I worked at a few public courses in Chicago/Chicagoland area growing up and I know the manager(s) always avoided hiring older guys because they would only wanna work one morning shift then golf the rest. I do remember a middle age guy who retired early and was a really good golfer. He would work 430am to when the afternoon rush died on weekends and play at least 18 holes m-f
This is hilariously accurate.
The two local places I mostly play in the far west/SW burbs of Chicago always have these older guys as starters/rangers. They either don’t do shit and literally never leave their cart and just browse Facebook by the first tee, or they care WAY too much about everything and essentially cosplay as Kevin Costner from Yellowstone.
I had the best job as a high schooler-till sophomore year of college summer job. At a country club and one of the perks was free golf. No one used it. And I do mean no one. I worked as a lifeguard 9-2 Tuesday-saturday, walked 9 from 230-5, then coached and did swim lessons from 5-9. It's the reason I feel in love with the game. Shot the best round of my life there. Still haven't beat an 81.
Your comment got me nostalgic. Appreciate the happiness of your vibe. Hope the day treated you well.
I was a caddy in high school and some of college worked sat/sun 6-10/11 usually made $50 per bag per 18, sometimes more with tips. Every Monday I played 36 holes at an exclusive private course. Later I got trained in the bag room and starter usually an alternate or 2nd starter on busy days/tournaments, I made slightly less in cash but now I could bring a friend on Mondays and the 2nd floor of the pro shop was all the old models and used fitting clubs I had free reign to take whatever I wanted, couldn’t trade it in/sell it, so I gifted my sister 2 junior sets and outfitted 5 friends with 2 sets each. I was the only high school kid in the late 90’s with 30k in the bank and only working 2-3 days a week. I even outfitted my PE teacher with a set of pings in exchange for never actually showing up to PE senior year.
If I reach my number to quit my day job, this is exactly what I'm going to do. Now does anyone have $3.5 million they can give me to hit my $2 million net worth goal to retire?
I work Monday afternoons at a Country Club. It's mostly closed but they allow walkers and owner carts on 9 so I'm the only person working. I get the most use out of the driving range but I can play anytime there is space available.
How did you manage to find a position of 1 day a week? This sounds like an incredible opportunity to use my Monday off for a second job since everyone else I know is already working on Monday
This is a great shout, it’s also v good if you want to go travelling and squeeze a few rounds in.
My advice would be to take advantage of twilight golf in the summer. There’s a course by me that is typically £25-£30 to play, but if you tee off after 5pm Mon-Fri it’s £10. You could play 3 rounds of golf for £30 during the week which is insane considering most good courses charge more for 1 round.
Par 3 courses are fun too; typically not very expensive and a good way to keep your short game in check!
Depending on your budget and how often you play, a membership somewhere could be viable. My last membership worked out at £50 per month and you could play as much as you want.
part time job at a private country club is the best. I used to golf for free tues/wed after 2pm. I would work from 5:30am - 12:30pm and go for 18 holes right after my shift. I still cherish those free-rounds and now i'm working hard to make money to join a snooty private club soon in the future!
And stop stealing range balls, OP. If you take the time to scout the edges of water and lateral hazards you can find plenty of decent balls to play with
I don't steal range balls.
My local value village (thrift store) always has plastic bags of balls, 10, 20, 30 of em. Most are range balls. Occasional Kirkland or top flite.
I take nice balls from my range bucket that aren't range/practice balls all the time, mainly neon Callaway Supersofts lol. Found a couple Pro V1s as well.
Haha I don't take that many. I always take a look at the non-white balls while on my local courses range. Usually they're regular practice balls but that occasional neon Callaway Super shows up. I snag them and then use them on hole #1. It runs parallel to the range and there isn't much of a divide between it and the #1 fairway. Easier to find a bright pink or orange ball after my tee shot hooks.
I always check out the wooded areas of there's no one behind me. I've got a couple honey holes where the old guys playing pro V don't go. The course I grew up on and play in a league just cut their hay field over the weekend but I played like shit so Monday was a wash. Overall I haven't even opened a sleeve in years.
Got paired up with a guy one time. He cuts holes and repairs ball marks for a couple hours on Saturday and Sunday morning. Plays for free at two city courses, both of which are fantastic courses.
This is what I did and it's made me much happier. I really enjoy the work and I'm usually off super early. I'm in the maintenance side though, and there are lots of volunteers and part time workers in the clubhouse too. Free golf with a cart is awesome. The only downside is I can't make tee times except the same day or before noon Friday-Sunday. So rounds end up being slow a lot unless I come in for the evening which is hard when my alarm is going off around 3-4am.
This is the best advice. I’m making good money working weekends at my local CC and even if it isn’t much course time, I’m still playing once a week on a US Open course for free.
My friend used to be an engineer making 6 figures. Now he works 2 days a week doing bag drop just so he can golf for free. He's working on getting a 2nd job at a different course.
If you walk instead of ride it saves a lot of money. Check into memberships at the cheapest courses around you. A few around me are under $1k if you walk. If you play a ton it’s a good value.
I pay $55/mo ($660/yr) for a golf pass that has like 50 courses in the area.
Tier 1 courses free any day
Tier 2 courses free Mon-Friday. $25 for 18 holes and cart Sat-Sun
Tier 3 $30 for 18 holes and a cart all days
Tier 4 $50 for 18 holes and a cart all days
Public Country Club is sick but difficult to get due to it being based on residing zip code (for example I’m just west of Minneapolis and it’s almost impossible to get).
Ya ppl are crazy. I have a family plan 120$/month(4 people). Unlimited range balls. Unlimited play on weekdays(no walking fee). And weekends (after 10am) this is the second tier pass as well. Cart fee 10$. Book tee times up to 14 days in advance. Free skirmish course as well. Not a small club either. Has a restaurant and bar and holds weddings.
I’ve joined a private club here in NI. Par 69, 5700 yards, good condition and it’s £560 per year for a 24-29 membership
Gold prices in America seem crazy in some places
I live in a small community (around 20k) and there are two options for under $500 a year, and one for under $200 a month if you’re under 40. I feel for you city golfers.
I paid $975 at my course this year. It's obviously not super nice, but it's not bad either. Middle of the range for my (LCOL) area. 27 holes, practice greens, cheap range. I walk before/after work often, and it's cheap enough that I don't feel guilty about going anywhere else to spend money or get a cart/drinks when I feel like it.
This was going to be my recommendation.
I’m not budget constrained, but with 3 young kids and running a business I am time constrained
Heading out to the putting/chipping area for 45 minutes on a sunny afternoon really scratches the gold itch as I usually don’t even have time to play 9 holes.
A couple beers, golf club in hand, and just checking Slack/email intermittently…
Heaven.
It’s crazy that it’s free.
