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Cost of golf

Yes, I track it. On average, I spend $1200 per year. That's membership, occasional new gear, balls, gloves, usually a golf shirt or two, maybe a pair of shoes, some green fees at other courses, etc. It helps that my course is only $300/year for family membership, and then $75/year for a cart shed.

~Rock
 
OGputtnfool said:
You've gotta get it out eventually, right?
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Sometimes the ball gets a free ride out of the bunker in my pants pocket.

On a couple of occasions I have taken advantage of the new Rule saying I can drop out of a bunker for a two-stroke penalty. If the ball is way above my feet in soft sand with a high lip to go over, taking the two-stroke penalty drop at least means I can get up and down for double.

Speaking of the cost of golf...

The guys at my club complain constantly that the bunkers are not always perfectly fluffed up and immaculate. In years past every single bunker was groomed and then power-raked before the first group teed off each morning. Just a prodigious amount of labor involved. Now due to budget constraints they get a quick rake job on a rotating basis and tend to be fairly firm and packed rather than fluffy. Saves about half the labor cost compared to the "always perfect" target.

Here's the thing. I like my odds pretty well in a packed-down bunker. If the ball lands on a slope it will often run down to the bottom. And I can play a bunker shot from firm sand. But when they spend all that money an fluff the bunkers up like cake frosting the ball just settles where it hits and it takes a ton of clubhead speed to get it up in the air from the loose sand, even harder to do when the ball is waist high. What exactly is that money paying for?

P.S. While I'm riffing on bunker maintenance. another club I belonged to previously was always pretty dodgy with the bunker conditions. It was a small-town club with a fairly limited greenskeeping crew and bunkers were not the top priority. A few of the better players were CONSTANTLY complaining about "that bunker was hard as a rock" or "no two bunkers are alike" or "where's the sand?", that kind of thing.

The best player I knew at that club used to practice his bunker game constantly. I asked if he minded the poor bunker maintenance and he was like, "Are you kidding? Those guys are so mental, every time they hit in a bunker it's like taking money from a baby. Would it kill them to actually practice playing from bad lies like I do? No, they'd rather just b*tch and moan".
 
I did this about 2 years ago and included everything I could that relates to golf. So clubs, green fees, range time, golf vacations, etc. Total came out to roughly 3% of my annual income.

Small price to pay for the love of the game.

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I took a quick look... I think I'm fortunate to be single, or maybe this is why I'm single. One or both of those are true.

That said, for the amount of enjoyment I get out of it I think it's worth it.
 
If I didn't work at a golf course and get stuff cheaper or free from our reps I would never buy a new piece of equipment. This year was even better since I received a Epic Flash driver, 3 wood, putter, and staff bag from our rep for free. So the amount I spend every year is fairly low.
 
jdish13 said:
If I didn't work at a golf course and get stuff cheaper or free from our reps I would never buy a new piece of equipment. This year was even better since I received a Epic Flash driver, 3 wood, putter, and staff bag from our rep for free. So the amount I spend every year is fairly low.
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Cheater...

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I ain't falling for this. I got enough things to be upset about and feel dumb for already.
 
1st time this year, I am keeping track. Only because I'm considering joining a club here in town, since I play in two leagues there.

But I also play a bunch of other courses, depending on who I'm playing with.

If the numbers work, I'll get the membership next year. Early results say I won't, due to playing all the other courses.
 
Just in 2019 so far I am in for:

$1000 club membership
$550 Irons
$300 Epic Flash Head
$100 balls (maybe more)
$150 Seamus Headcovers
$120 new shoes
$300 Other Green Fees
$1000 Golf Trip Budget
-$560 sale of last Titleist Irons
-$200 Sale of Rogue Driver
$2760 so far this year

That doesn't count shirts because I wear them everywhere including work, casually, etc. Same with my shorts and pants.
 
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My son and I both play. So a family membership allows us to play as much as we'd like, without the cost getting out of hand.

We pay roughly 6k a year in membership dues and related costs. A few hundred on balls and gloves. Tee's and range fees are included in the membership dues. A few hundred on shoes. A few hundred on clothing.

I think I'm set on my equipment for a while, but my son is constantly growing so he will need clubs again probably within a year. The new Mizuno shaft optimizer recently said he is in too soft and too light of iron shafts. So that's going to have to be addressed sooner than later I'm sure.
 
I have not tracked my golf expenses and I don't ever want to. I don't play expensive courses and it's taken me over 2 years to ALMOST completely change my bag from 6 years ago (putter and 5w will complete the turnover).

I look at it like this: My bills are covered and I play golf. I'll never feel the need to look at it any differently.
 
I read the article linked in the OP a few weeks ago. I couldn’t tell if the author was using worst case examples or just being dumb. He had to have a new premium driver because all his friends had them and he would feel bad if he didn’t have one too. There were plenty of other instances of expensive bad choices that could have been avoided by using a little common sense.
I have a membership at the local muni and I generally walk unless it’s really hot, like now. I occasionally play with friends at some of pricier daily fee courses. I usually buy used equipment and keep it for awhile. I buy used balls on the internet. I usually receive golf stuff like shoes, clothes and bags as Christmas gifts. This year and last year I splurged on a week at Myrtle Beach. That runs about $700 plus gas and food but it was worth it.
I’m sure it would look like a lot if I added it up but, heck, it mostly keeps me out of trouble.
 
Put simply, I can afford it and I'm worth it. It could be a lot more, but it isn't. It doesn't matter what it costs as it is physical exercise and social interaction. (I don't drive a $9,000 car or live in a $90,000 house either.)
 
Not sure why I responded.

Deleting post.
 
Tough one for me...

