We all know it… golf can be expensive. It’s seen as the sport that only rich people play, and I don’t blame people for thinking that. They see drivers for $400+ and golf balls for $45 a dozen at local sporting goods stores.
They hear about rounds that cost over $100 at nicer courses, and they know that their good friend Bill paid a $15,000 initiation fee at Insanely Expensive Golf Club to be a member.
This article is going to explore every tip known to man to save money while playing golf as often as possible.
With that being said, thanks for reading and please leave me a comment below about your favorite tip. Am I missing one? Let me know below so I can add to the list!
1) Search around for the best annual club membership
This tip is imperative. If you only read ONE of this tips (wow, you skipped the other 49?), read this one. The biggest expense in golf is the actual rounds that you play.
You need to visit or call EVERY golf course in town to find out exactly what they offer for annual memberships.
If you can find memberships with no initiation fee that allow you to walk for free, these will be very hard to beat. Add on an included range plan and a nice short game area, and you will be set.
Compare that to the nicest course in town with a $10,000 initiation fee that charges you $50 to ride each round and $25 to walk.
Bam, you just saved thousands of dollars.
Will you have to give up a little bit of quality to get the value that you are looking for? Of course.
But, keep this in mind: there is only one BEST value course in your town. You need to find it and lock it down.
Make sure you don’t cheap out and just find the absolute cheapest club in your city, as it might not even be worth the membership fees. If you aren’t looking forward to playing at your club, you are at the wrong club. That would turn into a complete waste and turn you off from golf for the entire year most likely.
Make sure you take into account all fees that will be included, the members that you know there, the staff that works there, the mileage it takes to get there, and especially the head pro and owners. Don’t lock yourself down into a toxic environment golf club. Don’t join a club an hour away, because odds are you will be too busy to every get out there.
2) Most lucrative tip: work at a golf course
This is easily the most helpful tip to save money on golf. Most golf courses offer their employees highly discounted or even free golf.
In high school, I worked at a local Robert Trent Jones golf course in the summers and during breaks from school. It was an absolute dream job. When I wasn’t working, I could play golf all day on the two incredible courses. I had access to an incredible driving range and practice area. I loved all of the staff that I worked with, especially my manager, who I got to play with often.
When I went off to college, I started helping my new golf instructor teach little kids at a very private course (where Jason Dufner is a member). I got unlimited access to the beautiful driving range and practice facilities. I can even practice in the indoor “golf house” that has a great camera set up.
Don’t have time to work many hours at a golf club? No problem at all. See if you can offer some services to them in exchange for a membership or a discount.
For example, if you run a landscaping company or a pressure washing company, you could provide your services in exchange for a reduction in your yearly fees. I know that is a long shot, but you never know.
More likely than not, you are probably off on Sundays from your work. See if you can be a volunteer marshal, help with one of the weekly golf events for members, or teach golf to children.
The more desperate you are, the more opportunities you will need to save money on golf. So take advantage of any way that you can help the golf course or the golf pro himself.
3) Buy the best value used golf clubs that you can afford
I don’t think I need to explain to you how much some golfers spend on clubs.
We all know the one guy that will shell out $400 or $500 for the latest and and greatest driver that guarantees to add 17.3 yards to your drives. The same guy that buys brand new Pro V1x’s even though he is a 20 handicap and buys putter head covers for more than I spend on putters.
Here are some general rules: buy used equipment that was released 2-5 years ago (or even more if you want to save a ton of money) on eBay or used golf club sites like 3balls.com. Preferably lean towards clubs that earned a Gold Star by Golf Digest in the year they were released.
I’ve got a ton of articles on the best value golf clubs on a budget. Read over some of the articles that apply to what you are looking for!
4) Buy used golf balls (or at least a good value golf ball)
Don’t buy top of the line, brand new golf balls. You will probably end up hitting them in the water at some point anyway.
There are plenty of balls with similar performance to the best balls on the market for a fraction of the price.
Check out my article on the best value golf ball on a tighter budget. The best sites to buy used golf balls is Amazon.
