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Is this a rich man’s game?


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I've decided not to renew my membership at the club.

It's about to get really cheap for me, I guess.

 

I played on an austere budget for years.

It was fine when I was a kid, but as I got older, I understood that the grass was much greener where I wasn't.

I have to admit that being retired and playing at the club was much better, but it was for a relatively short time and didn't last nearly as long.

Not short enough to complain, I suppose.   I retired at 55 when i still had my game..

 

Bottom line, I think it's really hard to play golf on a tight budget, but it's both possible and very much worth doing.

Going back to it  would probably be tough,  but I'm sure that  I'd do it if that were how I could still play.

Ballooning from an eight to a thirteen in just a couple of years was also tough.

I've got to figure that things worked out as they had to work out eventually. 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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More I’m delving into golf. The more I sense this is a Richer man’s game. The lessons   Equipment membership yearly  is really tallying up. And I rarely read on about public bare bones golfers . All about the biggest and best .  On average I’ve been spending  little over a grand a month on golf this season . 
No one can convince me that anyone making under 40$ thousand a year can make golf a hobby. One needs almost a six figure income to take golf seriously 



Mostly disagree. The industry has done a good job thinking it’s all about equipment, but you can pick up clubs from 10 years ago and you’ll be fine - skill still carries the day.

One on one coaching is expensive in any sport or serious hobby.

The part I do agree with is that actually playing golf costs a lot. Memberships in the thousands of dollars or single rounds are $50 minimum depending on the course.

Playing in a recreational soccer, basketball, or baseball league is certainly cheaper for a season than golf.





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No it’s not a rich mans game by any means. You don’t need new clubs lessons memberships and can play crappy public courses. Look for steals n deals. From clothing to clubs. Same goes with any sport really. Pitching lessons basketball camps and hockey in general can all be expensive 

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Golf is a expensive hobby if you are serious about it, but what hobby is not if you take it seriously. It can be played on the cheap if you choose to go that route. Some people’s hobbies are photography, sure you can buy a camera for $50 when you are starting out, but eventually as your skills improve you want the $3000 camera and the latest editing software to be your best, same in golf. I started years ago with my fathers hand me down set and as my game improved I’d buy a little better clubs and play nicer courses. Then you get to where I am now spending $2800 on clubs and playing nice courses. I play in a Saturday league when we have payouts for winning your flight, CTPs, low putts, skins, deuces, so I usually win enough to pay for the next weeks event, went a month without paying in the league. There are plenty of ways to play on a budget and it is all relevant to what your priorities are. I am far from rich and have a stay at home wife with 2 kids, just cut out other unnecessary things for my life to
cover golf expenses. Golf is a priority in my life so I make it work for me.


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I’m a 4 handicap golfer with some accomplishments and I’m in that 40,000 and under bracket pretty easily. Where you live and other variables can effect cost but I don’t think I’ve ever payed even half that in one month just playing golf...


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The point is that everyone has their hobbies, and they can be cheap or expensive.  As to the OP, I make more than $40K a year, but far less than six figures being retired.  I manage my expenses to play the type of golf I want to play.  


Kenny you made some excellent points. The examples I gave were not based on Hawaii but on the Nation as a whole. You stated in your post that you manage your expenses to play golf. That statement in and of itself will tell you golf can be expensive. In regards to the original post, I was wrong. Golf is not an exclusively rich man’s sport but it is financially demanding.


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16 hours ago, Kenny B said:

I agree with tehuti.  Very good clubs can be picked up used at very reasonable prices.  There have been threads here on the forum about putting together a nice set of clubs for a couple hundred bucks. The cost of playing does depend on where you live, but everywhere I have played around the country, there are inexpensive alternatives.  Of course, the large metro areas will be more expensive.  In more rural areas the prices are cheaper, but there are less options.  It also depends on how often you want to play.  

We have one private club that expensive to join, one semi-private club that's open for public play that's reasonable and a few munis and other public courses that can be reasonable depending on the day and time you want to play.  Also, in addition to memberships, most also offer a "Players Card" for $300 for the year that gets you 50% off any rate, anytime.  Of course, any course except the private club is available for practice free of charge except for range balls.  

I view golf as a sport that can be expensive, but can also be played inexpensively. It's a game that is as expensive as you want to make it.  Lots of other activities can be more expensive; I've owned a boat and it's not cheap!!  

