Opinion & Analysis
The Real Cost of Golf
The USGA exists “for the good of the game” and the PGA has authored several initiatives in a concerted effort to “grow the game.” Noble aspirations, indeed. However, where the proverbial rubber meets the road is you.
The bottom line is this: The game needs more players, badly. If golf is to remain “the greatest game ever played,” then it needs to keep the players it has and perhaps more importantly, attract new players to the game. As stated in the PGA’s Golf 2.0 initiative, the goal is to go from 26.1 million golfers and $33 billion in consumer spending in 2011 to 32 million golfers and $35 billion in spending by 2016.
To give you a little perspective, in 2005 there were 30 million golfers. That means from 2005 to 2011, the game lost nearly 4 million players and this coupled with a downturn in the world economic climate has left people rethinking the realities of squeezed disposable income and the game in desperate need of fresh chum. So no matter who you are, you are valuable to the game on both a commercial and philosophical level.
The rest of the conversation is just how fat of a check are you going to write? For illustrative purposes, let’s look at three composite individuals and what it would cost them to take up the game and play for a year.
The Novice, aka Nancy Newbie and Beginner Bob
You are new to the game and other then generally knowing which end of the club to hold and which direction the course goes, you don’t know Freddie Couples from Freddie Mercury. It’s OK, you don’t have to. Yet.
What’s in the bag?
A nice used set of irons from five to eight years ago. Maybe some Titleist 735 CM irons, a couple Cleveland 588 wedges, a Ping Zing putter, a TaylorMade R580 driver and the V-Steel 3 and 5 woods. Thanks to your local garage sale, you got all of this in a old original Ping Hoofer for $200.
Balls/Gloves/Tees: You play the balls you find…in the garage…in the woods…in your buddies bag…Same goes for gloves and tees: $15
Course of Choice: You don’t play enough to justify an annual pass, but you may invest in a “discount card” or take advantage of coupons in the local “Gold-C” or similar offering. You’re lucky to play 8 to 10 times a year and at $25 per round, you get a lot of golf for $250 a year.
Apparel: Yeah, about that. You’re closet may not be full of golf specific clothing, but you have enough to get by. You may have accidentally bought a pair of khaki Dockers at Kohl’s on clearance, but you will need to get a decent pair of golf shoes. $75 should get it done.
Tourney/League: You’re not quite dedicated enough to commit to a weekly league, but you might jump into a scramble tournament every now and again. $125
Lessons/Practice: Your play is your practice. You haven’t taken any formal lessons yet, but you have a number of friends who are more than willing to give you free advice, and more often than not, it’s worth exactly what you pay for it. $0
Training Aids: Nope. $0
Total cost for one year of golf: About $665, but let’s just round it up to $700 and call it $50 to $75 per month. Not bad at all, and cheaper than what you probably drop on those double-mocha-machiato-latte-thing-a-ma-bobbers.
The Enthusiast, aka The guy who bombs a drive and says “Bang”
You’ve probably been bitten by the bug at some point. Maybe it was a charity scramble or a golf league you played in before you “found yourself,” then found a job and subsequently found yourself with a lot less time.
Now, things are different. You have a bit more time, a bit more income and most importantly, a renewed desire to break 90 or 80 or a few less windows. Call it a golfing renaissance, if you will. You may not DVR the Shell Houston Open, but you remember Jack in ‘86 and you have the big ol’ MacGregor putter to prove it.
What’s in the bag?
You have a mix of old and new, but as part of your rededication to the game you submit to the reality that technology has passed your bag by and it’s time to upgrade. You’re not beyond looking at models from the last couple seasons, especially given how quickly clubs depreciate!
Irons: Inspired by Brian Gay (rocked a combo set of Mizuno MP-60 and MP-32 irons to win at the Humana Challenge earlier this year) and D.A. Points (gamed a set of Ping G5s to win at The Shell Houston Open), you nab a solid set of slightly used Ping G20s for $250. Of course, you really have your eye on some Mizuno JPX-825 Pros, but those will run you $900 at a minimum.
Woods: You get fitted for some new TaylorMade woods and want the option of adjustability so, you snag a R11 TP for $75 and get a matching 3 wood and hybrid for another $100 to $175 total. But, if you grab the Mizuno’s, you can’t have your woods looking old and used, so there is the option of dropping $600 for a new Stage 2 driver and a couple fairway woods to match.
Wedges: At $40 a piece, you can’t pass up the hardly used Vokey SM line. Sure, they don’t have conforming grooves, but you don’t care — 2024 might as well be 11 years away. $120 for a set of three, or you can go the new route and for $340 you can be the one to take the plastic off each one and get your kids’ initials stamped on.
Putter: $70 for a close out model of an Odyssey White Hot with flow neck, ala your favorite middle-aged putter, Steve Stricker.
Balls/Gloves/Tees: Tees are cheap enough and you found this local big box store that allows you to buy a bag for $10 and you get free refills for the year. A couple two-packs ($35) of the FootJoy synthetic leather WeatherSof gloves should hold you over and in addition to keeping any of the decent balls you find on the course, you snag three dozen of the 2012 Bridgestone B330 RX balls for $75.
Course of Choice: You don’t know if you’re ready to take the leap into the private/country club scene, but a higher-end public/semi-private course is certainly within reach. You can play as much as you’d like and whether you run out for a quick 9 holes after work or play five holes before the rain comes in, it’s all covered. In addition, a quality public/semi-private course will have all of the requisite practice facilities so you can work on all parts of your game, rain or shine. Usually, those run around $2200/year. If that’s a little steep, you can go the daily fee route, but if you’re going to get in 20-plus rounds this season, the annual pass is a more economical decision.