For many years I worked on an army post and could play the excellent golf facility (27 holes) for the military rate, $800 per year. I walked nearly all my golf. I used to put $60 every biweekly check into a credit union, split there to a checking and a savings, so 26 x $30 was $780 per year in each. That way no golf expense ever came out of the home budget. The savings $780 pretty well covered my membership, and the other $780 covered tournament entries and various expenses. I was never a club ho, so equipment was no issue. I won more in gift certificates than I paid in entries, and that covered clothes/gloves/shoes etc. My tourneys were my 'away' golf, maybe 5-7 per year. I played 80-100 times per year, but slowed to more like 50 after my best friend/competitor moved away.

Then at 59 it all changed. After 34 years my job site closed and no new position was funded for me tho I was promised and had been training for one. Funny thing, about a month before the end, my supervisor read me something off the internet that said men in their late 50's that become unemployed can expect to earn about 50-65% of their old pay when finding new work. Didn't know what a prophet he was that day! I did find a new job, but at 50% of my old pay, and after about 7 years am still at 65% of my old pay. This has made golf far less viable for me, and for the last few years have played around 6-8 times per year, and several of those free customer golf with vendors.

I just started being a SS double dipper, which puts me back income wise to where I was 7 years ago, but guess what - things don't cost what they did 7 years ago. Golf will probably always be occasional in my future.
 
No way am I falling into that trap.....
 
I’ve never totaled it up but for my wife, she always complains that it’s too much money. I have tried to play every week or two for the last two years and I probably spend about $80 a month on fees and balls. I’m a pretty frugal golfer, I rarely pay more than $25 for a round and don’t need to play the expensive balls. I’ve had the same clubs for more than three years, and I don’t usually buy new clubs more than every four years or so. I just have fun. I figure I spend less than 2% of my income on golf. Maybe as high as 2.5% if I take a golf trip with my buddies.
i just realized that golf is actually a cheap hobby for me. My wife better look out if she ever complains about my golf costs again.
 
Boy does it make the THP Albatross Club worth it
 
JabbathePutt said:
I read the article linked in the OP a few weeks ago. I couldn’t tell if the author was using worst case examples or just being dumb. He had to have a new premium driver because all his friends had them and he would feel bad if he didn’t have one too. There were plenty of other instances of expensive bad choices that could have been avoided by using a little common sense.
I have a membership at the local muni and I generally walk unless it’s really hot, like now. I occasionally play with friends at some of pricier daily fee courses. I usually buy used equipment and keep it for awhile. I buy used balls on the internet. I usually receive golf stuff like shoes, clothes and bags as Christmas gifts. This year and last year I splurged on a week at Myrtle Beach. That runs about $700 plus gas and food but it was worth it.
I’m sure it would look like a lot if I added it up but, heck, it mostly keeps me out of trouble.
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Well you say new and shiny is dumb, I say walking at a local muni is dumb!!!


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i stopped playing golf 15 years ago. avg green fees for me back then was $28-$45. I stared back up this year and was amaze how cheap the green fees are now with golfnow and other golfing sites. Just yesterday i played 18 holes for $9.50. Thats with tax and cart included. thats cheaper then bowling! Im not playing at the worlds fanciest courses, but def not rundown down ones. im playing at the same courses i use to play but the round are $10-$20 cheaper now. having said all that ive spent a crap load of money this year on clubs, balls, playing 3 times a week. def more then tennis =(.
 
SlightDraw said:
I'm curious what other sport you could play that would be equally expensive
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I would think my hockey equipment is close to my golf stuff.
skates $900
Helmet $150
Stick $200 x2
The rest probably $500

The cost of playing would be close, a few hundred less for hockey.

But beer for hockey is way more, lol
I have a few beers on the course, but walk home at 3am after hockey games...

Golf trips though, at least 3x cost of Hockey trips each year.
 
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my county course fees are beginning to get a bit too high. I know things are different everywhere and many have to oay more but I also know many pay less. Depending on the days, times, and which course it can range from in the 30's to near 50 and that's to walk. of course most my golf is weekends and prime times so its usually nearer the $50 to walk for me. A cart is another $20 an is part the reason I walk. I probably spend about 250 to 300 a month just on greens fees depending how often and when I play.

With those rising costs I been thinking about trying to find a place with a single fee for the season. But it has to be a course I would like and also be worthwhile where its a savings and not just a club with high fees. There really isn't such a place around me yet other than joining a CC outright but its too expensive. the ither I don't like is to play the same course all the time which is what it would mean in order for it to be a savings. I have 5 county courses which I mix up and that part is imo a good thing.

I wish my county would offer something like say $1500 for unlimited golf for the season. And fwiw Im also annoyed with the rate climbs because the income from golf in my county not only supports the golf courses but also does more than well enough to support other avenues of the county's parks and recreations department. It would be nice if they didn't keep raising the fees every year since they pay for other avenues. There are a percentage of people who don't golf as much as they use to because of this. And its getting to the point where (for me) I also have to be more picky about it too. There are also people who have the finances to joining local CC's but chose to stay with the county because the cost was worth it and the courses are nice enough. Also some who use to be members of CC's but chose to leave to play the county. But some of both those groups (due to the rising costs) are back at clubs. As a result of all things mentioned they are getting less tee times and creates a catch 22 as they will then have to keep raising the fees in order to compensate. that's it slowly the way it will be going unless they bring it back down a tad or at least stop raising the fees for a few years.
 
It's a really big number. Especially when factoring in golf trips and gatherings
 
I’m not worried about it because I take care of all my responsibilities before golf is even considered. Full transparency with my wife so no need to hide anything or worry about how much I spend in a year.
 
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