Boat----- Bring On Another Thousand

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As with any hobby it depends on how you do it. In the fishing and boat world it can be expensive but even though I am not a fisherman I see guys catch just as many fish with a Wal Mart rod and reel as those guys with expensive reels. LOL hope my neighbor does not hear of this because he owns and operates the local bait and tackle store.

As far as golf I do it a lot differently than most mainstream folks do. I will say I am blessed to be able to do it like I do. Most of the long time members on here can recall when I first came on here I was sorta the odd man out on my equipment and methods of playing the game. I think since then we have acquired a few members that play the older stuff. I think though with pride I am the biggest club ho on MGS but that plays into my overall way of doing things. I work for a metal recycling company and pick up lots of clubs out of the scrap. In fact the clubs I am playing today all of them except the driver and 56* wedge came straight out of the bin at the scrapyard. I salvage a lot of good shafts and grips off of POS clubs from the yard too. I have been blessed with the talent to build and set up clubs and have the equipment to do so. I also shop yard sales and thrift stores . Far as balls I do not buy top of the line new anymore since I know longer play comps or big money matches. I buy used balls at a deal I have with a local shop. The owner and I do a lot of swapping on clubs and all. I always make him a deal where he can make a bump because he has expenses too. As far as courses I have a couple of memberships that give me discounted rates. I am always trading and swapping out clubs and equipment. I also have a bunch of gracious friends on here and WRX who send me stuff and I do likewise. Good example fellow MGSer/ Wrxer Deejaid sent me a brand new Macgregor LRA wedge head the other week. Those were the absolute last of the forged Macgregor heads. Of course I used a salvaged wedge shaft and salvaged Tour Wrap and put it into service. Yeah I like doing things the way I do it. As far as clothes I am not brand loyal (as with clubs well so so) In my case since I am a big guy I have to purchase what fits me which is usually found at Burke's outlet or the thrift stores again. Hats usually for me now are straw hats or floppy Pukka hats. If I wear a visor it is one I like and more than likely got free. I had a late friend of mine that had a visor thing going bought one darn near every day. When he passed his wife gave me 2 boxes full that were never used. LOL I am still working on those. You guys may laugh but I may have a Ping Visor on and not a Ping club in the bag. Yeah and I buy those $5 Wilson gloves at Wally World too. I will proclaim that I am maybe the cheapest golfing SOB on MGS. But I do play cheap and have fun whether playing ,bargaining , hoeing or working on clubs. This is my .02 FWIW

 

 

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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14 hours ago, GSwag said:

Honestly it's hard to break it down by month for me, because certain things are seasonal.  But here goes...

  1. Annual membership fees (paid in December) $720.
  2. Monthly golf league (March through September) $120 per month.
  3. Balls/gloves, etc. Maybe $200 annually?  Hard to gauge because I bought 4 dozen balls this time last year, and I still haven't hit one of them.  Then I bought four more dozen around Fathers day and I've gone through 2 dozen of those already.  So that is that - about a dozen every other month?  Winter golf means playing less, so I could very well have these same 4 dozen balls this time next year?  I bought 6 gloves this time last year, and I still have two left that are in their wrapper.
  4. Shoes - $200 this year.  And to be totally honest, I'm revolving through about 6 pair of shoes.  But when you see a sale and you could use another pair.  Ah sure, what the heck.
  5. Apparel - shirts, shorts, etc are purchased randomly on a sale from time to time, and this definitely is one of those variables that sort of goes outside of golf.  Because on days I'm not playing golf, I'm wearing golf apparel.  Sort of a "well, I'm not planning on playing today, but you never know," sort of attitude.  I have the mindset that if the clubs are in the car, the golf course can be had in 30 minutes or less, no matter what day it is, or where I am or what I am doing.  If a buddy texts me at 4:00 on a Thursday and asks to play, "I'll see you in 30 minutes."  But the clothes are a lifestyle and I am what I wear - golf.  I will say as a standard that I won't spend more than $20 on a pair of shorts, or $20 on a polo shirt.  I can often find it on sale for less.  For instance, I walked into WalMart one day earlier this year I think and they had Ben Hogan golf pants on sale for $16.  I wasn't really looking to buy golf pants, and I really didn't need them, but dang, for $16, who am I to pass that sort of deal up?
  6. Tournaments, one day events, travel expenses, etc.  This one is sort of a new one.  I dropped over $300 on a weekend tournament last month with a buddy.  I've played in weekend tournaments locally where it was about $150.  I'm playing in these one day events where between entry fee and food and gas, it's probably closer to $75 or $80.  I'm playing in one Monday that will be over $100 when you factor in the hotel room.  But I just started playing in stuff like this, so let's just say $200 a month budget for "tournaments".  Some months more, and some months less.
  7. Clubs and equipment.  The last club I bought was my gap and sand wedge.  Each were $150, and those were the only two clubs I've bought this year.  So $300 a year on clubs?  Ah, it fluctuates based on mood and where I am at with my game.  Next year it could be more, or I could go the entire year without dropping a penny on anything.  Um yeah, that probably isn't realistic.