The best sites to buy the best value brand new golf balls would also be Amazon, which is surprisingly great place with a large selection of golf balls at a fair price as well.
5) Buy large packs of gloves for bigger discounts
Have a Costco membership? Buy their three pack of Callaway gloves for around $6 per glove when they are on sale.
Other than that, try to buy packs of gloves from Callaway or other smaller brands for around $6-10 per glove on Amazon. Callaway tends to have the best value gloves on the market, and they feel just as good as any FootJoy glove. Another great brand for cheap gloves that have a great lifespan are MG golf gloves. I haven’t tried them personally but they have great reviews.
Typically the more gloves you buy, the better the deal is.
6) Keep your clubs cleaner to make them last longer
Clubs rust and get dirty. Grooves wear down. Grips get slippery and worn.
If you take care of your clubs by giving them good, hard cleanings often, they will last much longer. Considering that golf equipment is the #2 cost in golf (behind the rounds/memberships), you need to make sure you take good care of them.
On a monthly basis, you need to wash your golf grips with soap and water and dry them off with a towel. This will keep them feeling like new. While you are at it, get a good value retractable club brush (or just use a damp towel) to wipe off all of the dirt from your clubs as often as possible.
Your brush should have two types of bristles. Soft ones to get off easy dirt, and hard ones to get off rust and other harder imperfections.
7) Learn to regrip your golf clubs yourself
The entire regripping process can be very expensive. You will probably end up spending $150+ to get your entire bag regripped.
For my area, it costs around $10 each for a good golf grip and then they might charge you $2-5 to put each grip on, depending on where you get it done at. If you do it yourself, the only costs you will incur would be the materials (grip tape and a solvent) and the grips themselves. A vise and a vise clamp would make the process easier but they are not 100% necessary.
I know many people will think I am insane for not recommending Golf Pride grips, but they are simply not much better than knockoff brand grips like Karma or Champkey, which offer great grips at about half the price. I have used Karma grips personally and was very pleased. All thing considered, it would cost you around $30-$40 to regrip your entire set of clubs (13 grips).
I would recommend getting the simple regripping kit from the Wedge Guys on Amazon. It costs less than $15 all together. Then then choose the grips that you want and you are ready to regrip your clubs!
8) Find lost golf balls in woods, lakes, high grass, and other hard to reach spots
Not going to lie, I like finding golf balls more than I like playing golf sometimes. I know, I’m insane. The thrill of finding a good golf ball that someone paid $3-5 dollars for just weirdly gives me a great feeling in my chest.
When looking for golf balls in the woods, think about two things: 1) where are the good golf balls? and 2) where are most people reluctant to go to find them?
There are tons of spots on golf courses that are very close to the cart path but that people just don’t want to go through the trouble of to find the golf balls. Think muddy areas, big falloffs/cliffs, snake-infested looking areas, super tall grass, etc.
These spots that are very easy to hit into but that scare most people off are where I find the most golf balls.
What golf balls you find typically depends on what course you are playing. When I play the local muni course, I often find lower end golf balls like Top Flites, Nike Mojos, and Wilsons.
When I play a higher end course, I expect to find more premium golf balls like Titleists, Callaways, Bridgestones, etc.
9) Walk instead of ride
This should be obvious, buy many golfers are simply too lazy to take advantage. I haven’t (voluntarily) paid for a cart fee in years.
With walking, I get more exercise, more time in nature, more time to myself as opposed to squished up in a cart, more heat in the winter, and more time to listen to the music that I choose to listen to while playing.
I have found that the average amount of money I save by walking is around $20 per round. This adds up if you are playing 50+ rounds a year!
Personally, I have never been a fan of carts. You have to do a lot of walking either way, so you might as well walk the whole course in my opinion.
If you don’t want to carry your bag, invest in a push cart. Don’t rent one for around $5 each round, as this can add up. Simply buy a good value Clicqear push cart that folds up into your car easily.
10) Spend money on lessons instead of new equipment
All of that money that you saved by not buying brand new equipment? Use it to buy golf lessons.
This will be way more beneficial than new equipment. And hey, maybe the improvements that you make will lead to you winning more bets on the course with your buddies.
