It was at the start of a recent round that Stinky Golfer Greg and I were poking a little fun at the foursome in front us. “Hey, who do you think is winning, the red team or blue team?” I asked Greg this referring to the foursome in front of us in which two were wearing red shirts and two were in blue. Greg responded that his money was on the blue team.

This brought up further joking regarding how, several times, one member of our foursome would have to head back inside their house and change their shirt so we don’t show up to the course looking like we’re on a team. It’s actually almost come to the point where we’ll have to be on the phone with each other before our round like a couple of school girls – “What color shirt are you wearing today?” “I’m going to wear the red one so wear a different color.” It’s pathetic really.

But further conversation regarding our shirts lead to a simple comment regarding a common stereotype of the sport. On the subject of the shirts, Greg mentions to me that he paid only $20 or so for his moisture-wicking Champion polo. I tell him that I paid the same for the Reebok shirt I was wearing at the time. He then tells me; “If this same shirt had a Nike logo on it, it would cost $50.” I agreed with him, and that led to his comment – “See, that’s why some people think golf is a rich man’s sport and don’t take it up to begin with.” I gotta say, he’s got a good point.

Every golf publication, and most golf products advertised, are for the priciest apparel and products available. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a review on a new set of $150 golf clubs? When was the last time you saw a feature on the season’s newest golf apparel, and in it was a $15 polo?

For further proof, I’ve just popped open a recent issue of Golf Magazine. Of the first ten advertisements, six of them are for golf equipment. Of the six, three of the ads are for drivers costing between $400-$500, a $700 set of clubs, a $200 fairway wood and another driver costing $300. As a matter of fact, it isn’t until you are 90-plus pages in before an “affordable” set of clubs is advertised.

Do you see what I mean? What is someone new to the sport, or just getting involved supposed to do? They are bombarded with the idea that they have to pay a lot of money to play this sport. And all you have to do to for proof of this is pick up a golf magazine.

Thankfully, my buddies who got me involved in this sport years ago had steered me in the right direction. I paid $150 for my first set of golf clubs, woods included! And I carried them for twelve or thirteen years. Now that may sound ridiculous to many of you, but even more ridiculous is that I still carry one of the clubs from that set! And it’s quite possibly the most consistent club in my bag!

I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a polo specifically for golf, and I don’t recall any of them having been one of those $50-$60 type. Had it not been for my buddies, I may have been one of those that was sucked in by the ads. And that makes me wonder how many golfers do get sucked in and feel they need to have that Tiger Woods or Ashworth polo. How many golfers go out buy a $600 set of irons, a $300 driver and $100 putter when they’re just taking up the game and aren’t even sure if they like it or not yet?

Even worse, and the real question that fuels the stereotype is, how many people never take up the game because everything they see is so damn expensive? The clubs, the apparel, the courses…everything highlighted by the golf publications (both magazines and television) is the most expensive of what’s available. It makes potential players feel that if they don’t spend more money, they will be using inferior equipment, wearing the wrong apparel and playing poor courses. But in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

In my opinion, this is just another problem facing the golf industry. Not only is there very little going on for the average hack like myself and my golfing buddies, but there is also very little for beginners. How do you expect to attract new players to the game, when you price most of them out of it right from the start?

I hope that anyone who may be new to the game is being guided by friends like mine. Because honestly, if I had to rely on the golf publications and fell victim to the “rich man’s sport” stereotype, I would have quit the game long ago. And that’s if I ever took it up to begin with.

Swing ’til you’re happy…you can afford to if you do it right!