Wow, TMI time for sure.  Sorry for the lengthy laundry list.

Mine is not nearly as lengthy--- One local membership was $39.95 for a year but I won that one in a scramble (but need to renew this month) But it will save me 10 to 15% every round so in 5 rounds or so at the 3 courses involved it saves me money. My big membership costs $250 a year but they give you a $100 pro shop certificate good at any of the 21 courses they own. And on their discount and point system (earn free golf) it pays for itself in about 10 to 12 rounds. Usually I spend $50 or less a week on golf. Believe it or not (read my previous post) some weeks I actually come out ahead on my golf by bartering or doing repairs. Most of the time I do not play scrambles unless it is company related (free) or as a substitute for someone who can not make it at the last minute. There is too much cheating that goes on around here in them for me. Now sometimes I will donate a refurbished club or a cash donation to the charity. As far as out of town playing I do not do that much since I have over 100 courses within a hour and a half from me. Every now and then I venture up Charlotte way where my friend is a member at a great club and play with him and stay there

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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14 hours ago, strokerAce said:

check out this story about Pat Perez.... really good.  worth it and related.... 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/pat-perez-pga-tour-you-dont-know-me

A snippet:
At every tournament, kids size up their opponents. My God, everyone must’ve thought that I was some sort of a******. I had clubs that were too big for me and was wearing high-top Reeboks instead of golf shoes. They must’ve been thinking, What is he doing here?

Darn good article thanks for posting the link> I have always liked Perez he is sorta a rebel and like me tells it like it is and does not care if someone likes it or not

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Yes.


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Been playing for about 8 years and still buy lakeballs. Great savings! Don't think new premium balls can help me lower my scores :D

Got my Clicgear about 5 years ago and still holding up pretty well. And I play between 50-80 rounds per year, all walking.

I get my shoes from budget golf when they are on sale... last year got 2 pairs of Adizero for $30 each!!!

So yeah, I'll agree with previous posters: golf can be expensive, but doesn't have to be.

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after what I call the "start up costs" (i.e. acquiring the gear needed to play) the most expensive part of golf is (a) getting the time and (b) greens fees....

...there's a lot to be said for the guy that shows up with a set of ping eye 2's, an old 2 ball putter, a TM 580, a great big bertha and a topflite XL 2000 with a maxfli bag.  RESPECT.

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@GSwagpretty much nailed it.  While someone making $40k/year won't be able to afford a steady diet of $100+ rounds, there are, fortunately, many courses that offer play at under $30.  Better yet, many courses offer annual memberships that, depending on how often you play, reduces cost even further.  One of the courses closest to me has a annual membership rate with the BEP at 14 rounds. I played with a local who plays there 4 times/week - his post round beers cost more than his round of golf by seasons end.😎

As for up front costs, that too can vary widely but is not a limiting factor unless one simply must have the most expensive - which absolutely does not equate to best results. One can get quality used equipment at very reasonable prices. What most of us hope is that golf does not become a "rich man's game".  

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I am in the "poor man's" group. I pay $30/month unlimited walking at a pretty decent course, I have two young kids and play once a week. If I take a lesson this year it will probably be online. You learn to get creative on how to make things work for you. New equipment is probably out for me but will buy and sell when I really want something. It's almost always used. I've bought one new golf club in my life.

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I’d say it is a rich man’s game. Look at the commercials during a golf broadcast. They’re either for a $3000 set of irons, a luxury vehicle, or an investment management firm. So yes, it is aimed at well to do people.