Ask around for who is the best golf pro in your area. You’ll get a lot of answers, but focus on what each person says he or she likes and dislikes about the pro.
This will give you insight to quickly finding the one that fits your style and budget the most.
11) Check out these sites for the best deals on courses near you
Golf has been changed immensely by technology. With the increase of online reservation golf websites, you can now grab some awesome deals on tee times.
The most popular one is GolfNow.com, as they are used by many courses all over the U.S. and offer great deals on a decent basis.
You can even earn free golf with GolfNow Rewards. It’s a program that rewards you for using the site. If you use it enough, you’ll earn enough rewards for an entire round for free. So on top of the savings for the rounds that you pay for, you can now earn free rounds of golf!
Other great options are Supreme Golf and TeeOff.com.
12) Protect your clubs when traveling
When you are traveling, it is very easy for your clubs to be damaged by those handling luggage. We have all seen those crazy videos of airport workers handling suitcases as if they were trying to break everything they saw.
When traveling, the best way to bring your own clubs would be in a hard or soft case. Soft cases are cheaper and take up less room, but you have to be careful that your clubs are well protected. Hard cases are safer but weigh more and take up more space.
Personally, I like having this golf club protector and shoving tons of towels, bubble wrap, and those air pocket things to make sure everything is secure.
Then, when I am done, I can store the bag easily under my bed while using little space.
If you don’t protect your clubs for the flight, they could get broken. I can promise you the airport is not going to feel sad about it, either. So don’t lose out on the cost of your golf clubs; make sure they are packed securely.
13) Be frugal: bring your own snacks and drinks
Snacks and drinks are incredibly overpriced at golf courses. Then you have to take into account the tip to the cart lady or pro shop attendant. Don’t buy a sandwich, gatorade/beer, and candy bar for around $10.
If you are trying to save money, buy what you want from Walmart or another cheap grocery store. Bring your own snacks and drinks in your golf bag. It’s also a good idea to just decrease the amount that you buy at the course. Save your food for later or eat earlier at home. Each little bit of savings helps.
My go-to snack now is a pack of peanut butter crackers and water (free) on the course. The crackers cost around 25 or 50 cents each pack. Super cheap and easy, and I simply eat meals before and/or after my rounds.
If you make these savings each round of golf you play, you would save around $9.50 x 50 = almost $500 in a year, assuming you play 50 rounds.
14) Take advantage of local “golf discount cards” to play lots of different rounds
Many cities have discount cards for a large number of courses. For one set price, you can play a wide variety of courses and end up paying around $10-20 per course if you use the card to its maximum benefit.
These are often incredible savers for those that hate playing at the same course over and over again.
How it works is that local courses partner up and split the proceeds. They know that many golfers are going to get too busy and not use the card nearly to its potential. You can be the exception though, essentially reducing your average round cost by a large multiple.
15) Buy golf clothes at thrift stores or discount stores
Don’t you dare buy those Under Armour shirts with the club logo on them in the pro shop. Yes, they look incredible. Yes, I want them all too. No, I do not buy them. I buy similar quality shirts at thrift stores all the time.
A local tournament director recently donated nearly his entire wardrobe with his tournament logos on them before he moved away to a new job. I bought tons of nearly new nike golf shirts for around $2 each, and still wear them all to this day.
Golfers donate clothes all the time, and I often have to turn down great quality golf shirts because I either have too many or because they are $10 instead of $5.
My point is, check out your local thrift stores and see what is in store. You can easily build an entire golf wardrobe for $150 or less by searching through 4-5 good thrift stores.
That is compared to golf shirts that often cost $80 each and golf shorts that often cost $50 each. I can’t fathom ever spending that much money on golf clothes.
If you are on a budget but can’t or don’t want to visit thrift stores, you can still buy great quality golf clothes at a big discount on Amazon.
16) Just don’t shop in the Pro-shop
Everything is the pro shop is overpriced. You won’t convince me otherwise. You will find some small courses that sometimes offer good deals to get rid of inventory, but most private or high end clubs are just complete rip offs when it comes to merchandise or equipment in the pro shop.