Apparel: Your closet can’t escape your rediscovered passion. So, after consulting a couple episodes of “What not to wear” you go with a very solid combination of four shirts ($100), four shorts ($140), one pair of pants ($50), and a convertible wind/rain jacket ($85). Just for good measure you buy a new Titleist hat ($25) (hey, it’s the mark of a player, right?) and a pair of FootJoy Tour Saddle shoes ($150)
Tourney/League: Between the weekly men’s league ($10 green fees are covered in your membership, but the money game and skins aren’t) and men’s association tournaments ($250 for the year) you should have a variety of competitive outlets to offer your game every litmus test it needs.
Lessons/Practice: You can practice all you want, but if you really want to improve and get the most out of whatever natural ability you have, you’ll need a series of lessons. $400 for five sessions of an hour with video and a nine-hole playing round will certainly help.
Training Aids: You know most of them are gimmicks or can be replicated at your local Home Depot for $10 and a can of spray paint, but the Orange Whip has actually proven to help you work on flexibility, tempo and core strength. $75 well spent!
ETC: You’ve read “5 Lessons” so many times it kind of feels like 35 lessons, and while best practices in teaching/instruction haven’t gone out of style, your library needs some serious updating. $50 gets you a couple books from Dave Pelz, one from Stan Utley and some good stuff to think about from Dr. Gio Valiente.
Total: $4260 to $5555
The GolfWRX-er, aka Captain Staff Bag
You have a dog named Bogey, a den caddy for your TV remote, a putter at the office and you measure storage space in your car in number of bags it can hold.
You memorize shaft bend profile data and you know your kids’ birth years based on club release dates. This is why you refer to your middle son as “R7” and your neighbor as 588. Others claim that there is no one else like you in the world, but you know that’s not true. You’ve “never left yards on the table” and more importantly, you know why that’s funny!
What’s in the bag?
First, let’s be clear that we are referring to your “gamer” bag. Not the back-up bag, third bag or miscellaneous bag of clubs you have which
comprise several attempts at grinding your own wedges, painting club heads and/or something we’ll just politely refer to as “the lime green phase.”
Driver: Like other clubs in your bag, this one is new. You have the TM R1 TP, Titleist 913 D2/D3 or Ping Anser. Secretly, you don’t mind stock shafts, but that wouldn’t be very GolfWRX of you to admit that publicly. Plus, the Tour AD-DI, Mitsubishi Ahina and Fujikura Speeder Tour Spec look so much better, or at least that’s what you keep telling yourself. $600
3 wood: This is a tough one as so many companies have gotten into the “premium” distance 3 wood conversation lately. You really wanted to toss a Tour Edge Exotics XCG 6 in there, but you want the adjust-ability and excuse to have a couple extra shafts just to swap out on an “as-needed” basis. Enter Adams Speedline LS with matching Tour AD-DI 7. Just for good measure, you snag matching 19-degree hybrid with Tour AD DI hybrid shaft. $400 + $300
Miscellaneous
- Bushnell Z6 Rangefinder: $400
- Leather Scorecard holder: $35
- Alignment sticks: $4
- Commemorative divot tool: $15
Balls/Gloves/Tees:
- Titleist Pro V1/V1x, and no less than eight dozen a year: $360
- You’ll go through 12 to 15 FootJoy StaSof gloves during the year at $20 each
- Tees are the one place where you actually don’t break the bank. A couple packages of Epoch Evolves will last you several presidential administrations: $15
Course of Choice: You have a range of options available, including several daily fee public courses which offer annual memberships. Plan on $2500 to $3000 a year to cover annual dues, practice facilities, a locker, cart/trail fee and range balls.
If you decide to go the private route, you might be able to find some equity memberships in the $5000-$10,000 range. In fact, according to a study done by Longitudes Group for Golf Digest, 30 percent of clubs surveyed stated initiation fees of $7,500 or less. The same survey showed average annual dues at $6245 ($520/month). This figure does not include any “assessment” fees or additional costs for food/beverage minimums, bag storage fees, range passes and other ala carte items.
Apparel: Your wardrobe is varied and while you might not be able to pull of the Ricky Fowler “orange construction zone cone” look, you’re not going to run out of options, no matter the season.
This list is rather long so try and stick with me: 12 to 15 shirts in a variety of solids, stripes and you had to toss in a couple neon beauties which would make Olivia Newton John proud! ($450)
You have just as many shorts in just as many styles ($500), but you only need four pairs of pants with v-cut hems no doubt. ($300)
You have four pairs of shoes: one pair of spikeless Ecco’s ($140), one pair of practice shoes — Adidas 360 ATV ($100) — and two pairs of your “tourney” shoes, Ecco Biom Hydromax ($235/pair).
Add that all up and it’s $1960, but at least now you have casual Friday’s covered!
Tourney/League: You may not be out on any official tour, but your friends probably wouldn’t know the difference given the fact you play in the weekly men’s league/money game, all of your club tournaments and an assortment of state amateur events. Moreover, you have the images saved from GoogleEarth and course yardage books to prove it. $1250
Lessons/Practice:
You’re committed to hitting balls a couple days a week, so the season-long range pass pays off handsomely. ($350)
A series of 12 lessons throughout the year will keep your swing sharp, even when the weather doesn’t cooperate. ($1000)
Total that up for a cost around $1350.
