Starting golf on a budget

It is a commonly held belief of many that golf is an intrinsically expensive sport and costs a lot to get started. If you are shelling out money for top of the range equipment and clubs then it will set your price up, but starting golf on a budget is not just possible, it can be easy. Whether you are just starting out or picking up an old habit, there are many tips that you can use to get started without burning a hole in your pocket.

Clubs

Clubs are the most important part of your golfing kit and often the most expensive. Instead of buying a branded set of new clubs, you can save a lot of money by buying your kit second hand. Boot fairs and online marketplaces like Ebay are a great method for picking up sets for a very low price. These may not always be in the best condition, but should be more than enough to get started. Alternatively, friends and relatives may even have a set of clubs that they don’t use any more that they may be willing to give to you, so it is worth asking around.

When you are a golfing beginner you don’t need to own every club. The minimum you will want is a driver, 3-wood, a numbered iron set (typically from 3 or 4 through to a pitching wedge), a putter and a sand wedge. If you are trying to save money then just purchasing these clubs will save you money on buying a full set, whilst still supplying you with everything you should need to start golfing.

If you are really set on buying new golf clubs then buying your golfing items in bulk will usually allow you to take advantage of discounts, depending on where you buy.

Lessons

Once you have your own golfing kit, the next step is to decide if you want lessons. Golf lessons can be expensive but are very useful to introduce newcomers to the sport whilst teaching them everything they need to get playing.

If you decide that this is the option for you then taking group lessons is a good way of not only saving money but meeting like-minded players who you can compete against and improve with.

An alternative is looking online for lessons. There are a number of free tutorials that you can find on YouTube which can teach you all you need to know to improve your golfing game. You can also find videos about common problems or specific issues you may find when playing golf.

Playing

After training and getting your clubs, the next step, and the most important one, is to get to a course and start golfing. Choosing where and when you play golf can really affect how much you spend and is important to consider when golfing on a budget.

Course prices often vary depending on what time of day you visit. Mornings and weekends are usually the most expensive time to play golf, however, you can usually find cheaper prices in evenings and weekdays. Most courses have cheaper afternoon rates that will usually start between 2 and 3pm.

As tempting as it may be, consider not joining a private club. Most private clubs charge a large up front fee as well as a monthly one and can be very expensive and more intimidating for newer golfers. Going to a public golf course or even semi-private will leave much more money in your pocket and enable you to improve your game at your own pace.

If you really want to join a private club then try to wait until the club of your choice has a discount on entry. Depending on how far away or for how long you are willing to look, you can usually find membership drives which will give you a cheaper entry to all the benefits that private golf includes.

One extra money saving tip when playing in larger courses is to avoid hiring a golf cart. Not only will this give you a little extra exercise but it will also save you paying the additional costs of cart fees when you golf.

Golfing is a great sport that is easy to get involved in, regardless of whether you are looking to do it casually or professionally. It is never too late to learn and there are loads of low cost opportunities to get involved.