Don’t buy course logo’d towels or cups or balls. They are not worth it and you probably won’t look at them again anyway.
Don’t buy $80 clothes in the pro shop. Buy them at thrift stores for $5 or online for $20.
Don’t buy $50 boxes of golf balls in the pro shop. Buy them for $20 online or on Craigslist/facebook marketplace, or find them in woods and ponds.
Don’t buy $150 shoes in the pro shop. Buy them online for $50.
Pay for your greens fee (don’t you dare ride) and get out of there already!
17) If you want to collect something, collect course pencils.
Don’t collect golf balls, towels, divot fixers, or yardage books at courses. Those can cost anwyehre from $2-25 each!
Instead, collect scorecard pencils! They are free, unique, and almost always have the course name and/or logo on them.
I have seen some great golf pencil collections online. They aren’t as pretty as golf ball collections with each course logo on them. However, you are trying to save money here! Don’t forget why you opened this article and why you are reading this far.
18) Get $50 pairs of Adidas golf shoes
Golf shoes can be super expensive. My mother bought be $180 FootJoy shoes around 5 years ago, and that number will always stick in my mind. Why? Because that’s around $130 more than I would have spent.
Did I appreciate the thought? Absolutely, I just felt bad that she spent that much for me just on shoes.
Adidas makes some great looking and feeling shoes for around $50. These are absolute steals considering they are brand name, made with excellent quality, and come in lots of different color options. Adidas has got me as a customer for life due to thier great value shoes.
19) Tell your loved ones what you actually want for birthdays/holidays
Let’s think for a second. If we are going to get gifts for Christmas or a birthday or father’s day or Saint Patricks day (why not?), we might as well ask for golf items that we were going to buy anyway.
So when someone asks you what you want for your birthday? Let them know exactly what you were going to buy anyway. That’s a 100% savings rate.
Here is what happens many times instead: they ask what you want, you say “I don’t know”, they get you something you don’t really want/use, then you buy what you actually wanted a month later yourself. That doesn’t make much sense.
20) Play later in the afternoon
Courses often have a discounted rate after a certain time. For example, if you tee off after 5pm at my local course, they will do $15 off. They are simply trying to squeeze out as much revenue as possible for the day.
Many times, people have to work until 5pm anyway, so this means that you can come after work and get a reduced rate to play as many holes as you can before it gets too dark.
I’d recommend that you only walk when you do this, that way you won’t feel bad about being the last one out on the golf course and won’t hold the cart guys up. Yes, that is the most frustrating thing for workers to experience when they just want to go home after a long day.
Then, on the last hole, you can hit lots of different shots or practice on the green hitting lots of different bunker shots, pitches, chips, etc.
21) Use any discount that applies to you
Lots of courses have discounts on normal rounds and on memberships for kids, veterans, seniors, friends, famillies, out of town residents, etc.
A great example of this: many of my college friends found out about an “out-of-town resident” membership at a great local golf course. They simply used their true home addresses of their parents, who they still technically live with, and reduced their membership to only $100 a month. This is an insane value, as nonmembers have to pay about $80 just to play a round here.
My grandfather also gets a great discount for both his age and his veteran status at his club. I don’t know exactly how much this saves him, but it lets him play just about as much golf as he wants!
So look into and ask about any discounts that courses around you might offer. You might be surprised!
22) Use coins instead of ball markers
Don’t buy those overpriced ballmarkers. Yes, they are cool and collectible, but they are simply not worth it. You will probably lose it eventually anyway.
The frugal move would be to simply use a coin that you have already. I keep 5-10 coins in my bag (I prefer quarters for their size) to make sure I always have one on hand.
23) Look for all inclusive deals when playing at other courses
When you DO decide to play another course, outside of your annual membership club, look for all inclusive deals.
These are ones that includes range balls and maybe even a meal. This might be a part of a charity event or for a group outing.
Some courses even let you play as many rounds as you want in a single day. That means you can spend the same amount for one round but squeeze in 2 or even 3 rounds depending on your endurance and dedication levels.
