GolfStinks

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With All The Money Involved In Golf…

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Where did golf get all this money?
Where did golf get all this money?

How do I get some? It’s no secret that golf isn’t the cheapest game to play. It’s also no secret the stereotypical golfer is an affluent male with a wardrobe worthy of Judge Smails’ approval. The game reeks of money. Between financial institutions and non-sport related sponsors of every tournament to the same sponsors on a player’s shirt, hat or visor – it’s a cash game, literally.

Could you imagine if pro athletes in other sports had these companies sponsoring them on their clothes? What would happen with the sneaker industry? I could see it getting a bit confusing.

Friend 1: “Hey did you see the new Air Barclay’s?”

Friend 2: “No! Charles Barkley has a new shoe?”

Friend 1: “No…Barclay’s the bank.”

Friend 2: “Wait…Charles Barkley has a bank?!?!”

Friend 1: “Forget it…”

See what I mean? I can only imagine what the Hooter’s cross trainers look like. Hmmmm…maybe I’m on to something here. This could be my entry point into the golf biz. Or I could just gamble on a couple tourneys. The problem is that I don’t know much about golf betting but, I’m sure there’s all sorts of tips from betfair.

Well, for now I think I’ll just hit the local track and let my entrepreneurial juices marinate the master plan. It sure would help if I had a master plan though…oh well.

Hit’em long…Yell FORE!!!

Is Golf Meant for the Rich?

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golfstinks, golfsitnksTo many non-golfers, the title of this post has a very clear and direct answer: Yes.

But for those of us who play love this game, the answer isn’t that easy. After all, many of us don’t consider ourselves rich.

Most of us have to work for a living at a modest job – we’re not jet-setters, leisurely golfing around the globe at some exotic locale like Abu Dhabi or Thailand.  Nor do we tee-it-up daily at some hoity-toity private club where late-model luxury sedans fill the parking lot.

No sir, we drive our Honda Accord or Ford Fusion to the local public course and fork-over $60 to squeeze in 18-holes every Saturday. I say “squeeze” because inevitably we have to return home to mow the lawn before it gets too dark. Clearly we aren’t rich, so the headline of this post is a bit perplexing to us.

What we forget though, is that we’re the middle class…and we can afford golf. We can afford $125 for a pair of golf shoes every year or two; we can spend $600 or $700 on a new set of clubs every 5 to 7 years; we have a closet full of polo shirts that we already wear to work; and we have an extra 60 to 100 bucks a week to plunk down on greens fees. We may not always be happy with the costs associated with golf, but we pay them because (a) we love this game and (b) we can afford to pay them.

However, there are many, many people who cannot afford to play golf. Golf is not soccer or baseball – where you can organize a quick game at the local park. Nor is it basketball – where you can just show up at the courts down the street and play a quick pick-up game for free.

The mere fact that you have to pay to play golf sets it apart. In fact, you even have to pay to practice golf. Let’s ponder this for a second: First you pay to learn golf; then you pay to practice golf; and then you pay to actually play golf. Add to that the costs associated with clubs, balls and apparel and you begin to get the picture.

The USGA and other authoritative organizations within the industry want to grow the game. They want to bring golf to inner-city kids and others who wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to play. I say kudos to them. But this is not an easy task. The very foundational structure of golf requires the need for money. And not just initial money to learn the game – but liquid cash on hand throughout a lifetime of playing the game. We can get them started, but will they be able to continue?

Something within golf needs to change in order bring more diversity to the game. Perhaps golf course developers need to consider creating (or investing in) more 9-hole or Executive-style links – this would provide an inexpensive alternative to the typical 18-hole facility. These smaller tracts would be more cost effective to run and serve as a training ground for newer golfers and/or those who simply can’t afford 18-hole greens fees.

Funneling money to smaller-sized courses is just one possible solution – I’m sure there are many others – like removing this notion that every part of the golf course must be lush and green (AKA the Augusta effect). But ultimately, the point is something needs to change or the dream of growing the game will forever be…a dream.