Training Aids:
You have the Orange Whip ($75) and EyeLine Edge putting mirror ($60), so that’s $135.
Golf Magazines:
Golf Digest, Golfweek and Golf Magazine have you and your bathroom covered. Admittedly, you always flip to the “WITB” section and require that your neighbors refer to you as “the man out front.” $75
Yearly Total: $13,444
Admittedly, there is quite a jump from the beginning golfer to the enthusiast (nearly $3500) and in all reality, most golfers will be a mix of the listed descriptions. That being said, when you hold these composite figures against a backdrop of recent economic data, we begin to gain a better understanding as to the issues faced by the organizations whose stated dedication is to attract new players.
Golf faces myriad challenges moving forward and while the issue of pace of play has been discussed ad naseum, basic realities of economics hold true. What is more expensive is often less consumed and in a game where volume is what the ruling bodies are after, this is a problem. Consider that the average American household earns $63,091 (before taxes) and has $58,275 in expenses, of which only 1.4 percent is allocated as “entertainment.” This leaves $4816 for all disposable income purchases for the entire household. You don’t need to be Pythagoras or Euclid to figure out why the game is in a bit of a pickle.
The average consumer simply does not have the means to play the game at anything more than a very basic level. As such, the individual is highly unlikely to ever become an “enthusiast” and most certainly not one of “Captain Staff Bags’” playing partners.
Averages certainly don’t reflect specific individual experiences, and one of the greatest intellectual difficulties is resolving the reality of the masses when your individual situation is at odds with the truth shared by most others. The image of golf is still one painted by brush strokes of elitism and exclusion.
If we are honest with ourselves, we know that wealth affords many increased access and opportunity in our market-driven world. It’s a shame that golf, in this regard, is no different. Perhaps we should heed the advice of Franklin D. Roosevelt and agree that “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” I guess it really depends on how much we actually want “to grow the game.”
To that end, here are five ways in which we can make the game more accessible to all:
- Give every kid a free pass to the local city courses in 5th and 6th grade. Kids won’t go by themselves and that means in addition to getting kids hooked, there will be a paying adult. While you’re at it, give adults a 50 percent discount if they play with their 5th or 6th grade student! The ski industry does this all the time and the golf industry could certainly learn a thing or two!
- Offer annual junior passes (ages 12-18) for $99 – Same theory as No 1, but you could add discounts on merchandise/equipment to sink that hook in just a bit deeper.
- Team up with the local school district and offer incentives to golfers who achieve academically. Better GPA = Lower cost for rounds and equipment!
- Hold free/inexpensive teaching seminars. Take a page from Home Depot and give people something of value without asking for anything in return.
- Why only 9 or 18? Why not offer golfers a chance to play 6 holes? Or 12?
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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The 2024 Masters offered up plenty of excitement throughout the week with Scottie Scheffler delivering when it mattered to live up to his pre-tournament favorite tag. With the year’s opening major now in the books, here are my six biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters.
Scheffler In a League of His Own
In the most impressive way possible, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters without having his absolute best stuff. For the week, Scottie ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is a category the number player in the world typically dusts the rest of the field in. After a strong approach day on Thursday, the 27-year-old lost strokes to the field on approach on Friday and Saturday, before gaining on Sunday. The iron performance was more than solid, but it was an all-around game that helped Scheffler get it done around Augusta National.
For a year or more, the narrative around Scheffler has been, “With his ball striking, if he can just putt to field average, he’ll be unbeatable.” At Augusta, his ball striking came back down to earth, but his touch around the greens and ability to manage the golf course demonstrated why he is the best player on the planet right now. For the week, Scheffler ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
For the time being, there is a major gap between Scottie Scheffler and the second-best player in the world, whoever that may be.
The Future is Now
Ludvig Aberg went into his first back-nine at the Masters with a legitimate shot to win the tournament. When he teed it up on the treacherous 11th hole, he was one behind Scottie Scheffler, who had just stuck one to a few feet on the 9th. By the time he approached his tee shot, which was perfectly striped down the left side of the fairway, he was two behind. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old got too aggressive with his approach at the 11th and found the water, making double bogey. Ludvig rebounded nicely and finished the event in solo second place.
With the Masters now in the rearview, it’s never been more evident that Ludvig Aberg is no longer an “up-and-comer” — he has arrived. The Swede has been an integral part of a winning European Ryder Cup team and has now contended at Augusta National. With a calm demeanor, a picture-perfect swing, and a build and stature that appears as if it was built in a lab, Ludvig Aberg is already amongst the world’s best. I’d be extremely surprised if he wasn’t in the mix at next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Nostalgia Wins
I try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but there’s something about the Masters that brings out the sentimentality in me. Tiger Woods strategically making his way around Augusta National without all of the physical tools that made him arguably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports will always be riveting, regardless of what score he shoots. Woods made it interesting until a tough stretch of holes on Saturday, but he ultimately wore down, shooting 16 over for the week in difficult conditions. It’s remarkable that the 15-time major champion was able to put together a few solid rounds of golf despite barely playing any competitive golf in 2024. As long as Woods tees it up at Augusta, we will all continue to be mesmerized by it.
Verne Lundquist’s 40th and final Masters Tournament was also a must-watch aspect of the event. The iconic voice of Lundquist and his calls throughout the years still give me chills each time I hear them. Verne is an icon of the game and will be missed in future renditions of the Masters.
