go and that's about the best I can be right now.

But for those that are worse off than I am, is it possible or even a remote possibility that they could ever be a good golfer? A second-hand bag of clubs isn't cheap ($200ish), plus balls that you will undoubedly lose, lessons, balls at the range, and to get a tee time is a lot of money. Not to mention, some clubs really are strict on attire and how one looks on the course and clothes aren't cheap either. Sure, you could play golf like me and practice all you want at the local park but for some it's just not that way.

I'm not trying to be downer, but I really want more people to experience golf like so many of us have because it's perhaps one of the truest tests of mental and physical finesse that exists in the world today. I was wondering what golfers thought about people who maybe can't play golf, do you want it to be more accessible? Should it be more accessible? Am I completely making no sense and nobody cares? Please let me know I really am interested to hear from everyone who maybe is like me all the way to someone who plays every week!
 
Check out the golf lives series from Callaway. Some pretty solid courses offering people the chance to play for almost nothing, and even nothing in some cases.
You can find a set of garage sale clubs for under $50 and play with them.
That being said, a soccer ball is $20 and any empty space will work. So golf is not as accessible as other sports. There are a lot of organizations working to help with that though, like the first tee.
 
When I read the title of your post, my immediate thought was: Of course! After reading your actual post, I would have to say, realistically, for some: no. Honestly, I think the opportunities might be more available to young people through programs like First Tee or through their school athletic avenues. For adults, it is probably a tougher row to hoe.

First of all, you're referencing a segment of society that is, more often than not, more concerned with actually putting food on the table and covering the bills than playing a game that is (by most standards) not cheap. Those things can be overcome through several venues. Clothing can be bought at second hand stores. when I first started playing I bought a lot of my golf clothing this way because I was too cheap to pay retail for it. Clubs can be acquired several ways. I think you would be surprised at the generosity of golfers with gear that they no longer use (especially around here). Now, there are certain costs that can't be avoided. Tee times being the most obvious. That is something that can't be avoided. Balls is another one. You've got to have them to play and if you're not good, you'll lose them.....quickly. The good news is that while your off looking for your ball, there's a good chance you'll walk back to your bag with a few more.

Honestly, if someone wants to play golf that badly, I think it can happen for them. Will they be able to play every week? Maybe not. But, I will say that I do like the idea of the game being more accessible to everyone. It's not impossible but there are absolutely some obstacles to certain demographic groups. It is what it is.
 
To re enforce what @dazeedmonds said, golf should be what you maks of it. Not a status thing. Long before I playled at a course , I found a club, a ball. And made a course on my farm.

To see that series he mentioned above, reservation adhoc course they created makes me proud of golfers who strive to “find a way”.

I’m now fortunate enough to play the game by your other standards. But do u feel that’s better? Or correct? Im not certain.

If you’re passionate. And find a way to knock a ball around. All while being honest with your performance....you’re playing golf the way it should be played.
 
My good friend Tom was born with only one hand. Love that guy! He has a great outlook on life. He's one of those guys who doesn't let obstacles dictate what he can and can't do. Tom figured out a self-taught technique for swinging a golf club. He was never going to shoot par on a 6,500 yard plus course, but move up to shorter tees and Tom could play bogey to double-bogey golf for a round. Because he uses the one arm so much in his life, Tom had to have rotator cuff surgery a few years ago. I visited Tom a lot while he was recovering. During that time one of the golf magazines did an article on another one-armed golfer. I shared it with Tom figuring he'd enjoy it and maybe pick up a tip or two.

I never felt sorry for Tom--and that was all him! He had a great outlook on life and we shared so many great times in several contexts, including golf.
 
In my early years, from a financial perspective, golf was out of the question.

I happened to not be interested but my dad was. And once married due to financial restraints, he gave up golf.

He didn't get back into it until decades later when I was about 25 and playing for just 2 years. Then, I was using his old clubs so I had to get my own once he wished to play. He tried to back off and give me his clubs but I refused. They were his and his desire to return to the game were dependent, at least in the short term, for them to be his once again. Even young me knew that much.

So cheap knockoffs and hand-me-downs from friends, it was.

As to accessibility... do I wish it were more accessible to all? Sure.

But once upon a time I wanted to play organized hockey. Despite my apparent talent, the costs were prohibitive, so I absolutely could not. Did I wish it were more accessible? Sure I did.

