Is Golf now too expensive???

[JonnyGutteridge]

Yes and no.

Green fees are unbelievably expensive… But I still pay em.
Clubs are unbelievably expensive… But I still buy em.
Clothes are unbelievably expensive… But I still buy em.

Our green fee is going up to £170 for weekend visitors in April. I think it was £105 when I joined from memory, 6 years ago.

What it probably does do is force you to choose golf as a main hobby or not to bother. No one is going to spend all that money on all the gear and membership/green fees to play a few times a year. No value, not worth it. If you’re “investing” (?) that much into a sport, you better do it regularly and get your moneys worth.

I have a pair of football boots but I don’t play, I have a squash racket but don’t play, I have a tennis racket but don’t play, etc etc etc. but they were all £100ish at most. You can spend that, not play, and not worry too much. They’re all there for a future time if needed.

 

[sunshine]

But I'm a marketeer's antithesis.

Really? You're often posting about your latest equipment purchase. You sound like a bit of a shopoholic if you ask me

 

[sunshine]

Read it and weep all ye Philistines. I know that I own a really well made and expensive golf bag.

View attachment 45921

.. and that is without the travel cover.

4 hours walking around with that on my shoulder looks really uncomfortable!

 

[Smiffy]

"My" course costs me over £1,400.00 a year for membership.
I doubt if I played 20 times last year due to work.
I haven't been down there since October, and the place is more or less flooded at the moment.
I love it there but I'm having trouble justifying it to myself..

 

[Mandofred]

"My" course costs me over £1,400.00 a year for membership.
I doubt if I played 20 times last year due to work.
I haven't been down there since October, and the place is more or less flooded at the moment.
I love it there but I'm having trouble justifying it to myself..

Nope, if I were only playing 20 times a year I'd find something else to do. I can justify it, but I'm not working and I get over 100 rounds in.

 

[garyinderry]

... and the £7.50 included the wheeled travel cover.

View attachment 45915

Sorry, couldn't resist.

That is an absolute steal tbf. I love these old bags. Modern ones are far too big.

 

[Voyager EMH]

That is an absolute steal tbf. I love these old bags. Modern ones are far too big.

That Orvis bag is enormous. Biggest bag I've ever owned.

https://forums.golfmonthly.com/threads/vintage-golf.93646/post-2484289

 

[Voyager EMH]

Really? You're often posting about your latest equipment purchase. You sound like a bit of a shopoholic if you ask me

Ah, but I don't post about the old stuff I buy, clean up and sell at a profit, leaving me a near zero cost vintage golf club collection.

 

[garyinderry]

That Orvis bag is enormous. Biggest bag I've ever owned.

Just seen some other photos of it. Tis a bit big for me. Like the style though. You can have that.

 

[patricks148]

I don't buy equipment that often, but the cost ofva set of irons now is considerably higher than it was not that long ago where you could get 3 to pw for under a grand, but now you would be lucky for a forged set costing you that without the 3 and 4 iron.

I thing that had s jumped is the cost of top courses, 10 years ago quite reasonable and affordable to a certain extent,now all the top course are seriously overpriced. All open championship course are closer to £300 now.

 

[Alan Clifford]

There's a a lot of branding going on. Addidas is a fashion brand now but I see it as PE kit because I'm ancient.

 

[Alan Clifford]

When my clubs got stuck in South Africa for 2 years because of covid, I played with my MD golf irons. 150 quid when I bought them - last years model. Not sure my Callaway xr steel heads are that much better but it is noticable. I did notice the difference in the old driver though. So much so, I bought a Ping 425. Basically, 10 years on there will be a difference, one year on, its a paint job.

 

[Baldy Bouncer]

Read it and weep all ye Philistines. I know that I own a really well made and expensive golf bag.

View attachment 45921

.. and that is without the travel cover.

Still proper fugly though.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Still proper fugly though.

Some more proper fugly Orvis stuff to horrify you

 

[Jason.H]

I like the look of some more expensive hybrid jackets for winter golf but I worry carrying the golf bag is going to advance wear. Though my GG paclite still looks like new.

 

[r0wly86]

£25 for something you don't actually need?

Warm, dry weather - no glove needed (it's just an affectation after all).

Cold/wet weather - pair of winter/rain gloves (common sense).

I see so something you don't personally use, must absolutely mean something that isn't needed. Gotcha

 

[Kennysarmy]

Nope, if I were only playing 20 times a year I'd find something else to do. I can justify it, but I'm not working and I get over 100 rounds in.

I am working and I got in the equivalent of 106 rounds in 2022! Cost per round worked out at about £10.50 - so for 3 1/2 hours entertainment I don't think that value can be beaten.
Membership will inevitably go up this year - but I've now dropped my hours at work by 1/2 a day so I'm hoping to bring the cost per round down to under £10 / round.

I'm fortunate.

 

[Imurg]

Interesting.....

https://mygolfspy.com/glove-versus-no-glove/

 

[Orikoru]

Interesting.....

https://mygolfspy.com/glove-versus-no-glove/

That was interesting. I didn't expect to see such a conclusive result. But I will offer the caveat that most of their testers were probably used to wearing a glove and would have felt odd or different without one.

 

[Imurg]

That was interesting. I didn't expect to see such a conclusive result. But I will offer the caveat that most of their testers were probably used to wearing a glove and would have felt odd or different without one.

Possibly...a half and half split would have been more telling one way or the other...