The Masters also brings another element that is unique to the tournament. Former champions turn back the clock to battle with the golf course again which creates some amazing stories. There are a few that stick out this year and were an absolute pleasure to witness. 61-year-old Vijay Singh made the cut for the first time since 2018 and shot a pretty incredible even-par, 72 on Sunday. 58-year-old José María Olazábal made the cut as well, reminding us why fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm sought his valuable advice prior to his Masters victory in 2022.
Regardless of who wins, the Masters always delivers.
Bryson Moves the Needle
Plenty will disagree with me on this point, but outside of Tiger Woods, and potentially Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, no one moves the needle in golf as much as Bryson DeChambeau. The uniqueness in which Bryson approaches the game has always been fascinating, and if he gets near the top of the leaderboard at any major championship, whether it’s to root for him or against him, people are interested.
It began on Monday with a pretty bizarre story of DeChambeau using 3D-printed irons that got just got cleared for use by the USGA when the week began. It once again felt like a storyline that would only be possible with a character as eccentric as Bryson. He then raced off to a first-round lead in tough conditions, reminding the world of what made him such a great golfer to begin with. He made some mistakes on the weekend, but still finished a career best T6 at The Masters.
Bryson is more than just quirky; he is a former U.S. Amateur Champion and U.S. Open who I believe will contend for more majors in the future. I will continue to root for DeChambeau, but I’m perfectly content with the fact that plenty will root against him, and I encourage those people to do so. That’s what makes it fun.
LIV Walks Away Empty-Handed
Last year, there were a multitude of questions about LIV players coming into the year’s first major. They had played very limited tournament golf, and critics of LIV questioned whether the 54-hole events were enough to sharpen the players enough to compete against the best in the world on the biggest stage.
The results were fascinating, with LIV players all over the leaderboard. Brooks Koepka held the 36- and 54-hole lead, with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing T2 and T4, giving LIV three golfers in the top-4 of the leaderboard.
This season, with even more time removed and with some more massive additions to the roster, the intrigue surrounding LIV players at Augusta was once again palpable. While some players, including Bryson DeChambeau, exceeded expectations, I can’t help but walk away from the Masters feeling underwhelmed by the performance of the LIV players.
Brooks Koepka finished runner-up last season and is a certified major championship killer. The 5-time major champ was never involved and simply didn’t have it at Augusta. Dustin Johnson put together a putrid performance, shooting 13 over for his two rounds, making it fair to wonder if his days of contending at major championships are over as he rapidly approaches his 40th birthday.
Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann were both players who were amongst the favorites this week, but Rahm was faced with the daunting duties of defending champion and Niemann proved he was still not quite ready to master the quirks of Augusta National, bleeding strokes both around and on the greens.
To be fair, when all was said and done, LIV had four players in the top twelve at The Masters. Tyrrell Hatton stormed the leaderboard early on Sunday, finishing T9 and earning himself an invite back to Augusta next season. Cam Smith and Patrick Reed put together gritty performances, which isn’t too surprising considering the fact that they both absolutely love Augusta National, but neither ever felt a real threat to win. There’s no doubt the players on LIV are good, and that’s why some encouraging leaderboard positions aren’t enough. They needed to contend.
With no players part of the storyline on Sunday, I view the first major of the year as a disappointment for LIV. The players will head into next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla with a lot to prove.
Rory’s Struggles Continues
Rory struggling at Augusta National is no surprise at this point. The four-time major champion has now had 10 attempts to complete the career grand slam and has never had a chance to win. His T2 in 2022 was deceiving, the Northern Irishman stormed the leaderboard on Sunday, but was never in contention, and never got within three shots of the winner, Scottie Scheffler.
I didn’t expect Rory to win, but I have to admit that this year felt a bit different. McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters, which he typically doesn’t do, and finished third at the Valero Texas Open. He gained 7.56 strokes on approach and 2.0 strokes off the tee, which told me that his visit with world-renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, after the Players Championship paid dividends.
McIlroy also approached the media quite differently. He cut his pre-tournament press conference short after only 10 minutes and seemed to be laser-focused on just playing golf.
Despite the different approach to the Masters, the results were the same. McIlroy struggled over the course of the week, finishing T22 (+4) and never sniffed a decent weekend position on the leaderboard. It’s back to the drawing board for McIlroy, and I have doubts that he will ever figure it out at Augusta.
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We’ve finally reached The Masters and excitement is at an all-time high. The world of golf has been fractured for the better part of two years, but for a week at Augusta National, all of the outside noise will disappear. All of the best players in the world will be together seeking to make history.
In addition to betting on The Masters champion. This is one of the few weeks of the year where there are so many more markets to explore, with value to be had in plenty of different categories.
Throughout this article, I’ll discuss all of my favorite props and players for the 2024 Masters.
Placement Bets:
Tony Finau Top 5 +750 (DraftKings):
I badly wanted to include Tony Finau in my outright betting selections, but I simply ran out of room on my card. Additionally, it’s slightly difficult to see him hitting the putts necessary to win the Masters on back nine on Sunday. However, I do strongly believe he will play great golf this week at Augusta National.
In his past 24 rounds, Finau ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach is always amongst the best drivers of the golf ball in the game. Back in 2019, Finau had a great chance to win The Masters. I expect him to be hanging around over the weekend once again in 2024.
Gary Woodland Top 20 +550 (DraftKings), Gary Woodland to make the cut -110 (DraftKings):
Last season, Gary Woodland had his best ever finish at The Masters in his eleven tries. The 39-year-old finished T14 and played incredibly steady across all four rounds.