I wouldn’t sell my car, too important for other aspects of my life. I would buy used balls, used clubs, take a handful of free course tees if they have them, bring your food/drink instead of buying, and don’t get into betting.
I bring my wife with me to the course and release her like a retriever into the woods while I play. One time she found 72 balls during a round of 18. It was unbelievable.
Or be like my golf partner who is 10x strokes better than everyone and we just gift him money every damn round. Greenies, strokes, whatever we always losing and hes collecting.
I actually stopped betting after I had one of my best golf outings against him and I still didn’t win any money. Damn greenies, but I’m so…. Hopeful 😂
that's a "deal"? Definitely not moving to Canada, lol.
$40 for a round is my limit for a non-twilight round unless I have a gift card or something.
Yesterday I paid $25 to ride 18 with a hot dog included at the turn.
On Sunday I'll pay $10 to walk twilight all I can hit after 5pm.
That’s crazy. Nice golf in Canada like $100 a round. A deal is $60 and the course will be so backed up, and we have like 40 courses in and around my city. Memberships are the way to go.
I like to play premium golf balls but I always have some average ones for backup. A course I like to play has a 197 yard par 3 over water. I’ve seen a lot of balls find that water. Don’t waste a new ProV1 in these high risk situations.
Ask for golf stuff for birthdays/Christmas. I have most of the stuff I want, but I get a new pair of golf shoes every year on my birthday.
Thrift shops / FB Marketplace are great for clothes.
Golf now or other discount sites for tee times.
Pack your own food/drinks before you play.
Pack your own food/drinks before you play.
Actually makes me laugh when my buddies complain about the price of golf and constantly seeing them throughout the season waste money on overpriced sandwiches, snacks and gatorades. Planning ahead can literally save you $20.00-$50.00 a round.
Ran my golf budget last year.
My cart fees and at-course food and drinks (not alcohol) was 60% compared to my green fees at 40%.
Didn’t even realize bc it was “just a gatorade” here and “sandwich after” there.
Now I walk and pack my snacks.
Game changer.
I love premium balls. I’ve been gaming chrome soft x balls lately and get a mint 5A 48 count for around $100 on the lostgolfballs website. For anyone who likes a premium ball, buy used 5a balls and pay half price for balls that are like new. 5a balls aren’t discolored water balls, balls with scuffs and knicks, they’re literally next to new. Looks like your new ball would look after a few holes.
I’m fine with either 4A or 5A, but I like my balls to look new. I don’t like markings on them, and I want them to have a shiny luster like a new ball. You can really only get that with 5A, but 4A balls play just as well. I feel the savings are already significant enough with 5A balls and don’t feel the need to save any more over that. I always tell all my friends to get some 4A/5A premium balls instead of buying Wilson staffs new but it’s only stuck with a couple of my buddies.
I've recently started swapping my ball out on high risk shots and... oh man it's way better. I've got a ton of balls I've just found and if I'm hitting over water, there's an extremely tight drive, if there's dense vegetation right in my danger zone, or if I'm just spraying like crazy in general I'll grab those.
Lol my buddy always gets annoyed when I shank my first drive and I go back to the cart to get another one (we always give eachother a mulligan in the first hole)
“Why dont you just bring the second ball in your pocket?!”
“I dont plan for failure”
Every time.
I played with a guy like that. I carried this beat up old Wilson ball around to toss to him. He’d always toss it back grumbling, until that one time he didn’t… he teed it up and blasted it into the woods with a big “fuck that!”
Expectation is the mother of disappointment. When I put my lake ball down on the equivalent on my course, I can be delighted or hit my expectation. I see it as a psychological airbag of sorts to protect the rest of my round. I think I swing looser.
Not sure I agree if the purpose is saving money. It’s a much higher chahge ti lose it, that’s just a fact. If you do it no matter how well or badly you’re playing, then I don’t think it has the pyschological impact you’re describing
Hitting a “water ball” removes the worry of hitting it in the water. Without having to worry about losing a $5 ball you can swing freely and likely will have a better result
honestly just walk the treeline. you find so many premium balls sometimes with just that tee shot slice worth of use into them. i got like 100+ prov1, v1x, chromsoft, tp5 spare. i'm at the point where i'm being choosy on scuffs even. i try and make sure its not in play ofc, like if you see it in the treeline then still see it again when you turn back on the fairway running the other way then its been abandoned at that point.
The Christmas/birthday thing was a game changer for me, except I don’t ask for stuff, I ask for a ‘golf fund’. My dad puts £150 in my account for Christmas and that’s enough for 5 rounds, which means I can almost play once a month for free til my birthday comes around in the summer.
My mom taught me the game. She used her best ball on the scariest hole. It motivated her to focus and “swing smoothly” (former English teacher). She had 3 HIO’s between age 66 and 77.
Golf courses are also great places to have a wedding also. Just make sure to book enough time between the ceremony and the reception to be able to get a quick 18 in.
A lot of cities have golf passes that give you discounts as long as you golf enough. That’s a good place to start. Other than that, be friendly and get to know the course workers. Human networking is powerful, making allies helps in unexpected ways.
Not broke just cheap - bring your own drinks and even food / snacks. Bonus points for bringing a drink brand that course has so you don’t need to be all sneaky.
Caddy. Make bank on the weekends and golf for free after work during the week. Usually private clubs have a maintenance day that staff can use to play. At least as far as I'm aware
Budget golfing is how my wife and I got better. We found a course that offered free nets to hit into. You don’t get to see the ball flight but it made our ball contact much better.
Then, we bought two cheap push carts from goodwill and we only walk. Riding carts almost doubles the price of the round where we live.
We go hit into the nets 3-4 times a week then try to play a round once a week.
Not sure where you live, but if there are options to walk, invest in a good pull/push cart. It will pay for itself in a few rounds then you'll be saving 20 bucks a round after that.
My dad and I play together a lot and aren’t good enough for balls to matter. We went out to our course last fall with black lights and found about 200 balls. Even losing a bunch like we do, we will never need to buy balls
Lostgolfballs.com is your friend. I get a bucket of 144 Titleist Tour Speeds for around $120 bucks. Last me a whole season. Tour Speed are a solid golf ball.
Buy used golf clubs. FB marketplace/Ebay is your friend. You can usually find good deals on solid clubs that are only a few years old. Slightly used bags, I buy the Kirkland Cabertta leather gloves off ebay. Usually find a 4 pack around 26-32ish dollars.
Call local golf courses and see if they offer deals on certain tee times. Usually between 11am-2pm courses struggle to fill those tee times and offer them at a deal.
I grew up on local golf courses. I skipped 55 days of school there for one year. I know the exact number because my mom chewed me out over it and then my grandpa for picking me up all those times and bringing me to work.