I don't mean to seem callous when I say this but there's a (sometimes seemingly unfair) price of admission for many things in life. But that shouldn't equate to a roadblock. If one desires opportunity or a better station in life, hard work and determination may very well provide it. No guarantees, I know that's part of life's harsh reality. But hope minus effort amounts to absolutely nothing.

If one can only hit scarcely collected balls into an open field.... man, do I sure respect the determination of that person (you)! And there's no way in heck that I'd EVER presume any limitations for what he may achieve. Within the game or beyond.

We're all better served for when not focusing on the what ifs, yet instead concentrating upon the "I will make this happen."
 
When I first stated playing golf in the late '90s, I was like the OP said and was kind of poor. I was 23 years old, single, was paying a truck payment and a mortgage and was only making $14 an hour. My grocery budget was about $20 a week and I didnt ever go out to eat or to the bar because I simply couldnt afford it. Even then, I lived paycheck to paycheck and some weeks I simply didnt pay bills if I couldnt afford it.
Golf for me was playing one 9 hole round at a local course and usually they were par 3 courses that would cost me around $10 a round.
For clubs, I had a set that I bought at Wal-Mart for around $200 and I would play whatever cheap balls I could find at Wal-Mart. Usually, it was Pinnacles but sometimes I would splurge for Titleist X-Outs.
For practice, I would practice every day in a park near my house with whiffle or foam golf balls. The park was only about 100 yards long, so really hitting any club with a real golf ball was out of the question, although sometimes I would try it with a sand wedge.
For me, that was golf when I was younger and while it probably wasnt ideal, it created my love of golf and made me the player that I am today.
You dont need thousands of dollars in clubs, you dont need to play Pro V1s, you dont need to join a golf club and you dont need to play 18 holes rounds. All those things are great but you dont need them.
 
There are a couple of components of your question.

Can everyone become a good golfer? I say yes. An expert golfer is one who has fun golfing. The absolute ability is not important. We're all not going to play like @Canadan (or one of the several other very good golfers here on THP). But we can all be good golfers. We golf relative to ourselves, and this is one reason I love things like the handicap system and different tees for play. Golf is already more age and ability inclusive than other sports and active games.

Access and inclusion is a different but related topic. Equipment, greens fees, time to play, role models. That's a harder issue for me to get my arms around. From what I can gather, there are more efforts to improve access and inclusion. I don't know if they are working or not. I applaud the efforts and will help if I can. I'm often just happy I can play.
 
That is SUCH a tough question. It falls on how much someone wants to golf, to decide how accessible it is.

Can you work out a deal with a local driving range to work a few hours a week for unlimited range time? Most places aren't so busy that they couldn't afford something like that, especially if they are reasonable people.

Places like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Dillards... They all make it pretty easy to look halfway decent on the golf course for super cheap. You might not look like Fowler or Rory out there, but presentable for under 20 bucks for sure, assuming you shop the bargains/sale rack.

Clubs are another relatively easy solution. Garage sales are huge, extreme discounts on old equipment online, eBay, Craigslist, etc. Again you're not going to be in the latest and greatest, but you can get some decent product at a price that works.

Is golf wildly easier and more accessible for people with plenty of money? Of course. It's just that kind of sport. Is it impossible for all to enjoy? I really don't think so.
 
Two of my local courses can be played for less than $20 for walking 9 holes. There are some chipping areas and large putting greens.
The courses will never wind up on must play lists but they are inexpensive enough that almost anyone can enjoy a round of nine holes.
As much of a financial commitment that golf can be, so is the time commitment. With work and families not everyone will be able to take that time and blow it playing golf. I have been blessed with a career that affords me 6 months a year of off time. So time is of no problem for me. I also make a decent salary so I can play often. I build a lot of clubs for people so my trade off is free equipment to myself nearly every year.

Hitting balls in the park and making your own holes gives you a quiet peaceful time enjoying your surroundings on a beautiful day. You are making the most of what you have. Goodwill and other such stores get club collections all the time. You often find hidden gems or whole sets that are pennies on the dollar. Social media if you are on there,, would be another great place to find clubs someone may be giving away.
No, golf will never be accessible to every one. By it's very nature I'm not sure if it could be.
I do see places such as TopGolf being wonderful for bringing new people into the game. Go to any location and you will be amazed by the cross section of society that is raucously enjoying the day.

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There are many sports which don't cost much to play. There are some sports which cost plenty. Golf, If you have a free set of clubs, a free bushel basket of balls....It costs to play each time. Is golf a sport for everyone...No...But it is a sport for more than some other sports. Ways to create better opportunities to afford to play. Get a side job at a golf club which offers play as part of the deal.
 