But luckily, it can be inclusive to everyone. My Grandfather is still with us and like Nifty Niblick mentioned, he is part of the “Greatest Generation”. 97 years old and still golfing. He was that generation that took to golf and played alongside the management of his company when there wasn’t such a disparity between the halves and the halve nots. Hell, I remember asking Grandpa to take me golfing and he said, “Ok”, walked out of his veggie garden, grabbed his clubs from the barn and away we went. He just wore the same clothes he wore to work the farm.

I think there is plenty of options for all income levels for this great game. We don’t need to buy new equipment every year. We can learn from books or videos, no need for private, one on one instruction. And even here in the Bay Area, golf can be affordable if you use GolfNow or look for deals. $150 a month is plenty to afford a weekly round and a weekly range bucket.

It can be as expensive or affordable as we make it.




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3 hours ago, deejaid said:

I’d say it is a rich man’s game. Look at the commercials during a golf broadcast. They’re either for a $3000 set of irons, a luxury vehicle, or an investment management firm. So yes, it is aimed at well to do people.

But luckily, it can be inclusive to everyone. My Grandfather is still with us and like Nifty Niblick mentioned, he is part of the “Greatest Generation”. 97 years old and still golfing. He was that generation that took to golf and played alongside the management of his company when there wasn’t such a disparity between the halves and the halve nots. Hell, I remember asking Grandpa to take me golfing and he said, “Ok”, walked out of his veggie garden, grabbed his clubs from the barn and away we went. He just wore the same clothes he wore to work the farm.

I think there is plenty of options for all income levels for this great game. We don’t need to buy new equipment every year. We can learn from books or videos, no need for private, one on one instruction. And even here in the Bay Area, golf can be affordable if you use GolfNow or look for deals. $150 a month is plenty to afford a weekly round and a weekly range bucket.

It can be as expensive or affordable as we make it.




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Your story about your Grandfather brought back memories of my old man's course back in the day.

Golf had hit that "boom " in the 60s and 70s. There were not but 4 public daily fee courses in our area. Back in those days Wednesday afternoons was one of our busiest times because a lot of shops and stores closed on Wednesday afternoons at 12:00. We had no dress code so the speak but one. That was "gentlemen MUST wear shirts in the clubhouse" That was because my step Mom and a couple of lady teachers worked there in the summer. You would have all types of dress coming in to play. You would have the guy that worked in the machine shop playing and maybe a more professional office person like a bank teller playing. My Old man always said "Come as you are have fun but wear a shirt in the clubhouse" IMHO my very definition of golf for the masses. Those were fun days. I was sitting here picturing your Grandfather being one of those folks if he had lived on the "right coast" but folks like him carry on in spirit. For me that is the grassroots of golf. Sometimes they had little informal comps like the guys from the tire shop playing the guys from the battery and generator shop ( notice I said generator not alternator) and they may draft the bank teller guy in to even the match and fill in a team.  Weekends we always had our regulars which kept the tee sheet full from daylight to noon or so. Then you had the afternoon walkins on the weekends

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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Your story about your Grandfather brought back memories of my old man's course back in the day.
Golf had hit that "boom " in the 60s and 70s. There were not but 4 public daily fee courses in our area. Back in those days Wednesday afternoons was one of our busiest times because a lot of shops and stores closed on Wednesday afternoons at 12:00. We had no dress code so the speak but one. That was "gentlemen MUST wear shirts in the clubhouse" That was because my step Mom and a couple of lady teachers worked there in the summer. You would have all types of dress coming in to play. You would have the guy that worked in the machine shop playing and maybe a more professional office person like a bank teller playing. My Old man always said "Come as you are have fun but wear a shirt in the clubhouse" IMHO my very definition of golf for the masses. Those were fun days. I was sitting here picturing your Grandfather being one of those folks if he had lived on the "right coast" but folks like him carry on in spirit. For me that is the grassroots of golf. Sometimes they had little informal comps like the guys from the tire shop playing the guys from the battery and generator shop ( notice I said generator not alternator) and they may draft the bank teller guy in to even the match and fill in a team.  Weekends we always had our regulars which kept the tee sheet full from daylight to noon or so. Then you had the afternoon walkins on the weekends


You are more right than you know Stu. Grandpa was born and raised in Kentucky, so he was a good old boy. During the war he trained at Ft. Indiantown Gap in central Pennsylvania where he met my grandmother at a dance. After the war he bought a farm right near Ft. indiantown Gap and live there for 60 years. That’s the farm I learned to play the game at, hitting balls out into the field, then walking and picking them all up.