24) Play on a weekday when you can
Weekday rates are typically less than weekends, because courses know less people will be able to come out.
So take advantage if you can. See if you can adjust your work schedule to be able to fit in 9 or 18 holes on a Monday instead of a weekend.
It won’t save a crazy amount, but it could be the difference between a $30 round and a $45 round.
25) Find a range plan at a local course
If your annual club membership doesn’t include a good range plan, don’t be afraid to look elsewhere. Other ranges might fit your eye better or offer a better selection of targets anyway.
You might be able to find a place that offers unlimited range balls for nearly a dollar a day on average if you commit to a yearly plan. This will depend heavily on the quality of the course and the cost of living area that you live in, however.
This will easily pay off if you can find time to hit the range often.
26) Don’t lose money on bets (bet on other things)
Take a good hard look at yourself. If you have lost a lot of money on bets, consider this crazy idea… stop betting money!
I know how it feels to get tied up with betting with you buddies on the course, and I’ve had some great days doing it. But I know a lot of guys that consistently lose money by betting on the course.
Either they don’t do well with pressure or their game is simply not to the level of his or her playing partners.
If you know you’ve lost a lot of money with golf betting, consider either stopping all together, betting smaller amounts, or betting something different. For example, bet using dares or buying alcohol as punishment for losing.
That will end up being free (although embarrassing) or a small amount for some beers.
27) Practice your short game more than your long game
How much does it cost to go to the range for you? $5 for a small bucket?
How much does it cost to practice your short game and putting? Hmmm, nothing. If you think about it, many golfers pay the extra $5 just to NOT practice short game at all. That’s how much they dread it.
Instead of paying for range balls and rounds, spend more time practicing on the putting and chipping green. Hit lots of different shots around the green. Play some music on your phone. It can be extremely relaxing.
Plus, the fact that it is free makes it so much better. I actually like going to lots of different clubs to use their chipping greens to mix it up.
28) Use demo days wisely
Demo days are awesome, but too many people spend too much money or commit to buying too expensive drivers. If you are going to go, go with the intent to only try lots of golf clubs and socialize with other golfers.
Maybe even pick out some clubs that you’ll consider buying in 3-5 years once the price drops significantly.
Another idea would be to bring your gamer driver and irons to compare to the new stuff. Is the difference in consistency, distance, and feel worth the extra money? Probbably not. But if it is, then you know it’s time to buy new clubs for yourself.
29) Stop your golf magazine subscription
Every golf article or piece of information is online as this point. Just head on over to Golf Digest, Golf WRX, or GolfClubGuru.com (my personal favorite) for more articles than you could ever want to read.
Looking to learn more about the golf swing? Just head on over to Youtube and find the large number of great teachers out there. My personal favorite is Me and My Golf. They have so many videos and explain everything very clearly.
30) Stock up when you find a good deal
Find a good deal on golf balls that you love? Stock up, buy as many as you think you’ll use eventually.
You finally got your friend to let you go to Costco with them? Great, stock up on some Callaway gloves (and maybe Kirkland golf balls too!).
Your buddy quitting golf for good (sad day)? Take advantage and get a good deal on those wedges you have been eyeing.
Point being: take advantage of once in a lifetime deals. You can always save them and use them later when you run out of your current supply.
31) Check local coupons in newsletters and discount books
Have you ever checked your local coupon books that companies provide all over town? How about the local paper and other newsletters?
Many golf communities have monthly magazine or publications to let readers know about all of the news and events coming up.
These are often filled with great deals for local courses. This is where you will find out about local “golf discount cards” as well, so look out for them!
32) Favor municipal golf courses
If you are going to play a new course with some buddies, I’d favor the municipal courses over the private or semi-private clubs. Muni courses are run by the local government, and are much cheaper on average.
The quality of the courses will be lower, but it will still be nice to try a new course.
My home course used to be a muni course, and they offered BY FAR the best membership deals for everyone. At a certain time of the year, the course was in incredible shape compared to others in my city, so I was very pleased.