So, is golf meant for the rich? Well, let’s put it this way: It’s certainly not meant for the poor.

Help! I Need New Golf Clubs!

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Time for new clubs? (photo by Jeff Egnaczyk / CC BY 2.0)
Time for new clubs? (photo by Jeff Egnaczyk / CC BY 2.0)

So I have this set of golf clubs, right? Thing is, I’ve had these golf clubs for some time…going on twelve years now. Actually, it’s the first set of golf clubs I had ever purchased when I was originally introduced to this great game.

The set came with irons three through nine, three woods (driver, 3 and 5) and a pitching wedge. Two of those woods (the driver and the three) are long gone…as is the wedge. The driver was once replaced with a nice Callaway Big Bertha. I lost the ability to hit that straight and it no sooner found its way to eBay. I replaced the wedge with one I received as a gift and added another one later.

Putters have come and gone. Bags have done the same. But what’s remained consistent through all of the change surrounding them are my original irons and trusty five wood. They do the job, and my five wood off the tee is probably the most consistent club in my bag.

I want to sit here and say I have this emotional attachment to my clubs, and that’s why I still have them. I want to say they are good enough for me and new clubs aren’t going to make me any better or improve my game at all. I also don’t want to lie. Neither of the two previous statements are true. I want new clubs. I need new clubs. I just can’t friggin’ afford them!

Now I know some of you are probably saying to yourselves the same things I’ve said to myself. “I don’t need to spend $1,000 to get a good set of clubs” or “Just get a decent set of irons for now and worry about the driver and other stuff later.” I’ve got that down. I’ve tried a bunch of clubs and have pretty much narrowed it to a few relatively affordable sets. The problem is…I still just can’t friggin’ afford them!

So my new quest has been to discover WHY I can’t afford them. I’ve narrowed that down to three issues:

#1 – My own foolishness with my money:
A few years ago, I got into a car accident. I was uninjured, but my car was totaled. The other guy’s insurance company however, did not want the car. So they offered me a nice amount of money to just keep it – an offer which I gladly accepted. The car was drivable, just a bit unattractive. But hey, it was paid off and the insurance company gave me more money to keep driving it! So I have this nice sum of money now. But instead of doing something responsible with it – like buying a new set of golf clubs – I decided to purchase a sports car that I had wanted for a few years. So now, terrible gas mileage, many high car payments and expensive maintenance bills later…I have no new golf clubs. Good job Chris.

#2 – My wife:
Hey guys…does your better half buy a ton of purses? Well, for your sake…I hope not. But unfortunately, I’m sure they do. My wife calls them pocketbooks. I call them the bane of my golf existence. My wife somehow believes they are necessary. I can understand they are necessary…in limited quantities. I do not understand why so many are necessary! At any point in the day, there are at least two of these in her car, several more in our bedroom, maybe one or two in the family room, and who knows how many in random closets throughout the house! The cost of these things interferes with the cost of my new clubs! How do I know how much they cost? I don’t. But what I do know is I have to order Rosetta Stone to pronounce the names! That makes them too expensive. Honey, if you’re reading this….we have to suspend your next purchase or two. You have enough. I need clubs. I’ll bet if my clubs were made by some famous Italian fashion house I would have them by now! Of course, if that was the case…she would have taken up golf already.

#3 – My job:
See, the problem with my job is…I currently don’t have one. I guess I don’t really need to go into much detail here. The fact that I don’t currently have a job is explanation enough. But, since roughly 1 out of 7 people in the country play golf, and 1 out of every 10 adults in the country are unemployed right now…I’m sure I’m not the only golfer currently dealing with this problem.

So there it is in a nutshell. Three reasons I have not purchased new clubs, and may not purchase them anytime soon. Getting a job would help. So if anyone is hiring, please hit me up. I’m willing to do just about anything if the pay is good enough, as long as it involves keeping my clothes on. It’s not that I wouldn’t take my clothes off for money….it’s just that you don’t want to see it. Trust me.

I just want new clubs.

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