He sold the farm in 2004 and moved back down to Kentucky to be near his remaining brothers and sisters, of which it is now just him and his youngest sister.


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6 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Your story about your Grandfather brought back memories of my old man's course back in the day.

Golf had hit that "boom " in the 60s and 70s. There were not but 4 public daily fee courses in our area. Back in those days Wednesday afternoons was one of our busiest times because a lot of shops and stores closed on Wednesday afternoons at 12:00. We had no dress code so the speak but one. That was "gentlemen MUST wear shirts in the clubhouse" That was because my step Mom and a couple of lady teachers worked there in the summer. You would have all types of dress coming in to play. You would have the guy that worked in the machine shop playing and maybe a more professional office person like a bank teller playing. My Old man always said "Come as you are have fun but wear a shirt in the clubhouse" IMHO my very definition of golf for the masses. Those were fun days. I was sitting here picturing your Grandfather being one of those folks if he had lived on the "right coast" but folks like him carry on in spirit. For me that is the grassroots of golf. Sometimes they had little informal comps like the guys from the tire shop playing the guys from the battery and generator shop ( notice I said generator not alternator) and they may draft the bank teller guy in to even the match and fill in a team.  Weekends we always had our regulars which kept the tee sheet full from daylight to noon or so. Then you had the afternoon walkins on the weekends

I love old family stories.

I've got a million of them, but on the wrong day, they make me sad.

My wife and I both have memories of large extended families, but we were both only children. 

Our own two kids had no cousins, aunts, or uncles of their own, just ours.

Plus neither of us had a clue about being or raising siblings,

so they were raised an an only son and an only daughter!

Now  everybody but a few estranged, elderly cousins from those old memories are dead, we have no grandchildren, and holidays are pretty quiet.

That's OK.  Things change, and the current times,  while very different,  aren't bad either.. 

But when other things like current events have you in a really bad mood, 

one tends to think of old times as something lost rather than something one was once blessed to have enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, NiftyNiblick said:

I love old family stories.

I've got a million of them, but on the wrong day, they make me sad.

My wife and I both have memories of large extended families, but we were both only children. 

Our own two kids had no cousins, aunts, or uncles of their own, just ours.

Plus neither of us had a clue about being or raising siblings,

so they were raised an an only son and an only daughter!

Now  everybody but a few estranged, elderly cousins from those old memories are dead, we have no grandchildren, and holidays are pretty quiet.

That's OK.  Things change, and the current times,  while very different,  aren't bad either.. 

But when other things like current events have you in a really bad mood, 

one tends to think of old times as something lost rather than something one was once blessed to have enjoyed.

 

 

We do not have any relatives as such either. My only son by my first wife died in 2000 from cancer. I do have some distant cousins but have not seen or heard from them in years. My wife only has her brother who IMHO is a POS. He has not contacted us in over a year not even to check to see if we blew away in the hurricane or drownded. I told my wife it was funny I had so many PMs from here and on WRX expressing concern I had to dump my inboxes twice. Some folks on both sites I have never met in person showed genuine concern. I told her knowing him that he checked to see if we died and when he saw we did not he let it go. I told her if we had been on the deceased list he would have come down here at 90 MPH to see if he got any money or benefits. Trust me he ain't getting jack. What little stuff we have is signed over to 2 different churches. 

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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I live in a town of 7000 people.  We have two, 18 hole private courses in town.  There aren't enough rich people around here to support one course, let alone two.  Members of both clubs are pretty middle class.  Farmers (a lot of farmers), teachers, small business owners, dentists, accountants, retirees, factory workers, doctors, lawyers, law enforcement personnel, secretaries, insurance agents,...  

 

The most common cars in the parking lot are pick ups and mini vans.  The high school kids mainly drive used cars.     

 

 

 

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19 hours ago, alfriday101 said:

I live in a town of 7000 people.  We have two, 18 hole private courses in town.  There aren't enough rich people around here to support one course, let alone two.  Members of both clubs are pretty middle class.  Farmers (a lot of farmers), teachers, small business owners, dentists, accountants, retirees, factory workers, doctors, lawyers, law enforcement personnel, secretaries, insurance agents,...  

 

The most common cars in the parking lot are pick ups and mini vans.  The high school kids mainly drive used cars.     