33) Ask for a bundle discount on lessons (especially if you can pay upfront)
If you are definitely going to get lessons in the future, see if you can pay for a bundle of lessons for a discount. If each lesson is $50, see if you can do 6 lessons over the next six months for $200 or $250.
That is the same as saying “buy four, get two free” or “buy five, get one free”. Either way you look at it, it is extra money in your pocket in the end.
The pro will probably accept, because he knows there is a possibility that you will forget or stop coming. Plus, he likes the extra cash flow!
34) Don’t pay for GolfTec
People are paying too much money to get their swings videoed and analyzed by a (typically) not proficient teacher.
If you want to save money, buy a phone holder, attach it to a driveway marker (alignment stick) in the ground, and video it using your phone.
Then, find someone that is very knowledgeable about the golf swing. See if you they will give you one or two things that you obviously need to work on. Make sure you trust their ability, though.
See if the head pro will take a quick look and give you his thoughts. Just don’t do it too often, which would be taking advantage of his knowledge.
35) Practice at home if you can
Instead of spending gas money and money for range balls, get a cheap set up to practice at home.
You can buy a good value golf net, a turf mat, and practice balls to practice at home with a little bit of space.
Altogether, you might spend $100 if you do it right, which will save you on gas, range balls, and (most importantly) your time. Plus, you can do it all in the comfort of your underwear if you wanted to!
36) Buy driveway markers instead of “golf alignment sticks”
If you want to save a quick $15 or so, don’t buy “golf alignment sticks” for $20… buy driveway markers for $2 each at a home improvement store. Those are those orange things that you see in many player’s bags that they use to keep their alignment in check and for numerous drills.
They are the exact same dimensions and work just as well. They stick into the ground easily to use for drills, too.
Bam, just saved you some money if you haven’t bought those rip-off alignment sticks in your pro shop already.
37) Check daily deal sites and craigslist often for good deals
Some crazy good deals can pop up if you are patient enough. Keep checking Groupon, eBay, Amazon, and Rock Bottom Golf for the best deals of the day.
I remember one day where Amazon was selling a $300 range finder for like $175 and it sold out in a few hours. It was an incredible deal and I would have taken advantage if I didn’t already have one.
Depending on where you live, groupon can have some awesome deals on local courses. Take advantage if you see a good deal at a course that you want to play at eventually. The groupons usually last a good bit of time.
This could take a lot of time, though. Instead, you could click on the picture in the sidebar (to the right), as I update the best deal on the internet every morning.
38) If you can help it, never buy tees, divot fixers, towels, or ball markers
Many golf courses will have complimentary tees.
This is where you find your way to this bucket of tees 4 or 5 times throughout the day and end up with enough tees for years to come.
This will save you around $10 worth of tees on amazon or at other pro shops. You could also just pick up tees on tee boxes, which is what I did for years.
Divot fixers and ball markers are also things that you SHOULD never have to buy. Use cheap divot fixers that many courses give away for free and use coins for ball makers, like I mentioned earlier.
For towels, you should have a few laying around already that you can wrap around your bag or put a whole in (so that you can clip it on your bag).
39) Have a lot of friends that play golf
Having a lot of frugal friends that play golf can save you a lot more money than you might think.
For one, if you go out of town for a golf event, you might be able to stay with or ride with a friend that is also going. Of maybe you could stay with a friend that lives where the tournament is.
If you have a lot of friends that work and play golf, you might end up going on a lot of company golf trips that the company pays for.
You could also be asked to join a scramble tournament by work associates where the company will make the donation for you to play.
In the end, having a lot of friends + being good at golf = potentially a lot of free golf rounds (or at least meals).
40) Buy a ball retriever
Yes, buy one. Here are some good value golf ball retrievers. They are the best tool to save money on golf.
You probably could have gotten hundreds of more golf balls that were just out of reach.
It will pay for itself in a few rounds, as you will now be able to pull many more balls from ponds and other water hazards.
41) Simply play less and practice more
If money is tight, you will have to cut back on the number of rounds that you play. It’s as simple as that.
In the meantime, keep practicing, and try to save the rounds for when you can get a good rate in the afternoon or on a weekday.