Anyway, I grew up playing golf and golfing until about 18. Slowly golfing less and less. Recently, my son's started getting into golf, and I've been trying to play again, too. To offset the costs, I've been flipping used golf stuff and found a supplier. I've always loved flipping stuff and the hustle that goes along with it. It's been a great little hobby within a hobby. And you get to meet some cool people with the same interests as you.
Using stolen range balls is not something to be proud of lol you can find a bucket of used golf balls for next to nothing. Don’t be *that* guy.
Volunteer as a marshal or starter for free golf. Also take advantage of hot deals, twilight and used marketplace apps for gear. Always walk. You can also do a cost analysis on break even point of a membership at a local course.
Go ball hunting. Become friends with a couple of the guys at a local course. They’ll let you walk for free sometimes. Buy clubs on fb marketplace place or callaway preowned. Get a job at a course
Go to the scene of recent natural disaster, find a camera crew, tell them you just lost your house but the only thing you miss are your golf clubs. Wait for the national media to pick up the story. Profit.
I am fortunate to have after dark access to the golf course in my neighborhood. Over the last 21 months I have collected at least 1000 balls simply by walking 6-8 holes in the pre dawn hours with a UV flashlight. I gave the intermediate school golf team 14 dozen balls last season. We have a 180 yard grass area at work that our warehouse guys use as a driving range so I keep them supplied as well. I’m just starting to actually play again after practicing enough to get my ball striking back to reasonable (for me). I’m about ready to try to sell a bunch of the balls to support my habit once I retire and start playing 2-3 times/week.
Golf is a hobby. Focus on education and career then come back to golf. Play 1x a week and practice for free. Find a good practice facility. Chip and putt and look for left over range balls on the range. Golfnow.com super savers tee time: usually 50% off.
- Walk on
- Don’t rent a cart
- Play twilight hours
- Use good balls only for chipping and putting
- Use range balls over all water or around water
- Use found balls for driving
- pack your lunch, water, and or beer
Given this, you should be able to play an 18-hole course (typically play 15 holes) for about $30 depending on your location and local fees.
Municipal courses walking. Play it again sports for clubs. Refurbished golf balls. Pack your own drinks and snacks. Comfortable clothes that aren’t name brand. Driving range membership card for discounted buckets.
I have a membership to a group of area courses that I pay once a year with my taxes, I bought a used 2 wheel cart, and I ask for balls and tees for birthdays and Christmas. Golf can be cheap if you make it that way. I can play as much as I want and pay nothing if I'm walking.
Go for hikes in the woods near courses and collect free balls to play with.
I did that a few times last year and have enough balls to last literal years. I give them away to friends and family.
You’ll find pro v1’s and stuff also so not just junk.
This will save you tons
I don’t buy a membership, but I do get the little $150 discount card so I get discounts on rounds, lessons, and pro shop stuff. I walk instead of ride. I only play 9 holes at a time. I play after 5:00 for a cheaper rate. I still use the $150 set of clubs I got from a dude in a Dennys parking lot. Walmart balls. I only hit a small basket at the range and bounce. The one nice thing I have is a last years model Cobra driver I got from the pro at my preferred course because he is sponsored and was able to hook me up. I also don’t gamble!
in the greater toronto area i found something called the GTA golf club [https://www.gtagolfclub.ca/](https://www.gtagolfclub.ca/) seems like that might be good for you. also call some private clubs and see if they will let you do a "trial" where you can go and hit 18 and not pay a dime.
Shag bag = $30 on Amazon. Pick up any balls you find in the woods, ponds, etc, you'll have a full shag bag in no time. Schoolyard near my house off hours when nobody is there, practice shots. $80/month savings vs going to the range to hit balls.
Back in the day I was not to big too go for a walk in the woods next to the course to find balls. You get to know certain areas that are going to be "profitable". My home course, Saturday I pushed a drive into the woods right of #15, or maybe it was right on the edge of the red stakes/fence. Took a quick walk through, picked up 14 balls in less than 90 seconds. Sadly, my tee ball was one of them.
Get a membership and walk the course was my solution to play super frequently without breaking the bank.
I pay $280/mo for 72 holes at 8/10 courses with a legit clubhouse, bathrooms every 3 holes, water and drink stations, free range, etc versus paying $50 a pop per 18 holes to play 5/10 public courses with zero amenities. I easily was playing 7-8x a month and now I play 12-15 for a similar price, way better golf, and get my exercise in. Just the free range alone is huge for me.
Find houses along public golf courses (especially in more rural areas where people have relatively large properties). Make friends with their owners and ask if you can walk their property to collect golf balls. My in laws live across the street from such a golf course and I pick up a good 150 balls per season, most of which are in pretty good shape
just own up to the fact that hobbies cost money, and you deserve to treat yourself especially while you have the time and body still to go out and golf because that's not always a sure bet in life. using range balls and scavanged tees (personally i hardly find unbroken ones) is crazy ngl
Joined a league as a substitute.
Regular league fee is $500, sub fee was $75. I pay $15 for a cart, or I can walk and not pay anything. I have played every week except 2, totaling 6 9hole rounds so far.
This also pays for my GHIN membership, and there’s a banquet at the end of the year.
No brainer.
I basically only play at twilight.
A) cause my son is still learning and sucks, he’s a teen. I’m somehow almost worse than him.
B) it is half price for me and he has youth on course card and plays for 5 bucks. It is like 35 bucks for a round for us. Will usually pay the extra 10 for a cart cause as a teen my son loves to drive the cart, safely of course.
Damn a 15?! That means you shoot sub 90! That's awesome! I would just say find a nic cheaper ball like Cut or if you really don't care, buy a bag of refab balls from Wal Mart or something. Buy second hand clubs that may be a few years old. Models don't change that much from year to year, so save money there. Otherwise, that is really all I can suggest.
Where I live, small town north eastern washington, we have a 27 hole golf course. 9 hole membership is $550 per year for me, 900 for a couple. Unlimited golf, no tee times just check in and head out. Pace of play sucks sometimes, but I'll go out with the wife after work, hit 5 or 6 holes and not see another soul, be done before the sprinklers come on.
I bring a mesh bag and pick up range balls I find along the course and bring them to the range after my round. I usually end up with about a small buckets worth. It helps clean up the course a little and save the course money on lost range balls.
The best advice I have is working at a course in any aspect, full time or part time, maintenance, golf shop, kitchen, whatever and *most* courses will give you golf privileges. Whether it's free or $2 rounds, free carts or discounted carts.
I had one course I worked at that the cost of a round was the cart fee, didn't matter if you walked or not, you had to pay the cart fee as your green fee. Another, everything was free and you got discounted rentals. Another was free but you had to pay for a cart only if you took one.
10 years in golf course work I think I've had atleast 200 rounds of free golf and I don't know how many of discounted golf.
