“I only have about $100 a month to invest in my game, how should I spend it?” This is probably the one question that I get asked the most about budget golfing, how can I play/practice/enjoy more golf without spending any money. Believe it or not, there are many ways to stretch that golfing budget, especially when you don’t think about playing the game as much as you do about preparing to play the game. In this post, I’ll highlight my five free-to-cheap ways of getting the most out of your golfing buck and how to stretch even the most meager budgets to get more golfing fun out of this year.
Use The Free Practice Facilities
Every course has a putting green you can usually putt and chip on, but does your course have a wedge area as well? Many courses have a sand trap area, as well as a pitching green that are free to use. Not every course will have one, but for the ones that do, this is a great way to get the short game going. Swing nets are also another commonplace feature at courses that don’t have a range on them. Something that can make hours on the putting green fun is creating self competition games to play. Make every hole a par two and try to finish under par – this means you are averaging less than 2 putts a hole! Another classic is to see how close you can get a ball without making it. Yet another is the “always two putt” game where you want to set up a second putt that is always makeable. Finally, there is the easy putting games where you can bring the family along to play along for a bit more fun. My kiddo loves to go putt and hit balls with me, so adding a few more people to the mix is always fun. Another idea that was sent in after the last round of these was a week night “putting league” where you have a few friends get together and do a few rounds of putting around the practice facilities. Even a tournament setup is possible with small groups. The king gets bragging rights for the week and maybe everyone chips in a buck to get the winner a beer. It can be fun and very inexpensive.
Total Cost: $0.00
Make Use Of Space At Home
Even the smallest of yards can be good for chipping and the smallest carpeted area can be used to work your putter. It’s finding the space and time to work on these parts of your game that will really benefit you on the course. Imagine a round with no chunked chip shots and 3 or 4 less putts. It’s the difference between shooting an 90 and an 85. It’s also important to make sure to stretch and swing as often as you can find the time and space as well. Even during the winter months with snow still on the ground, it’s great to get outside for a few swings every day. Just keeping the body turning and extending is all it’s about during the off months. When the weather changes, you can get out and make some real swings, preferably on a cheap mat or a carpet square to save the yard, but you can decide for yourself on that one.
Total Cost: $0.00 or under $5 if you buy a carpet chunk to chip off of.
Get A Lesson
This should go without saying, but the absolute best way to invest a bit of cash in your game is to invest in a teacher. Most teaching facilities will give you a small block of 20-30 minute lessons for about $100. Whether it’s 3 or 4 for that cost, there will be very few things that will benefit you as much as getting someone else’s eyes on your swing. Now, you probably won’t get put on a launch monitor and shot with high-speed cameras for these starter lessons, but you will get a (hopefully) qualified teaching professional that will start helping you develop a good, consistent swing that will last you a lifetime. You’ll also be shocked at how often that professional comes over to you while you are at the range and offers up a bit of information at no additional charge. Honestly, they are there to get you to play more golf better and lesson packs are a great way for them to get you started on that path – and an even better way for you to get yourself started on that path.
Total Cost: $25-100 on average
Get Fitted
This is a tough one, because it’s often the cart before the horse thought. A good club fitting will cost between $50 and $100 if you don’t plan on buying anything at that moment. This is a huge budget killer for many, but trying to golf with clubs that aren’t even close to fitting your swing is nearly impossible. Too many golfers walk in to a store, or even just order a set online, and never bother to get fit for clubs. Of course, many argue the point that their swing isn’t good enough or consistent enough to get fitted for clubs. I compare this to driving a car - which in all honesty is about the same amount of money as buying a set of clubs today – in the fact that you wouldn’t just go pick a car based on the fact that it looks ok. You adjust the seats, the mirrors, take it for a test drive and get a good feel for it before you buy it. Golf clubs can be the same and should be the same. Yes, local stores have deals, and they can usually adjust those deals for a very small price to fit the data that you get from a good fitting. For example, the Wilson C200 irons are on clearance almost everywhere for under $400. This was a $800 set in January and they won’t play any different than that next month. For about $5 a club, you can have the lie changed on that set (maybe even for free if the shop you are buying from has the service in house.) You are walking out the door with a brand new, custom fit set of irons for under $500. If the budget is even tighter, hit the used rack and see what they have that can be adjusted to fit. It’s all about getting you comfortable with what fits you, so your swing can become an easier thing to master.
Total Cost: $50-100 on average – most shops will deduct this from the purchase price of your clubs.
Play Twilight Or 9 Holes
Probably my biggest frustration that I see in people that love to golf is that they don’t have the funds to play weekend rounds at the nice courses in their areas. Sure, I could go out and hit some of the $100+ courses once a month, but isn’t it better to hit a course 4 or 5 times a month instead? I have 3 courses within a decent distance of me ranging from $25 for 18 holes out to $75 for 18 holes at peak times. The $25 course is a par 31 nine hole beast that you play two times to make up 18 holes. The mid-range $50 course is a 7500 yard giant that has more hills than I’d ever want to walk again in my life. The upper-end $75 course is the one that I played all winter long and comes in just under 5700 yards from the tips. All three courses offer a challenge of a different sort. The short one is cheap, but the greens are tight and conditions are usually a bit rough around the edges. It’s a sneaky-tough course for how short it is. I call it a target golf course. The long beast tests every possible aspect of your game and then some. Play from the upper tees if you want a fun day and play from the championship ones if you want to truly kill your self-esteem. Of course, Echo Falls is Echo Falls. It’s posh, fun and is great for a round since it’s literally 10 minutes from home. Love that place, but honestly, it’s going to be expensive this summer to play there. It even has me re-thinking my Men’s Club Membership there. Maybe I should check the pricing for the Snohomish Men’s Club first…?
Total Cost: $15-35 a round.
Anyways, to make a long story short (I know, too late) there are better ways to practice and play the game of golf, without having to spend a fortune doing it. By utilizing the practice facilities at your local course, making use of some small spaces at home and investing in a few plastic or foam practice balls, you can easily have a good weekly practice routine setup that doesn’t involve spending money and wasting time. Grab a wedge and a putter and a few of balls from past rounds and go hit the putting green. Maybe even look to see if they offer a range pass where you go. Sometimes spending that “winter budget” on practice instead of playing will yield lower scores this season. Or just keep chipping and putting at home and really sharpen that short game. You’ll probably find that this game is won from 50 yards in, not from a 300 yard drive. If you have any great money saving tips for golfers, let me know in the comments below or email backinthefairway@gmail.com.
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