 

 

 

Pick up trucks and mini vans huuh? Sounds like my kind of people--- And the mix you mentioned sounds like my kind of mix of people too

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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Pick up trucks and mini vans huuh? Sounds like my kind of people--- And the mix you mentioned sounds like my kind of mix of people too



We see a lot of expensive cars at our club, meanwhile my wife drives a Civic and I roll with the Odyssey minivan. My wife laughs about it, saying we don’t fit in with our cars.

Hell, my dream car is the new Chevy Bolt. Even if I could afford a Audi or Mercedes or what have you, my choice it would be the all-electric Bolt.


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Stan Thompson “Reactionizer” persimmon woods 1-4

Spalding Tour Edition 3-PW

Spalding Top-Flite E.V.A. Sand Club

Rife Legend Z Putter

 

 

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If I could afford a Bentley Continental,

my ass would be in a Bentley Continental.

(Or a Flying Spur--I like that model, too.)

 

But in the end, I'd still be no different than my friend deejaid in a Chevy Volt.

I'd just be driving the car that I liked  the most.

Impression on others would have less than nothing to do with it.

 

 

 

 

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I guess it all depends on your individual perspective and exactly what you're trying to get or make out of golf. 

Believe it or not, there's a sub-culture of golfers who find ways to make golf work for them on their ramen noodle budget. I'm a sole provider, husband, and father of 2, with an "average" income and have found ways to make this game affordable and enjoyable. 

For starters, equipment can be costly but only if you just have to have the newest and name-brand stuff as often as it's released. Many are completely content playing "pre-owned" sticks and at a replacement rate of about every 3-5 years. Also, if you search the threads, there are topics of "non-name-brand" clubs that are every bit as good as the big boxers but at a fraction of the cost. You just have to be mentally at peace with not playing something that others will recognize.  A decent game will always overshadow shiny clubs. 

Next, are you adamant on playing the best courses? If the concerns green fee costs are constantly haunting you, maybe you're playing too rich for your blood. I play nearly weekly but am living through muni's, execs, Golf Now, Groupon, and local course deals. Maybe on my birthday or Father's day I'll splurge for those Troon-quality tracks.. and I'm 100% OK with that. 

As for club memberships, etc.. definitely not necessary to enjoy the game. There are ways to track an unofficial handicap with apps, etc. Now I'm not saying that being a member wouldn't have its benefits but if the term "budget" is even a thing for you, ya just gotta figure out what makes the most sense for you and maybe let that idea go. 

Here's my personal breakdown of golf in my life: I play no-name forged irons that I bought brand new with name brand shafts and grips for $400 built, bent, and shipped. A 3rd gen Nike driver that I can hit 275 yds down the middle, new wedges that I received from MGS/Bridgestone to test and report on as part of being an active and participating forum member. A Cleveland HB putter ($100 new). I plan on keeping this set for 3 or more years. I'm able to play some pretty decent courses that challenge my level of play for anywhere between $15 - $30/round pretty much throughout the year (I realize that demographics can impact this piece). That more or less includes the extra $5-$10 that I'll spend on a bucket of balls before the round. I personally don't see the "need" for a club membership.. Of course that would be fabulous and all.. but it just wouldn't be practical for my want/need profile. I need to play golf.. but I don't need a membership to do it.. yes I would like or want it.. but it's not a necessity. I don't have an established handicap but could almost hang my hat on something around a 12. Yes it could be better but it's still quite respectable in the grand scheme. I do hope to get to 10 or below soon (average score of 80 or better on par 70 - 72).. and I do believe it's possible to get there by not spending any more $, just continued dedication. I also realize that there are misc. expenses like balls, gloves, tees, range, etc but those too can all be handled within "said budget".

Of course, devil's advocate to my own comment says that if I didn't play golf, I'd be in a better spot financially.. But if I couldn't play golf, I'd probably have to plead insanity, take up hard drugs, lose my job and my family and give up the game completely. Big picture: I'd rather be on this side of that fence.  

   PXG 0311 Gen 5 9°/ Fujikura MotoreX F1 6X
:cobra-small:  F6 3 Wood 14* / Kuro Kage Silver 65X
:cobra-small: F8 6 wood 20* / Fujikura MotoreX F3 6S

:cobra-small: RADSpeed Hybrid 24*
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg TS1 4-GW / FCM Precision 6.5 Rifle
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg  TSW Wedge - 56/12
:edel-golf-1:  EAS 1.0 / Grip master 2.0 

MAXFLI  Tour CG

 

 

 

 

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22 hours ago, deejaid said:

 

 


We see a lot of expensive cars at our club, meanwhile my wife drives a Civic and I roll with the Odyssey minivan. My wife laughs about it, saying we don’t fit in with our cars.