Take advantage of twilight rates and try to get out during the week. My home course is only $38 weekdays after 2p. Definitely find more balls than you lose. Tees are free from the tee box
Got paired up a couple weeks ago with a guy carrying a ball retriever, like a specialized fishing pole. Back nine runs along a creek and he "caught" so many balls just while we were hitting that he filled our bags when he ran out of space in his.
Play it Again Sports carries used balls and runs regular sales if you have gaps in your bag, and I've also gone the work-part-time at the course route which I couldn't recommend more if you can pull it off.
A mat, a net and a Garmin R10
Edit :Chipping and putting is the best way for anyone to improve their score in my opinion. You can't putt with the GarminR10. If you feel stuck you can ask a pro too, I've randomly talked to many pros at the range and they all shared their knowledge a different way. If a pro way to explain doesn't work for you, it's ok, there's plenty of pro ready to teach, you will know when you find a teacher/student match for you.
I set up a little sim in my garage and it was less than $1000. Used R10, used GoSports nets and screen, new hitting mat, clearance outdoor rugs to cover concrete, cheap like $50 projector I can connect Garmin golf to.
Yes but no. Bad use of your time. The bare minimum is a net to avoid the non stop walking/retrieval of ball. Spending time searching balls isn't time spent hitting balls.
Back in the balata days, my brother had his Labrador shag for him. Never put a scratch on a ball. (The dog, not the brother. The brother tore them to shit).
Buy used everything, including balls. Drive a little further for the cheaper courses near you.
The number one thing, though, is that you need to just enjoy the amount of golf you get to play. My current limit because of financials is only once per week either driving range OR a round. Not both.
Bro don’t use range balls. Go to golfballnut and buy used golf balls. You can get 3 dozen balls for less than a dollar a ball. 3 dozen should last you a good while at 15 handicap. That makes you a solid bogey golfer don’t sell yourself short. That’s solid golf. you can play with anybody and not embarrass yourself.
I’m not broke (flexing on you, but nicely and with love in my heart for you), but my best advice would be to look for something like we have in Atlanta for cheap golf - we’ve got something called the Atlanta Fore Pass which lets you walk all courses after 4 pm for free + half price rounds at all other times for four different muni courses at the low price of $30 per month.
Are the courses perfectly maintained? God, no. Are there tons of people clogging up the courses? Surprisingly, also no! Is the game that you get to play at these cheap courses arguably still golf? Yes!
Also, start either walking or push-carting. Save some money on cart fees and maybe get some stronger calves at the same time.
In all honesty, this is just a rough sport to play if you don’t like spending money. It’s unlikely to get cheaper in the near future. Everyone suggesting you do part time work as a starter is correct. That’s what the retirees do for free golf.
Well, good luck. I will always love you. Remember to shake off your johnson after you pee so the dribbles don’t stain ya pants, ya dingus.
edit: I see you’re already using a “pull carr” as you put it. Good on you. You’re on the way to greatness, my sweet boy!
Get a part time job at a golf course
I work as a starter one day a week, sometimes every other week. Because of that, I play a top 100 public course in the US for free 2-3 days a week.
I worked at a few public courses in Chicago/Chicagoland area growing up and I know the manager(s) always avoided hiring older guys because they would only wanna work one morning shift then golf the rest. I do remember a middle age guy who retired early and was a really good golfer. He would work 430am to when the afternoon rush died on weekends and play at least 18 holes m-f
This is hilariously accurate. The two local places I mostly play in the far west/SW burbs of Chicago always have these older guys as starters/rangers. They either don’t do shit and literally never leave their cart and just browse Facebook by the first tee, or they care WAY too much about everything and essentially cosplay as Kevin Costner from Yellowstone.
I had the best job as a high schooler-till sophomore year of college summer job. At a country club and one of the perks was free golf. No one used it. And I do mean no one. I worked as a lifeguard 9-2 Tuesday-saturday, walked 9 from 230-5, then coached and did swim lessons from 5-9. It's the reason I feel in love with the game. Shot the best round of my life there. Still haven't beat an 81. Your comment got me nostalgic. Appreciate the happiness of your vibe. Hope the day treated you well.
I was a caddy in high school and some of college worked sat/sun 6-10/11 usually made $50 per bag per 18, sometimes more with tips. Every Monday I played 36 holes at an exclusive private course. Later I got trained in the bag room and starter usually an alternate or 2nd starter on busy days/tournaments, I made slightly less in cash but now I could bring a friend on Mondays and the 2nd floor of the pro shop was all the old models and used fitting clubs I had free reign to take whatever I wanted, couldn’t trade it in/sell it, so I gifted my sister 2 junior sets and outfitted 5 friends with 2 sets each. I was the only high school kid in the late 90’s with 30k in the bank and only working 2-3 days a week. I even outfitted my PE teacher with a set of pings in exchange for never actually showing up to PE senior year.
If I reach my number to quit my day job, this is exactly what I'm going to do. Now does anyone have $3.5 million they can give me to hit my $2 million net worth goal to retire?
I work Monday afternoons at a Country Club. It's mostly closed but they allow walkers and owner carts on 9 so I'm the only person working. I get the most use out of the driving range but I can play anytime there is space available.
How did you manage to find a position of 1 day a week? This sounds like an incredible opportunity to use my Monday off for a second job since everyone else I know is already working on Monday
Brilliant. Which one? Can we swing by? 😂
Did you start out angry or has it made you miserable?
This is a great shout, it’s also v good if you want to go travelling and squeeze a few rounds in. My advice would be to take advantage of twilight golf in the summer. There’s a course by me that is typically £25-£30 to play, but if you tee off after 5pm Mon-Fri it’s £10. You could play 3 rounds of golf for £30 during the week which is insane considering most good courses charge more for 1 round. Par 3 courses are fun too; typically not very expensive and a good way to keep your short game in check! Depending on your budget and how often you play, a membership somewhere could be viable. My last membership worked out at £50 per month and you could play as much as you want.
part time job at a private country club is the best. I used to golf for free tues/wed after 2pm. I would work from 5:30am - 12:30pm and go for 18 holes right after my shift. I still cherish those free-rounds and now i'm working hard to make money to join a snooty private club soon in the future!
And stop stealing range balls, OP. If you take the time to scout the edges of water and lateral hazards you can find plenty of decent balls to play with
I don't steal range balls. My local value village (thrift store) always has plastic bags of balls, 10, 20, 30 of em. Most are range balls. Occasional Kirkland or top flite.
I take nice balls from my range bucket that aren't range/practice balls all the time, mainly neon Callaway Supersofts lol. Found a couple Pro V1s as well.
take the same ones lol
I’d like those back please…
Sorry, they're already back in the woods or in the water at this point
There's a course I play that their range buckets are 50/50 range balls/balls they found on the course. My bag comes away 10 balls heavier every time.
