5 Ways to Save Money When Playing Golf

Golf is not one of the cheapest pastimes to take up, it’s not quite in yacht ownership territories, but it still isn’t the cheapest of pass times but there are few canny ways to save yourself a bit of cash that you can spend in the 19th hole (the bar!).

Lets have a look at some of the things you may have overlooked, obviously you’ll be concentrating too hard on getting that ball in that annoying hole to be concerned about all the money you're frittering away.

5 Ways to Save Money when Playing Golf:

• Golf clubs are always evolving and supposedly improving but just wait a minute and consider the facts, will a new club really improve your drive by 30 yards or would a couple of one to one golf lessons actually help more in the long run. Golf is all about technique if you can improve the way you hit the ball then your game will improve, so just hold off buying the latest and greatest new set of clubs.
  
  
• Balls, there I said it, lets talk about balls, they can be really expensive so look for ones that maybe cheaper than the top of the range ones. A lot of manufacturers will produce balls with company logos on or for a particular event and they can have a surplus which they need to off load at a reduced cost so look out for excess stock clearances , they're the same quality as the other balls but just have and different logo or name on them. You can do an internet search for ‘excess golf stock’ or ‘wholesale golf stock’ to get you started in the right direction.
  
  
• Green fees are a bitter pill to swallow if you pay on the day, so look into paying up front for the year at your local club. Golf clubs are feeling the pinch in these days of austerity and many are offering set fees for say 25 rounds of golf to be used throughout the year, with no joining fee! If you're going further afield call in advance and ask what kind of discounts the course will offer guests? You’d be amazed by the response that you get when you phone ahead because, to the club, that’s money in the bank they weren’t expecting so they will want to entice you with a discount. If you're playing with friends it’s always wise to try and get a group discount or see if clubs have different pricing for the time of day that you play. You could always car pool to save on gas too!
  
  
• Walk don’t drive, golf carts add more money to your costs on the day so try and walk wherever possible, you’ll save money and it will keep you trim exercising those legs. Whilst we talking about keeping fit, you might as well pack your own lunch and drinks, buying off the clubhouse can really add up to the total spend.
  
  
• Don’t buy golfing magazines and books, the internet is your friend here and you can find all the latest news and reviews on-line. You can even improve your game from your armchair, have a look at all the golfing videos on YouTube helping you too improve your game and saving you money in the process.
  

With all the money that you save by following these tips you can invest in some anger management classes for when you hook that perfect drive!


This article was written by guest contributor Ciaran Oliver in association with Caddie Master who provide high quality electric golf trolley and accessories to golfers.