Hell, my dream car is the new Chevy Bolt. Even if I could afford a Audi or Mercedes or what have you, my choice it would be the all-electric Bolt.


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If I could afford it I would have a nicer vehicle for my wife to drive and maybe a new pickup for special occasions. But I would have a older Chevy or Dodge rat rod truck with a big motor looking ratty as heck for the daily driver. One of my other toys would be a cut  down big truck with short wheelbase sitting lowered with a single axle and stake body. Funniest vehicle I ever had was a Volvo 4 door home made cut down job making a pick up truck. A guy and I were just starting the wrecker business and buying junk cars. We had it hand lettered "We Buy Junk Cars" with the phone number. Also has a giant rat trap on the hood with a giant rubber rat in it. The yuppies in their Volvos were horrified and so was the Benz crowd. To boot we had a 350 Chevy motor with a light cam and Turbo 400 trans. Drove it to Grande Dunes one time to play a event. That is a real swanky place and those folks were shocked. One of my fellow players told one of the assembled a--holes that I had a 300E Mercedes which I did with a Mack Bulldog on the hood in fact the same one I have on my Dakota pick up now. I get some looks now with that Dakota in certain places with the high class touron crowd because it is ragged with the Bulldog on the hood and it is a little loud with a salvaged Borla Exhaust. Most folks can not figure out if it is a V-8 or what it is. Actually it is a Chrysler Corp Magnum 4 cylinder. Basically I could give 2 hoots less if people stare and 2 more hoots less whether they like it or not

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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If I could afford it I would have a nicer vehicle for my wife to drive and maybe a new pickup for special occasions. But I would have a older Chevy or Dodge rat rod truck with a big motor looking ratty as heck for the daily driver. One of my other toys would be a cut  down big truck with short wheelbase sitting lowered with a single axle and stake body. 



My wife knows my favorite car I ever owned was my 1972 Olds Cutlass Supreme. If she ever surprises me with another one I’d love it, but I wouldn’t go out and buy myself another muscle car. My days of big motor vehicles ended when I traded in my Dodge Durango R/T for our Honda Odyssey. Was tired of the 12 mpg around town and now I’m looking forward to the day I have two all-electric cars in the garage powered by my 5.4 KW solar system.

It’s funny because this could be rolled into the membership costs thread. We are a family that comes from no money, we drive utilitarian Honda’s while some of the servers at our club drive Mercedes. We are able to afford the club by not wanting new and expensive things all the time.

It’s amazing how much money you can save when you are content.


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WITB:

Stan Thompson “Reactionizer” persimmon woods 1-4

Spalding Tour Edition 3-PW

Spalding Top-Flite E.V.A. Sand Club

Rife Legend Z Putter

 

 

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2 hours ago, deejaid said:

 

 


My wife knows my favorite car I ever owned was my 1972 Olds Cutlass Supreme. If she ever surprises me with another one I’d love it, but I wouldn’t go out and buy myself another muscle car. My days of big motor vehicles ended when I traded in my Dodge Durango R/T for our Honda Odyssey. Was tired of the 12 mpg around town and now I’m looking forward to the day I have two all-electric cars in the garage powered by my 5.4 KW solar system.

It’s funny because this could be rolled into the membership costs thread. We are a family that comes from no money, we drive utilitarian Honda’s while some of the servers at our club drive Mercedes. We are able to afford the club by not wanting new and expensive things all the time.

It’s amazing how much money you can save when you are content.


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Funny you said that exactly like you said it. Just got off the phone with one of my fellow drivers. They have cut our hours back due to the prices of scrap steel are down drastically. He is older than I am but he and his wife are in debt up to their wazoos. They have to have everything new the latest and greatest. He was raising pure hell. I have told him several times they are living above their means. My wife and I live in a 1987 Mobile home. We own the home but rent the lot. I drive the old raggedy Dakota and she has a 2001 Dodge Mini Van. We ain't got a lot of money but we are happy. At one time I was pretty well off but blew a lot of money foolishly. Had a little money when we moved here but ended up in 2 losing business deals. But still happy here in the Redneck Riviera or poor man's Hawaii. I am not sweating the reduced hours at all 

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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