In Woodland’s most recent start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he struck the ball incredibly well. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+8.8) and Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (+10.0).
Gary has been working with Butch Harmon and absolutely flushing the ball both in tournaments and during practice.
Woodland appears to be healthy once again and in a great place physically and mentally. If he can build off his impressive performance at Augusta last year, he can place inside the top ten in 2024.
Additionally, the make the cut number on Woodland seems generous considering the number of players who miss the cut will be relatively small this week. Woodland is striking it well enough to make the cut even if he’s hindered by a balky putter once again.
Thorbjorn Olesen Top 20 +400 (FanDuel):
The Thunder Bear, Thorbjorn Olesen, made his Masters debut in 2013 and finished an incredibly impressive T6 for the week. In the two additional starts he’s made at Augusta National since then, the Dane has continued to be incredibly solid, finishing T44 and T21.
This week, Olesen heads into the week playing some good golf. He gained 3.8 strokes on approach and 5.52 strokes around the green at last week’s Valero Texas Open on his way to a strong T14 finish. Back in January, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.
Olesen has the skill set to be successful at Augusta and seems primed for a good performance this week.
Top Nationalities:
Sergio Garcia Top Spanish Player +280 (DraftKings):
I believe Sergio Garcia can get into contention this week with the way he’s striking the ball in addition to his good vibes with a refurbished version of the Scotty Cameron that he used at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah.
I am slightly concerned about the emotional letdown he may face after losing in a playoff at LIV Miami, but I believe a veteran and former Masters champion should be able to regroup and focus on an event far more meaningful.
This is essentially a tournament head-to-head with Jon Rahm at +280. While Rahm deserves to be respected this week, the history of the lack of success of defending champions at The Masters is difficult to ignore.
Joaquin Niemann Top South American Player -230 (FanDuel):
While I hate paying this much juice, I don’t see a world in which Joaquin Niemann isn’t the top South American this week at The Masters. Joaco comes in playing better golf than anyone in the world not named Scottie Scheffler and has a serious chance to win the green jacket.
He only needs to beat two players: Emiliano Grillo and Camilo Villegas.
Tournament Head-to-Heads:
Justin Thomas -110 over Collin Morikawa
JT isn’t having his best season but is playing a lot better than he is getting credit for at the moment. In the past three months, there are only six players on the PGA Tour who have averaged 1.7 Strokes Gained: Tee to Green or better. Justin Thomas (+1.7) is one of the six and is currently tied with Rory McIlroy (+1.7).
Morikawa, on the other hand, has been extremely poor with his irons, which is incredibly uncharacteristic for him. I can’t help but feel like something is completely off with the two-time major champion.
Tony Finau -110 over Wyndham Clark
I explained in the placement section why I’m so high on Tony Finau this week. With how well he’s striking the ball, it seems as if his floor is extremely high. I’m not sure if he can make the putts to win a green jacket but I believe he will be in the mix similarly to 2019 when Tiger Woods emerged from a crowded pack of contenders.
Clark is a debutant, and while some debutants have had success at The Masters, it certainly poses a challenge. I also don’t believe Augusta National suits Clark as well as some of the other major championship venues.
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Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
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Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (6 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75g 6.5 Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver...
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Edward Emono
Apr 1, 2021 at 2:16 pm
How Much would you say on average golfers spend on Tees alone, yearly.
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Ken
Sep 25, 2013 at 5:28 am
Living in the Nashville area, we have quite a few options for nice courses in the $30 range. Around 2008, we certainly experienced a ‘market correction’ in the cost of putting a peg in the ground. A local course offers a great week day deal for about $30 … 18 holes, cart, range balls, and lunch. And the course is definitely decent.
Miguel Dabu
Sep 7, 2013 at 1:50 pm
I have taken down the cost of golfing this season for me, from green fees to new equipment and clothes. I am now at a total of 1700 Canadian Dollars and I started playing again this season last May. That’s 5 months of golf cost and I still have some three weeks to go before it gets cold again.
So far I have played 30 rounds this year. Last year I started playing golf again after a long time of stopping. I got Taylormade Burner 2.0 irons and Superfast driver and woods, Odyssey putter and Cleveland wedge, then add the golf shoes. More I less I have spent 1500 dollars on equipment alone. Add the green fees and I am looking at another 800 dollars maybe.
So far in two years I have spent 4000 dollars in golf. And that’s just 5 months of golf per year.
Jordan
May 19, 2013 at 3:11 am
Great post as always. I like how you broke it down into 3 sections of the different golfers. I find my self spending more each year I guess I have passed out of the middle tier. Love the WRX!
Dan
May 15, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Golf might grow if disposable income grew as well. The problem might not be golf at all – it just may be feeling the effects of something bigger.
Bill
May 11, 2013 at 12:19 am
Good piece and some good thoughts. I think of how my father got all of us kids into golf. Started at the local driving range, where he showed us the basics and let us learn along the way. We graduated to a very inexpensive college course (Family seasonal rate was something like $400 for the whole family). Only about 5200 yards, which was perfect for kids learning the game and short enough for mom to join in. We were taught the etiquette and to be respectful of the employees of the course. As time went by mom would drop us off early in the day and came back at a designated time that allowed us to play a round and then invent putting games until she came to pick us up. The course got regular play and all was good. We got better and had the good fortune of having a father that loved the game and enjoyed playing the game with his kids as much as with his buddies. This lead to a number of trips to Pinehurst over the years and made all of us lifelong fans. The key isn’t necessarily pointing a finger at the courses or club makers. The father taking time to share his passion for the game in a fun way gave us the encouragement to work hard to get better and save our money for golf. Still, the point in the story about disposable income for median income folks hits home. Every year I hit a point in the summer when available time meets limited entertainment funds.