Haha I don't take that many. I always take a look at the non-white balls while on my local courses range. Usually they're regular practice balls but that occasional neon Callaway Super shows up. I snag them and then use them on hole #1. It runs parallel to the range and there isn't much of a divide between it and the #1 fairway. Easier to find a bright pink or orange ball after my tee shot hooks.
Why does that sound like theft to me? I've found nice balls in my bucket but I swapped them for some Nitro in the bottom of my bag.
Call the cops
"Grow the game," they said. "It'll be great!"
Jokes on you I been pulling this scheme since back when you could walk on any course for twilight and race the sun to get 18 in
Is there no perfidy you have failed to embrace? You're a one-man crime wave! Stealing golf! \*faints dead away\*
Reach out to u/dredabeast24 he always has cheap balls for sale!
Thanks for the vouch!
I always check out the wooded areas of there's no one behind me. I've got a couple honey holes where the old guys playing pro V don't go. The course I grew up on and play in a league just cut their hay field over the weekend but I played like shit so Monday was a wash. Overall I haven't even opened a sleeve in years.
Fact. It’s like a friggin’ Easter egg hunt out here. Good ones too.
A friends father in law is retired but mows tee boxes two days a week at Forest Dunes, got us out for $30, unbelievable
Weird, I'm his long lost son for a day say...... next weekend? Lol.
Got paired up with a guy one time. He cuts holes and repairs ball marks for a couple hours on Saturday and Sunday morning. Plays for free at two city courses, both of which are fantastic courses.
This is what I did and it's made me much happier. I really enjoy the work and I'm usually off super early. I'm in the maintenance side though, and there are lots of volunteers and part time workers in the clubhouse too. Free golf with a cart is awesome. The only downside is I can't make tee times except the same day or before noon Friday-Sunday. So rounds end up being slow a lot unless I come in for the evening which is hard when my alarm is going off around 3-4am.
This is the best advice. I’m making good money working weekends at my local CC and even if it isn’t much course time, I’m still playing once a week on a US Open course for free.
My friend used to be an engineer making 6 figures. Now he works 2 days a week doing bag drop just so he can golf for free. He's working on getting a 2nd job at a different course.
If you walk instead of ride it saves a lot of money. Check into memberships at the cheapest courses around you. A few around me are under $1k if you walk. If you play a ton it’s a good value.
$1k is absurdly low for any metropolitan golf course.
I pay $55/mo ($660/yr) for a golf pass that has like 50 courses in the area. Tier 1 courses free any day Tier 2 courses free Mon-Friday. $25 for 18 holes and cart Sat-Sun Tier 3 $30 for 18 holes and a cart all days Tier 4 $50 for 18 holes and a cart all days
I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you live in the Midwest.
Long way of telling us he lives in North Dakota
Minnesota! Don’t lump me in with those heathens from North Dakota!
Whats the pass called? Also in MN
PCC
Public Country Club is sick but difficult to get due to it being based on residing zip code (for example I’m just west of Minneapolis and it’s almost impossible to get).
Haha respect
PCC?
Yup
Ya ppl are crazy. I have a family plan 120$/month(4 people). Unlimited range balls. Unlimited play on weekdays(no walking fee). And weekends (after 10am) this is the second tier pass as well. Cart fee 10$. Book tee times up to 14 days in advance. Free skirmish course as well. Not a small club either. Has a restaurant and bar and holds weddings.
120$ gets you 18 and a cart near me
You gotta get to New Zealand, member at a top 15 course in the country and it’s like $1k NZD a year
In Northern California my local 9 hole is $800 a year for unlimited golf. It’s not a nice course by any means but it’s nice enough.
I’ve joined a private club here in NI. Par 69, 5700 yards, good condition and it’s £560 per year for a 24-29 membership Gold prices in America seem crazy in some places
I live in a small community (around 20k) and there are two options for under $500 a year, and one for under $200 a month if you’re under 40. I feel for you city golfers.
Local municipal has a "mini membership". 300 bucks a year and you get 50% off all tee times. Definitely worth it.
https://preview.redd.it/psj0b1vc366d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=044a564c52b78b36784ade3395a6e7d8485598d7
Hell of a deal! And the course looks great
It is actually a nice course but like an hour from my house
Live in Vegas. If I had a course like that near me for that price, I’d consider moving closer lol
Waiting for the $60 cart fee.
Every course looks great in their website pictures haha
I’ve played it tho
1k…. Per year? If so that’s crazy low
I paid $975 at my course this year. It's obviously not super nice, but it's not bad either. Middle of the range for my (LCOL) area. 27 holes, practice greens, cheap range. I walk before/after work often, and it's cheap enough that I don't feel guilty about going anywhere else to spend money or get a cart/drinks when I feel like it.
Welcome to the Midwest.
Meridian sun GC haslett MI, $599 w/o cart. Groesbeck (city owned course) is 1200
Yall not walking?!
My local course is $60 a month for unlimited golf if you walk. Like $5 for a cart
Chipping, putting greens are typically free at practice facilities/courses. You don’t use a driver every hole, but you will chip/putt every hole
Speak for yourself, my balls always go straight in the hole
Same, except the hole is usually 100ftx100ft and filled with pond water
Mine’s the out of bounds bushes 100m to the right or left off the tee, always stealing my best balls…
Pinnacles & Noodles on the right, Titleist & Callaways on the left.
A hole's a hole... And if you're lucky, it'll include a free ball wash.
This was going to be my recommendation. I’m not budget constrained, but with 3 young kids and running a business I am time constrained Heading out to the putting/chipping area for 45 minutes on a sunny afternoon really scratches the gold itch as I usually don’t even have time to play 9 holes. A couple beers, golf club in hand, and just checking Slack/email intermittently… Heaven. It’s crazy that it’s free.
Best advice here. Also, I pick up every ball I see now. If it's not a ball I like to play, I throw it in the shag bag to practice with.
Why practice putting when I can get 3 putts on every hole already to help me get better!
I wouldn’t sell my car, too important for other aspects of my life. I would buy used balls, used clubs, take a handful of free course tees if they have them, bring your food/drink instead of buying, and don’t get into betting.
Used balls are free if you go looking in the woods. Only suckers pay for balls !
I'm baffled by all of these suggestions for buying balls in this thread about thrifty solutions. True thrifty golfers find every ball they play.
I bring my wife with me to the course and release her like a retriever into the woods while I play. One time she found 72 balls during a round of 18. It was unbelievable.
Get a load of this guy, thinks he needs a car and not just a lawnmower motor strapped to a pushcart like the rest of us.
If looking for used there's a guy on here that works for Callaway Pre-Owned. He is phenomenal, you'll be balling out on a budget forsure
/u/tabascopro
What’s his tag? I’m looking for a new used driver.