I think equipment can be as affordable as most hobbies. I don't believe anyone needs brand new fitted forged irons to get to a respectable level of golf. The marketing world would like everyone to believe new equipment equates to substantial improvement. As discouraging as the game can be, it's easy to imagine someone on a budget believing those second-hand clubs are what are holding them back.

That said, greens fees - even at the cheapest of courses - can be an expensive luxury for anyone on a tight budget. If playing often is helpful for real improvement, this could be a deal breaker. There's also the possibility that those same parents are working extra hours or doing a lot of home or auto repairs because they can't afford to hire it out. So there's the time limitations to consider as well.

An unlimited membership at my home course is $99 per season. As long as I walk, that's the most I have to pay per season. In addition, that adult membership includes a complimentary membership for kids under 15. While it's hard to imagine golf being cheaper than that, $99 is a lot of money for families who are doing without.

The cost of living is what it is and we can only do so much to increase income. We weren't dirt poor when the kids were at home, but there was a limit. It was pretty easy to choose the kids having nice clothes, bikes, video games, snowboarding, fishing, baseball and football over me playing golf.

As hardships go, not playing golf (or not being able to play enough to improve) wasn't the end or the world.
 
If you don't have problem with not having name brand clothing or top of the line clubs & balls then yes. I've been playing with irons I bought used 15 years ago & they are now 20 years old, but I make them work for now. Although since I'm turning 50 in a few months I'm going to get fitted & have a set of Maltbys made. Also if you play your local municipal course it should be cheaper, 1 of ours is 9 hole course & is only $9 to walk 9 and $15 to walk 18. Is it the best course, no but it gets me out & a chance to work on my game for when I do play a better course. For balls watch garage sales, Ebay, etc you can get some great deals on used balls. In fact just yesterday I picked up 300 used yellow balls for $30. Will I use them in tournaments, no but for every day play & practice they are great.
 
I don't know what exactly the OP means by "make golf accessible".
A thrifty shopper could buy a full set of clubs , bag, balls, footwear etc.... for less than $200.
Golf instruction books can be had free at the local library or one could buy copies for less than $10 a piece.
So, using a club and technique learned from an instruction book once could develop a sound fundamental swing in the backyard , park for free, and on occasion pay for some range balls. Most public courses allow players to use the practice putting green free of charge.
 
If we are talking about golf in the traditional sense then maybe not.

On the other hand there is always an element of “where there is a will there is a way”. Didn’t Seve Ballesteros learn the game swinging one club with one ball up and down the beach?
 
In terms of affordability, then I think golf can be as expensive or reasonable as you want it to be within reason. I would love to be able to upgrade my clubs every year, hold full membership at Royal Aberdeen, lessons every week etc but it's out of the equation.

As I think it's been well said above, if you really want to play then you can go on eBay and the like and pick up a perfectly serviceable set of second hand clubs for £50. Big bag of lake balls for not a lot and bits and pieces can always be found. Everyone wants the latest and greatest, and I think to an extent peer pressure makes everyone think that to be a real golfer you need a new shiny bag full of new toys but it's just not the case realistically.

Is it the cheapest hobby in the world? Absolutely not, but there are certainly ways and means.
 
Golf isn't just about money, but is also very much about disposable time. When one is financially poorer it is likely they also do not have all that much free time because if they do they are likely using much of it working another job trying to pay bills. But it all depends what is being exactly talked about. Are we single? where and how do we live? do we have to support a family? Just where does the money and time for golf fit in to life? Most recreation choices come at a cost of disposable income and or time. Sometimes its about necessitates and sometimes its about where does the person want to spend those resources (if they have them).

Is golf suppose to be accessible for everyone? Sorry but no not really. And neither are many other recreational things.

But if this question ("SOLID") is one which asks if anyone can play golf well? then I say no cause even those with time and money cant all play well. I dont have at all have any sort of unlimited golf time and funds but I am able to place a goopd amount in and Im not solid at this game at all. best i ever got was almost a 12 and currently Im at 17 (have to yet fix my posted hc in my profile). Living mostly between 14 and 16 na dhaving placed tons of time and money into it (relatively speaking) and just cant even be as consiostant as very many who havnt even placed in half what i have. Exhausted all the excuses in there is. At last oif one cant barely play and or practice much nor can put all that much into it, they at least have an excuse left.
 
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