Some courses run specials to try to keep their doors open but many would be better served by making weekday golf very inexpensive ($20-$30 with cart) and keeping it real with weekend rates ($30-$45) all the time. Make juniors rates $10-$15 after school a couple days a week. Leagues can be done in mornings and a couple evenings a week.
I drive around and see empty courses all week long. The ones that stay busy are the ones seeing the realities of modern life. The end of corporate tax write offs for golf has virtually killed private clubs. Not judging the action, but at one time golf flourished partly because so much business was done at the course over 18 holes. Women were learning the game and fighting to get into male dominated clubs for a piece of the action. The media still promotes that story but its long gone. I see a few wives out there but I bet a big part of the drop off in play is among the women. The decline of “Tiger mania” is a factor but the IRS has played a role also. Its a different game commercially than even 10-15 years ago.
CPOMustang
May 10, 2013 at 8:29 am
I see the USGA’s newest idea to “grow” the game is a bigger emphasis on 9 holes. While it sounds good in theory it will NEVER take off unless and until courses stop gouging 9 holers for 80% of the 18 hole rate. One local course has an 18 hole rate with cart for $40. 9 holes…$32 with cart!! Really?? No one is going to play 9 at that price point, so a guy who only has time for 9 doesn’t play at all and a potential customer goes out the door. Then semi’s and muni’s wonder why their rounds/year are on the decline?
Richie
May 9, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Great fun article. It was a good read.
Richie
Richie’s World of Golf
Rich
May 9, 2013 at 7:59 am
Well it’s interesting, I talk with parents and they say it’s the cost of equipment , the time to set aside in taking them to the course and staying with them, the cost of traveling to the course ,the cost of a round of golf, and the parent not knowing anything or very little about the game. Now why not donate used equipment to these kids .Then maybe have instruction areas for the beginners closer to their homes.How about giving gas cards to those that bring their kids to the course for instruction maybe 10.00$? Surely there is some method that could fund giving these things . The adults say it’s to costly to play. Equipment is must to expensive. And by the way the PGA trade-in guide is not even close as to what the equipment is worth base on what was paid when new. I can’t find a name brand driver for 30 to 40 bucks on Ebay . I don’t see as many tournaments for stroke play ,just scrambles where it’s cheat cheat. Heck who knows, lower the price and see what happens.
Bob Weiss
May 8, 2013 at 5:05 pm
I love this thread
brilliant how the American PGA and others have not grasped the concept that golf should be for EVERYONE
With that in mind Scotland has or is trying to as well to some extent the UK in general make golf available to all and sundrie with many many different schemes to encourage golf at primary school and secondary school
Our regional golf unions throughout the UK do massive amounts to highlight and promote golf to all
In Scotland green fees are as low as £10. 00 pr mid week and in Kent where I live you can get a game for £15 mid week or £20 wk and in general most courses throughout the uk are good to play albeit higher than 12 handicapper
The elite golfers would want to play better courses but for a knockabout 90% of the courses here are ok to good
Anyway rant over
Enjoy the time you play golf it’s the best feeling in the world smashing that drive into the blue sky and holing that birdie putt
Regards
Bob
Adam
May 8, 2013 at 1:20 pm
I have three kids who play (oldest is 18), and I can tell you that paying for the entire foursome yourself gives you an entirely new perspective on the cost of golf.
Since golf in my area STARTS at $40 a round for MIDWEEK play, you can bet that I look high and low for specials and coupons.
However, I have found the Holy Grail for dads like me: a course with reasonable rates ($49-65 rack rate) that has a $10 Junior rate (including cart)! Oh, and that rate is good anytime, 7 days/week! The only trouble is that it is an hour away…. It’s a fun course, and I have brought my buddies there, too—not just the kids—so it is a win, win. And guess which course my kids love the most? You bet, it is this one because it’s the one they have PLAYED the most with Dad.
Ironically, the munis here are the worst offenders when it comes to Junior rates. (Very little discount, have to be a resident of the right county, have to purchase a multi-round pass, etc.) As you can guess, I rarely play the munis—and never with the kids.
We keep pace of play by having the kids play from the correct tees—even if that means teeing off for the par 4s from only 100 yds away (on the fairway).
lcompy
May 8, 2013 at 1:19 pm
People like Nicklaus and Norman want to grow the game, but then they go out and build courses that cost $200 or more to play. How is that going to grow the game ?
JBro
May 6, 2013 at 12:52 pm
This is a great piece of research in that it addresses this prohibitive portion of the game. I do wish someone would write an article about how golf treats it’s young people: LIKE TRASH. The powers that be always want young people to play and give them opportunities. However golf is ridiculously tough on people under the age of 18. Everyone from teaching pros, to course staff, to salespeople treat junior golfers horribly. I think anyone who took up the game at a young age remembers an old man or woman giving you a hard time for SOMETHING, they always assumed you were up to something wrong or doing something bad. Give kids a break, be nice to them and show them the way, that is how you are going to grow the game.
KCCO
May 6, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Agreed, why I give a good friend, one of our members who is president of LA chapter of First Tee program mucho props….but do feel bad for other juniors doing it on their own. If your school is fortunate enough to have golf programs, take advantage as it does help, but not offered everywhere. Anytime I come across junior or equipment I won’t be using, I have no problem donating to programs, driving range, etc….I won’t mention any names, but there are major oem’s making major contributions to these programs at end of season with leftover tour gear.