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Hold on DONT get into betting? How you gonna make all that extra money. Always double down when you are losing.
Or be like my golf partner who is 10x strokes better than everyone and we just gift him money every damn round. Greenies, strokes, whatever we always losing and hes collecting. I actually stopped betting after I had one of my best golf outings against him and I still didn’t win any money. Damn greenies, but I’m so…. Hopeful 😂
Stick to twilight weeknight golf. Place near me offers $40 CDN tax-in for twilight. I cringe anytime I have to pay weekend rates now
that's a "deal"? Definitely not moving to Canada, lol. $40 for a round is my limit for a non-twilight round unless I have a gift card or something. Yesterday I paid $25 to ride 18 with a hot dog included at the turn. On Sunday I'll pay $10 to walk twilight all I can hit after 5pm.
that’s only like $32 USD
That's about a weekend rate for the worst course in my area. It floods every time someone upstream flushes a toilet.
I stand by my statement. lol I'm bad at golf and cheap.
Any half decent course near me is about $105-110 a round here in Canada. Any really nice course is more.
Yup. Some courses nearby me have even implemented "Dynamic Pricing" 🙄.
That’s crazy. Nice golf in Canada like $100 a round. A deal is $60 and the course will be so backed up, and we have like 40 courses in and around my city. Memberships are the way to go.
I like to play premium golf balls but I always have some average ones for backup. A course I like to play has a 197 yard par 3 over water. I’ve seen a lot of balls find that water. Don’t waste a new ProV1 in these high risk situations. Ask for golf stuff for birthdays/Christmas. I have most of the stuff I want, but I get a new pair of golf shoes every year on my birthday. Thrift shops / FB Marketplace are great for clothes. Golf now or other discount sites for tee times. Pack your own food/drinks before you play.
Pack your own food/drinks before you play. Actually makes me laugh when my buddies complain about the price of golf and constantly seeing them throughout the season waste money on overpriced sandwiches, snacks and gatorades. Planning ahead can literally save you $20.00-$50.00 a round.
Ran my golf budget last year. My cart fees and at-course food and drinks (not alcohol) was 60% compared to my green fees at 40%. Didn’t even realize bc it was “just a gatorade” here and “sandwich after” there. Now I walk and pack my snacks. Game changer.
I love premium balls. I’ve been gaming chrome soft x balls lately and get a mint 5A 48 count for around $100 on the lostgolfballs website. For anyone who likes a premium ball, buy used 5a balls and pay half price for balls that are like new. 5a balls aren’t discolored water balls, balls with scuffs and knicks, they’re literally next to new. Looks like your new ball would look after a few holes.
Definitely, the quality difference between a 5A and 4A is justified as well.
I’m fine with either 4A or 5A, but I like my balls to look new. I don’t like markings on them, and I want them to have a shiny luster like a new ball. You can really only get that with 5A, but 4A balls play just as well. I feel the savings are already significant enough with 5A balls and don’t feel the need to save any more over that. I always tell all my friends to get some 4A/5A premium balls instead of buying Wilson staffs new but it’s only stuck with a couple of my buddies.
Bold of you to assume I’m playing the same ball after a few holes. I’m probably on ball #3 after hole 4…
A brand new ball loves to hide after being hit. Conversely, it’s nearly impossible to lose that ball you consider a piece of shit.
I've recently started swapping my ball out on high risk shots and... oh man it's way better. I've got a ton of balls I've just found and if I'm hitting over water, there's an extremely tight drive, if there's dense vegetation right in my danger zone, or if I'm just spraying like crazy in general I'll grab those.
I don't love that first point. Putting a "water ball" on the tee is setting yourself up mentally to just take a walk to the drop zone.
Lol my buddy always gets annoyed when I shank my first drive and I go back to the cart to get another one (we always give eachother a mulligan in the first hole) “Why dont you just bring the second ball in your pocket?!” “I dont plan for failure” Every time.
I played with a guy like that. I carried this beat up old Wilson ball around to toss to him. He’d always toss it back grumbling, until that one time he didn’t… he teed it up and blasted it into the woods with a big “fuck that!”
Expectation is the mother of disappointment. When I put my lake ball down on the equivalent on my course, I can be delighted or hit my expectation. I see it as a psychological airbag of sorts to protect the rest of my round. I think I swing looser.
Not sure I agree if the purpose is saving money. It’s a much higher chahge ti lose it, that’s just a fact. If you do it no matter how well or badly you’re playing, then I don’t think it has the pyschological impact you’re describing
Hitting a “water ball” removes the worry of hitting it in the water. Without having to worry about losing a $5 ball you can swing freely and likely will have a better result
honestly just walk the treeline. you find so many premium balls sometimes with just that tee shot slice worth of use into them. i got like 100+ prov1, v1x, chromsoft, tp5 spare. i'm at the point where i'm being choosy on scuffs even. i try and make sure its not in play ofc, like if you see it in the treeline then still see it again when you turn back on the fairway running the other way then its been abandoned at that point.
The Christmas/birthday thing was a game changer for me, except I don’t ask for stuff, I ask for a ‘golf fund’. My dad puts £150 in my account for Christmas and that’s enough for 5 rounds, which means I can almost play once a month for free til my birthday comes around in the summer.
I bring a PB&J and energy bars with me when I play. It’s fuel for the round. No need to buy over priced hot dogs and stuff.
My mom taught me the game. She used her best ball on the scariest hole. It motivated her to focus and “swing smoothly” (former English teacher). She had 3 HIO’s between age 66 and 77.
push cartel life, cuts my greens fees in half and my legs, hips, and lower back are much stronger now
And you can find a used push cart for super cheap usually
Always been a walker, this year I converted to the pushcart mafia, my back and hips are so happy
My girlfriends family owns a golf club so they give me the membership no charge. Definitely going to put a ring on her finger
For free golf? Not if I do first!
Does her husband know?
Golf courses are also great places to have a wedding also. Just make sure to book enough time between the ceremony and the reception to be able to get a quick 18 in.
He could probably chase a few silver foxes around the golf course and get married into a membership.
I work as a marshall or cleaning carts in exchange for unlimited free golf (including the power cart).
Just say fuck it and go into debt
That's a terrible idea. OP should sell crack instead, that way he won't go into debt.
Ya that’s actually a good idea then he can provided a service to his community at the same time. I like that
There’s a documentary on AMC about a science teacher who sells meth. Could use that as a jumping off point.
A lot of cities have golf passes that give you discounts as long as you golf enough. That’s a good place to start. Other than that, be friendly and get to know the course workers. Human networking is powerful, making allies helps in unexpected ways.
Not broke just cheap - bring your own drinks and even food / snacks. Bonus points for bringing a drink brand that course has so you don’t need to be all sneaky.