42) Play 9 holes more often
Is playing 18 holes the best deal? Typically yes, as it is less money per hole when compared to 9 holes.
However, the bottom line is that 18 holes might cost $40 and 9 holes might costs $25. By practicing for an hour after your round instead of playing the back 9, you saved about an hour of time and $15 overall.
Plus, now you worked on a few of your weaknesses instead of simply going through the motions for 9 more holes, so you might have been more productive too. It’s a frugal win-win.
43) Substitute one round a month with a local pitch & putt course
That’s right. Odds are, you could work on your wedge game a little. Plus, you need to add a little more fun to your game anyway!
A cheap pitch and putt golf course can be so much fun, and you can often play multiple rounds for one low price.
By making just one frugal substitution a month, you can save a ton of money and improve your wedge game significantly.
My local course is $10 for as much golf as you want to play all day. The tee boxes are decent and the greens aren’t half bad either.
I can spend about 5 hours there without losing interest, so I’m spending $2 per hour for entertainment, exercise, and golf!
44) Money making tip: Caddy on the side
When I was younger and working at my golf club, it came to my attention that some older golfers wanted to walk but didn’t want to push or carry their clubs. They also wanted someone to talk to all round, while their buddies zoomed by them in carts after each shot.
So, I started caddying for $40 a round. I was surrounded by golf the entire time, and got to meet a lot of great golfers and people in general. I put that money (plus tips!) toward swing lessons with a local instructor.
I know this is technically a way to make money instead of save money… but hey, this is my website. I can do whatever I want 🙂
45) Watch golf youtube videos and read online golf instruction
Looking for free golf instruction? Great! Don’t pay for anything online, no matter how good it sounds.
“A 100 pound man bombs his drives 350+ yards on average! See his secrets here!” No, I will not do that.
I know that if I make steps to improve my golf swing and increase my swing speed everyday, I will get better.
I do not need to pay someone to give me information that is available for free, and neither do you.
46) Book group lessons
A great way to save money when it comes to lessons is to book group lessons with family or friends.
An individual lesson might cost $60 an hour, while a group lesson could cost $25 an hour each for three people.
This way everyone wins. The pro gets $75 for his one hour or working. You have to pay only $25, you still get focused golf instruction, you have time to practice while the others are being instructed, and then the pro can come back and give you feedback. Rinse and repeat.
You will see great improvements for a fraction of the price.
47) Take shorter lessons
Forget the one hour lessons. Unless your instructor is a huge talker, one hour is too much time.
You should only be working on 1 or 2 things at a time EVER. Nothing more than that.
One hour could mean that you are getting tired at the end of the lesson, or it could lead to information overload, with too much information thrown at you at one time.
Neither of these are good, so ask your instructor if you can book just a 30 minute lesson. This tip could reduce the $60 hour long lesson to a $35 30 minutes lesson.
48) Find the right instructor early
Finding the right instructor early on will save you lots of money, time, and stress in the long run.
By finding the right instructor early, you will save on the tons of lessons that you would need to fix your engrained swing flaws if you wait too long. You will save on time by improving your golf game sooner, therefore enjoying the game that much more. You will save on stress, as golf will be more seamless and relaxing.
49) Buy the best value rangefinder, not the $300 ones
There are lots of rangefinders out there. Some can determine the theoretical yardage taking into account slope. Some can jolt when you hit the flat through the lens. Some can lower your handicap by 12 strokes. Just kidding.
Thing is: all you really need is a reliable one that will give accurate distances and won’t break for years to come. That will be this Nikon one. It is the best frugal golf rangefinder on a budget.
50) Last tip to save money on golf: just ask
Simple at that… just ask if you can get a discount on your round or equipment that you are buying. You’d be surprised how many clubs or stores have flat 10%, 20%, and 30% discounts for different occasions. Depending on how nice you are and the mood of whoever you are talking to, they might be happy to give you small discount.
By pleasing you, they are increasing the odds that you will come back and do more business with them.
If you don’t feel comfortable asking… that’s alright! You have got 49 other tips on how to save money on golf!