Simo
May 5, 2013 at 4:55 am
Interesting article! I’m from Australia and golf memberships range from as little as $300 for annual public access courses up into the high thousands for the top of the range courses. Move down under! Problem solved 🙂
Twoody
May 4, 2013 at 2:31 pm
I don’t care about your clubs, ball, tees, clothing, car, house or companions… all I want is for you to KEEP PACE WITH GROUP IN FRONT OF YOU!!!
yo!
May 4, 2013 at 11:25 am
frankly, most golfers could care less that more people play the game. that would mean more crowded courses, 5 hour rounds, higher green fees, and those like me retreating back to our private courses
of course i understand the golf industry would make more money if there were more golfers but it won’t benefit the recreational golfer and the game of golf is not ever going to die
Austin
May 4, 2013 at 7:34 am
Good article and without reading all of the comments I am assuming there is a lot of sentiments supporting your advice. I love golf as it is my time to decompress from work and life in general. Picked the game up after I retired from playing other competitive sports. Wish I picked it up sooner but unless you were a member of a private club you probably didn’t pick up a golf club. I would like to see more support for those who love golf and want to get their own kids involved. It’s hard paying a fee for my 3 yr old when I want to go play 9 holes and bring him along. Love to see more courses to provide additional incentives as it would allow me to bring my kids much more often.
paul
May 3, 2013 at 9:22 pm
My wife said i had to quit if i couldn’t make golf affordable. so im buying a punch card and playing at 5:30 am so it doesn’t affect my work schedule.
JE
May 3, 2013 at 5:07 pm
Very compelling article. I would agree with most of the analysis except for the costs of rounds. Particularly in the “Novice” analysis. I have lived in many states throughout the U.S. and haven’t found $25/round in anything other than a goat track that is borderline unplayable.
In my opinion, the fundamental problem with growing the game is competition from other activities that don’t require the investment in time and money.
I would also add that the trend is your friend. It’s going to take a lot more than the PGA to turn this tide.
Xreb
May 5, 2013 at 3:35 am
I have to disagree with this, a municipal course here in southern Tennessee offers a round for about 30 with a cart and it is no goat track ! It is on par with the Jack Nicklaus designed Bear Trace that I also play….
Puddin
May 3, 2013 at 4:31 pm
Great article. Here’s how get players into the world of golf. I tell beginners that have the bug to volunteer at their local club as a starter, ranger or “transportation manager”. Most clubs will let you play for free for your time. I also tell them if they are serious to take lessons FIRST! Banging balls on the range does not make Johnny a better player. I did this when I was between wives and lives phase. Too broke to play so I volunteered at my course. Then I was reciprocated at other courses. I dont think I paid for a round of golf for about 5 years. There are a lot of perks that come along when you volunteer.
Mike
May 3, 2013 at 5:43 pm
excellent idea. i am going to do this.
evanm
May 3, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Simply put, munis in larger areas need to drop their rates and in general do everything better. Living in Seattle it drives me crazy with how bad of an experience you get for on average $40 a round. Munis generally have good deals for juniors and their parents but they need to promote it more.
I think in school would be a good idea. I had a random PE class in junior high that focused on different stuff like archery and we did golf for a while, more of this would be good. What about golf field trips? If courses hosted this for free it would grow the game a ton. You can’t tell me there isn’t time for this in school, more often than not there is a lot of wasted time in school. I think most kids would love golf but for many it’s a foreign subject since so many other sports are accessible but probably not for much longer considering how competitive everything has to be now. Kids are no different from adults on how easy they can get hooked on the game, it’s just that adults have more exposure due to financial reasons.
Chuck
May 3, 2013 at 3:11 pm
I like where the author is going with this, but prices for the beginner were too low. My knowledge of the market has 50-100% higher values for a lot of stuff, and even the PGA Value Guide shows a good set of Ping G20’s at $436.89 He also left out some of the golf geek purchases, like irons). A bigger problem is that he didn’t discuss time. That’s the real killer, in terms of changes in the amount of time available for golf (and the size of each block of time available), the time required to play, the demands on adults with children at home, and probably most importantly, the amount and type of time available for kids to learn about the game. They can’t sneak off to the golf course because people live in suburbs, free time is scarce or intentionally filled with lots of lessons and whatnot, and kids can’t go out on their own (for more than one reason). In other words, the society built by the baby boomers, and inherited by the rest of us, quite frankly sucks, especially (but not only) in terms of freedom to play golf.
Doug
May 3, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Why does no one ever point out that Tiger created artificial unsustainable growth to the game? Its just now coming back to where it should be. When I played as a high schooler courses had just the right amount of traffic. After Tiger you had all these idiots taking divots in full Nike outfits. Rounds went from 4 hrs to 6 hrs at the muni. Personally I hated the growth and I’m glad to see the game lose some interest from the Tiger followers. Golf isn’t going anywhere and I’m not worried about growing the game.
Bryan Wood
May 3, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Chris – Great Article! After reading this it is official – I am Captain Staff Bag! You forgot to add the cost to have your name embroidered on your golf bag – which is about bout $80 LOL! Keep the good reads coming our way!
From the peanut gallery….
I play a lot of recreational golf – meaning I am not a member of a club, but I should be. I am a 5 handicap and play at least 125 rounds a year – weather promoting. My wife plays as well but she is not quite at the Captain Staff Bag level yet, however, we both play on an amateur golf tour and enjoy tournament golf.