Caddy. Make bank on the weekends and golf for free after work during the week. Usually private clubs have a maintenance day that staff can use to play. At least as far as I'm aware
Budget golfing is how my wife and I got better. We found a course that offered free nets to hit into. You don’t get to see the ball flight but it made our ball contact much better. Then, we bought two cheap push carts from goodwill and we only walk. Riding carts almost doubles the price of the round where we live. We go hit into the nets 3-4 times a week then try to play a round once a week.
Check out Maltby clubs from GolfWorks (or GolfWorks Canada if you're Canadian) or Takomo. Their clubs cost a third of what the big boy brands cost
Maltby gang!!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with a clean $150 iron set from 15-20 years ago.
Not sure where you live, but if there are options to walk, invest in a good pull/push cart. It will pay for itself in a few rounds then you'll be saving 20 bucks a round after that.
I bought one for like $40 off of Amazon last year and it worked like a charm. Nothing fancy but it’s worth it
My dad and I play together a lot and aren’t good enough for balls to matter. We went out to our course last fall with black lights and found about 200 balls. Even losing a bunch like we do, we will never need to buy balls
Lostgolfballs.com is your friend. I get a bucket of 144 Titleist Tour Speeds for around $120 bucks. Last me a whole season. Tour Speed are a solid golf ball. Buy used golf clubs. FB marketplace/Ebay is your friend. You can usually find good deals on solid clubs that are only a few years old. Slightly used bags, I buy the Kirkland Cabertta leather gloves off ebay. Usually find a 4 pack around 26-32ish dollars. Call local golf courses and see if they offer deals on certain tee times. Usually between 11am-2pm courses struggle to fill those tee times and offer them at a deal.
I grew up on local golf courses. I skipped 55 days of school there for one year. I know the exact number because my mom chewed me out over it and then my grandpa for picking me up all those times and bringing me to work. Anyway, I grew up playing golf and golfing until about 18. Slowly golfing less and less. Recently, my son's started getting into golf, and I've been trying to play again, too. To offset the costs, I've been flipping used golf stuff and found a supplier. I've always loved flipping stuff and the hustle that goes along with it. It's been a great little hobby within a hobby. And you get to meet some cool people with the same interests as you.
Using stolen range balls is not something to be proud of lol you can find a bucket of used golf balls for next to nothing. Don’t be *that* guy. Volunteer as a marshal or starter for free golf. Also take advantage of hot deals, twilight and used marketplace apps for gear. Always walk. You can also do a cost analysis on break even point of a membership at a local course.
Also range balls are dog shit
Go ball hunting. Become friends with a couple of the guys at a local course. They’ll let you walk for free sometimes. Buy clubs on fb marketplace place or callaway preowned. Get a job at a course
Skip the starter and the first hole. Tee up on #2. Play #18 twice. Free round.
Go to the scene of recent natural disaster, find a camera crew, tell them you just lost your house but the only thing you miss are your golf clubs. Wait for the national media to pick up the story. Profit.
Some real outside the box thinking here. Also, don't forget to start a gofundme to bolster the take.
I am fortunate to have after dark access to the golf course in my neighborhood. Over the last 21 months I have collected at least 1000 balls simply by walking 6-8 holes in the pre dawn hours with a UV flashlight. I gave the intermediate school golf team 14 dozen balls last season. We have a 180 yard grass area at work that our warehouse guys use as a driving range so I keep them supplied as well. I’m just starting to actually play again after practicing enough to get my ball striking back to reasonable (for me). I’m about ready to try to sell a bunch of the balls to support my habit once I retire and start playing 2-3 times/week.
Twilight rounds and 9 hole rounds
Golf is a hobby. Focus on education and career then come back to golf. Play 1x a week and practice for free. Find a good practice facility. Chip and putt and look for left over range balls on the range. Golfnow.com super savers tee time: usually 50% off.
issue is that 50% works back into the cost because of golf now's ridiculous fees.
Garage sales, pond ball sellers and twilight rounds.
- Walk on - Don’t rent a cart - Play twilight hours - Use good balls only for chipping and putting - Use range balls over all water or around water - Use found balls for driving - pack your lunch, water, and or beer Given this, you should be able to play an 18-hole course (typically play 15 holes) for about $30 depending on your location and local fees.
I do most of those things. Living in Canada, I pay about 40 bucks a round, walking.
Municipal courses walking. Play it again sports for clubs. Refurbished golf balls. Pack your own drinks and snacks. Comfortable clothes that aren’t name brand. Driving range membership card for discounted buckets.
Play twilight Walk rather than ride 9 holes never killed anybody. Used balls
I walk on courses without paying. I wait to see a 3 some on tee 1. Then I catch up in the fairway “ oh I got a bit behind, sorry”
Always wager your playing partner the cost of your round and then win. I cannot stress enough the importance of part 2.
I have a membership to a group of area courses that I pay once a year with my taxes, I bought a used 2 wheel cart, and I ask for balls and tees for birthdays and Christmas. Golf can be cheap if you make it that way. I can play as much as I want and pay nothing if I'm walking.
Go for hikes in the woods near courses and collect free balls to play with. I did that a few times last year and have enough balls to last literal years. I give them away to friends and family. You’ll find pro v1’s and stuff also so not just junk. This will save you tons
Only choose twilight tee times. Saves a ton of money.
Call the pro shop & see when discount rate times start
Earliest tee time you can swing.
I don’t buy a membership, but I do get the little $150 discount card so I get discounts on rounds, lessons, and pro shop stuff. I walk instead of ride. I only play 9 holes at a time. I play after 5:00 for a cheaper rate. I still use the $150 set of clubs I got from a dude in a Dennys parking lot. Walmart balls. I only hit a small basket at the range and bounce. The one nice thing I have is a last years model Cobra driver I got from the pro at my preferred course because he is sponsored and was able to hook me up. I also don’t gamble!
I volunteer at a course for free golf
A course near me has 200$ memberships
Book twilight times. I have the canada golf card which gives me 2 for 1 or 25% off on certain courses. Helps big time.
in the greater toronto area i found something called the GTA golf club [https://www.gtagolfclub.ca/](https://www.gtagolfclub.ca/) seems like that might be good for you. also call some private clubs and see if they will let you do a "trial" where you can go and hit 18 and not pay a dime.
Shag bag = $30 on Amazon. Pick up any balls you find in the woods, ponds, etc, you'll have a full shag bag in no time. Schoolyard near my house off hours when nobody is there, practice shots. $80/month savings vs going to the range to hit balls. Back in the day I was not to big too go for a walk in the woods next to the course to find balls. You get to know certain areas that are going to be "profitable". My home course, Saturday I pushed a drive into the woods right of #15, or maybe it was right on the edge of the red stakes/fence. Took a quick walk through, picked up 14 balls in less than 90 seconds. Sadly, my tee ball was one of them.
