Many people often think and ask why is golf so expensive, because the other games are not as expensive as golf.
So, there must be logic behind becoming an expensive game for golf, right?
Well, if you are a golfer or if you want to be a golfer, this question would be raised in your mind.
And it should be, because you are a part of golf, so you must know the reason behind it.
In this article, we are going to explore in depth about golf, and why golf is very expensive.
But if you are in a hurry, then let me explain to you, in a nutshell, the reasons golf becoming so costlier.
The higher cost of quality golf clubs, golf balls like pro v1 and pro v1x, the golf course, golf membership fees, and the other factors on which the golf is being played.
On the other end, the golf clubs and golf balls along with other equipment are made with very quality materials which cost very high.
Why is Golf Equipment So Expensive?
The golf equipment is so expensive because they are made from quality materials and maintain the standard as well.
Moreover, the manufacturers have to take care that it could be used by each class of golf lovers such as beginners, intermediates, and seniors as well.
There are certain reasons which make golf clubs very expensive, which are below.
1. High Cost of Golf Clubs
In the current time, golf club shafts are made from graphite instead of steel to make the golf clubs lighter and more flexible.
Hence, it’s true that graphite is less durable than steel, but graphite has other beneficial aspects.
Graphite has the extra feature of the whip and more agility which steel can not provide.
Graphite is costlier material and due to that reason, the cost of manufacturing the golf club is higher.
In addition, the process of making golf clubs and other equipment is also pretty complex, and that is another reason for becoming golf equipment costlier.
The other and higher impacting reason is that, earlier, the golf club shafts were being made from steel and steel was imported from China at a very low cost.
But now, the manufacturers are using the steel made in our country i.e. USA, it plays a very major role in the cost of golf clubs as well.
2. Basic But Expensive Golf Accessories
If you do have only a golf club and golf ball, and you think that you are good at playing golf, then you are wrong.
There are many other basic but expensive golf accessories that you must have and it makes the golf game costlier.
Golf tee, high-quality golf balls, golf bags, golf gear, GPS speaker storage, carrying organizer, tour alignment sticks, travel cover, golf braided stretch belt, golf gloves, double strap bag, umbrella, golf cart, golf cart batteries, cart towel, divot tool, shoe bag, range bag, and other stuff.
3. Golf FEES
The other aspect is the fees of golf which makes it a very expensive game among all sports.
The fees for golf matter on many factors, and each state has different golf fees according to different factors like a golf course, services, tenure, how many holes game you are playing, and so on.
Moreover, the day that you book the tee time decides the fees of golf, in the weekend time, you might have to pay higher fees than the weekdays at some courses.
If we trust the survey of the golf channel, the 18-hole round median cost is $36 including the cart.
The private clubs may be costlier than these, and the municipal clubs that are owned by the city are cheaper than these.
In a nutshell, the golf fees vary at each place according to the relevant factors, and yes, it is one of the most responsible factors that makes golf a very expensive game.
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The higher cost of golf is not limited to the above-mentioned reasons, but there are also other reasons, which are not physically visible, but play a definite role to make golf a very expensive game.
4. The Maintenance
The maintenance of the golf course is very expensive, and a lot of money is spent to maintain the golf course and other properties like carts, sands, and lakes.
It acquired more manpower and very advanced & expensive equipment to maintain the golf courses.
The maintenance of the golf course includes repairing, maintaining the lawn portions, mowing and treating the turf chemically, removing the marks of the ball, making the course friendly for playing, and many other stuff that are high cost.
As the golf course is bigger, it needs higher expenses to maintain, and the smaller golf course needs less expense.
In addition, the chemicals used for maintaining the golf courses are not that we use regularly, they are different quality chemicals and cost higher.
According to the sources, the median club in the USA spends around $1.2 Million to maintain the golf course.
Now, it’s clear that the total cost of this maintenance will not be borne by the board, obviously, some part of it will be borne by the players in terms of different modules like fees and membership, right?
In a nutshell, the maintenance of golf courses and other aspects are some of the most responsible reasons for making golf an expensive sport.
5. Training
The next is golf training which increases the budget of the golf lover.
It’s not like you can’t play golf without training, but if you play like that, you will struggle a lot to win the game.
So, practically, we can say that training in golf from an experienced mentor is a must, and they charge very high for teaching golf.
The cost of training differs for different coaches and institutes, but talking about the average golf training charges, it’s $25 to $60 for 45-minute coaching and $75 to $100 for one-hour coaching.
Now, it depends upon the coach and you, how many hours you take to learn golf completely, and how your mentor is teaching you.
Let’s say you took 100 hours to learn golf completely, so you will be spending around $10,000 for the training only.
It may be possible that you learn it in less time, so you will have to pay less for training.
In conclusion of this topic, training adds a heavier value to the cost of playing golf for an individual.
6. Membership
If you want to play golf, you will have to get a membership, and for that, you would have to pay a certain amount to the board.
Different golf courses charge different amounts to become a member, it depends upon for which golf course you are taking the membership.
7. Time (Addictive Game)
Once you start playing golf, there are many chances that you become addicted to golf, because it’s a very interesting game and can engage you with it.
For this, you will spend the amount recurring on golf clubs, membership, golf balls, and other equipment.
FAQs:
Q1: Why is golf so expensive in the US, and relatively cheap in the UK?
Ans: Practically, there is not a major difference between public courses in USA and UK, but the price of private golf courses in the USA is costlier than in the UK.
The reason behind this is the small number of members and the high amount of maintenance.
Moreover, most of the USA clubs are private and the UK clubs are semi-private and get funding from external sources.
These are the major reasons for why UK clubs are cheap and USA clubs are very expensive.
Q2: Why Do They Call Golf a Rich Man’s Sport?
Ans: During this article, you came to know how expensive the golf game is, it is so expensive that it’s very difficult to afford for a middle-class person in terms of paying the fees consistently.
A rich man having a high income can afford this game regularly, which is why it is called a rich man’s sport.
A middle-class person also can afford it, but probably can not sustain it for a very long time, whereas a rich man can do so.
Final Words
There are many aspects of golf that make it so expensive, and that is why golf is called the game of rich people.
On the other end, the winning amount of golf tournaments is also very high.
As a beginner, you should limit your budget for golf, because it’s not too easy to win the tournament.
If you are a beginner, you should choose the golf club sets for beginners very wisely in which you can get the most featured golf clubs in your affordable budget as well.
Finally, you would come to know why golf is very expensive, if you have any questions, you may ask via comments.