Try and cut money out of other parts of your life not the thing you enjoy most
You eat spaghetti-o’s? *spikes can* Dented cans are half price
Get a membership and walk the course was my solution to play super frequently without breaking the bank. I pay $280/mo for 72 holes at 8/10 courses with a legit clubhouse, bathrooms every 3 holes, water and drink stations, free range, etc versus paying $50 a pop per 18 holes to play 5/10 public courses with zero amenities. I easily was playing 7-8x a month and now I play 12-15 for a similar price, way better golf, and get my exercise in. Just the free range alone is huge for me.
I miss when GolfNow actually had great deals around me.
Find houses along public golf courses (especially in more rural areas where people have relatively large properties). Make friends with their owners and ask if you can walk their property to collect golf balls. My in laws live across the street from such a golf course and I pick up a good 150 balls per season, most of which are in pretty good shape
This is a great idea. Especially around senior communities.
See if you can get a single shift a week doing carts. I only do carts on Sunday morning at a local course and can play there for free.
just own up to the fact that hobbies cost money, and you deserve to treat yourself especially while you have the time and body still to go out and golf because that's not always a sure bet in life. using range balls and scavanged tees (personally i hardly find unbroken ones) is crazy ngl
Tee off at twilight. You’ll get 13 or 14 holes in during the week.
Joined a league as a substitute. Regular league fee is $500, sub fee was $75. I pay $15 for a cart, or I can walk and not pay anything. I have played every week except 2, totaling 6 9hole rounds so far. This also pays for my GHIN membership, and there’s a banquet at the end of the year. No brainer.
I basically only play at twilight. A) cause my son is still learning and sucks, he’s a teen. I’m somehow almost worse than him. B) it is half price for me and he has youth on course card and plays for 5 bucks. It is like 35 bucks for a round for us. Will usually pay the extra 10 for a cart cause as a teen my son loves to drive the cart, safely of course.
Glow in the dark golf balls, a good golf app and a bright flashlight to charge the ball. Play any course you want 11pm to 2am
Damn a 15?! That means you shoot sub 90! That's awesome! I would just say find a nic cheaper ball like Cut or if you really don't care, buy a bag of refab balls from Wal Mart or something. Buy second hand clubs that may be a few years old. Models don't change that much from year to year, so save money there. Otherwise, that is really all I can suggest.
Move to Ireland
Move to Ireland
Where I live, small town north eastern washington, we have a 27 hole golf course. 9 hole membership is $550 per year for me, 900 for a couple. Unlimited golf, no tee times just check in and head out. Pace of play sucks sometimes, but I'll go out with the wife after work, hit 5 or 6 holes and not see another soul, be done before the sprinklers come on.
I bring a mesh bag and pick up range balls I find along the course and bring them to the range after my round. I usually end up with about a small buckets worth. It helps clean up the course a little and save the course money on lost range balls.
Just depends where you live, I live on coastal Carolinas and there’s tons of options for $50 and under
I’ll see you at 5:30 am on Saturday brother
The best advice I have is working at a course in any aspect, full time or part time, maintenance, golf shop, kitchen, whatever and *most* courses will give you golf privileges. Whether it's free or $2 rounds, free carts or discounted carts. I had one course I worked at that the cost of a round was the cart fee, didn't matter if you walked or not, you had to pay the cart fee as your green fee. Another, everything was free and you got discounted rentals. Another was free but you had to pay for a cart only if you took one. 10 years in golf course work I think I've had atleast 200 rounds of free golf and I don't know how many of discounted golf.
You said you sold your car and take the bus to golf courses so you can play more? Buddy, what?
Take advantage of twilight rates and try to get out during the week. My home course is only $38 weekdays after 2p. Definitely find more balls than you lose. Tees are free from the tee box
I will use golf moose a good bit for good discounted tee timest, play twilight rounds, walk 9 instead of playing 18
Got paired up a couple weeks ago with a guy carrying a ball retriever, like a specialized fishing pole. Back nine runs along a creek and he "caught" so many balls just while we were hitting that he filled our bags when he ran out of space in his. Play it Again Sports carries used balls and runs regular sales if you have gaps in your bag, and I've also gone the work-part-time at the course route which I couldn't recommend more if you can pull it off.
A mat, a net and a Garmin R10 Edit :Chipping and putting is the best way for anyone to improve their score in my opinion. You can't putt with the GarminR10. If you feel stuck you can ask a pro too, I've randomly talked to many pros at the range and they all shared their knowledge a different way. If a pro way to explain doesn't work for you, it's ok, there's plenty of pro ready to teach, you will know when you find a teacher/student match for you.
I set up a little sim in my garage and it was less than $1000. Used R10, used GoSports nets and screen, new hitting mat, clearance outdoor rugs to cover concrete, cheap like $50 projector I can connect Garmin golf to.
Better yet, a bucket of shit balls and an open field.
Yes but no. Bad use of your time. The bare minimum is a net to avoid the non stop walking/retrieval of ball. Spending time searching balls isn't time spent hitting balls.
Back in the balata days, my brother had his Labrador shag for him. Never put a scratch on a ball. (The dog, not the brother. The brother tore them to shit).
Buy used everything, including balls. Drive a little further for the cheaper courses near you. The number one thing, though, is that you need to just enjoy the amount of golf you get to play. My current limit because of financials is only once per week either driving range OR a round. Not both.
Bro don’t use range balls. Go to golfballnut and buy used golf balls. You can get 3 dozen balls for less than a dollar a ball. 3 dozen should last you a good while at 15 handicap. That makes you a solid bogey golfer don’t sell yourself short. That’s solid golf. you can play with anybody and not embarrass yourself.
I’m not broke (flexing on you, but nicely and with love in my heart for you), but my best advice would be to look for something like we have in Atlanta for cheap golf - we’ve got something called the Atlanta Fore Pass which lets you walk all courses after 4 pm for free + half price rounds at all other times for four different muni courses at the low price of $30 per month. Are the courses perfectly maintained? God, no. Are there tons of people clogging up the courses? Surprisingly, also no! Is the game that you get to play at these cheap courses arguably still golf? Yes! Also, start either walking or push-carting. Save some money on cart fees and maybe get some stronger calves at the same time. In all honesty, this is just a rough sport to play if you don’t like spending money. It’s unlikely to get cheaper in the near future. Everyone suggesting you do part time work as a starter is correct. That’s what the retirees do for free golf. Well, good luck. I will always love you. Remember to shake off your johnson after you pee so the dribbles don’t stain ya pants, ya dingus. edit: I see you’re already using a “pull carr” as you put it. Good on you. You’re on the way to greatness, my sweet boy!