To focus on the cost of golf, I would like to turn the table on the decline in the game… and put that on the public courses and here is why…
I have noticed a significant increase in the cost of greens fees in the Austin TX area, over the past few years (now you know where I am from). I also travel to many golf destination vacation areas and have paid over $400 in greens fee before. For my recreational golf (public play), I will mainly use the one of the ‘discounted tee time – distributor providers’ (not named here, but I am sure you know who they are). There prices has also increased over time as well.
Sometimes, I will just call on a Saturday morning to one of the local tracks around here and see what the first available tee time is – and the rate. Sometime they will say we have an 8:30 open, and the rate is $79 a player – on a course that I think is worth $35-$40 based on the condition it is in. I always start bartering immediately, saying I will offer $45 a player and I will bring a foursome. The person on the phone in the pro shop usually says no. So, now, two things happen 1. the course loses revenue, and; 2. does not fill the tee sheet up. Who wins? – no one.
The other thing that also drives me crazy is the way courses handle their twilight rates. You will see players sitting in the parking lot at one public courses around here, knowing the twilight rate starts a 2:00pm which is usually $10-$15 cheaper than the 1:50pm tee time. The 1:50PM tee time is always open by the way… and it is first come first serve for twilight. Again, a prime example of lost revenue on open tee times before 2:00pm in this example. Now the mad rush begins and the course is packed and play is slow after 2:00pm.
(Slow play is a whole other issue not to be addressed here but basically, people need to learn how to drive golf carts to their ball, instead of sitting in the cart, waiting on your partner to ball, so they can drive you to your ball after they hit… I will stop there on slow play…)
The Golf 2.0 mission released by the PGA really needs to get it together and have talks with their professionals at the public facilities. You grow the game at the recreational level – not limiting it by the examples I presented above.
Speedster
May 3, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Love the game, always have and always will. problem with golf is the pace of play is killing the game and killing the courses. first off most courses hire marshals that don’t know anything about pace of play. they are there to socialize and not work. i don’t mean to be sexists or stereotypical, but most causal and lady golfers can’t grasp the concept of keeping up with the group ahead of them. they think that if they pay a green fee they are entitled to do whatever they want. once again this a social issue that plagues western society. Even when i step onto my home course i feel priviledge/fortunate to play and have never felt the course owed me anything.
Logistically and economically speaking courses are in a tough spot in today’s market. To gain revenue, they can only do 1 of 2 things, raise green fees or increase green fees sold. (either of them is not viable since they typically have an inverse relationship). there are no more options, F&B, clubhouse, golf shop, clinics, lessons are all limited in terms of gaining revenue. Course owners sooner or later will come to a reality that golf is a hobby and hobbies are meant to be enjoyed and not meant to make money.
MACS
May 3, 2013 at 11:30 am
Great article, I just wish I didn’t have so many things in common with “The GolfWRX-er, aka Captain Staff Bag”. Fellow WRX-er’s fibbing about their club head speed, launch angle, smash factor, etc…? Doesn’t everyone hit a 3-wood 300 yards?
Dan
May 3, 2013 at 10:58 am
Great article. I agree so much with the suggestion above about teeing it forward. I play in a weekly league with a bunch of great older guys, but they hit it 210 off the tee when they catch it, and insist on playing the 6500 yard tees. End result, everyone shooting their age for 9 holes at a pace of almost 3 hours. There are about 10 of us younger guys with families to go home to, and we’ll have to quit if things don’t change.
David
May 3, 2013 at 10:57 am
You forgot to mention the annual/bi-annual Vegas/Myrtle Beach/Orlando golf trip that can easily double the enthusiast’s tab, depending on the preferred swing lubricant.
Excellent article and really demonstrates how much I appreciate treating myself to lovely day outside. I worked hard to afford this stuff, so to piggyback off your theme to engage:
Show how the discipline to play can be weaved into the discipline to do well enough to afford the WRX’er lifestyle.
Mike
May 3, 2013 at 10:15 am
I hate to say it but this article is true. In my heart I knew of the total cost but was in denial. This pretty much validates my feeling towards the sport. Sometimes the mind over powers the heart and it is something one should listen when growing up especially when things become priority eg. school, post undergrad school, marriage and the death of all; having kid(s).
CS
May 3, 2013 at 8:17 am
2024 is 11 years away.
TD
May 3, 2013 at 7:09 am
You think golf is bad try having a kid play hockey!
Willie
May 3, 2013 at 3:04 am
Great article, and I hope it catches on. I agree that we need more incentives to start at the jr. level.
I’ve said this before in the forums, but if you look at starting golf, by comparison, it’s outrageous. A child (or even a starting adult or college player) could play in a baseball, soccer, basketball, and casual tennis league all for less then the annual first year of golf. Price to pick up all those sports, less then $20 and a couple of people (who could split the cost). OR golf, where you can hardly go to the range for 30-45 minutes at $6-12 / bucket / person.
For people say that golf isn’t the most expensive hobby, you’re right, it’s not. But expensive hobbies don’t grow, and golf wants to grow.
Chris
May 3, 2013 at 10:35 am
When looking at starting a kid in Golf a parent needs to explore their local First Tee program. Most of the time they won’t need clubs and the expense is typically the same or LESS (then other organized sports. Here are our local First Tee actual costs:
Individual – $50.00 per session, $30.00 Second session. (yearly max $80.00 Financial assistance is available, just inquire.
Family -(2 or more children) $ 80.00 per session, (yearly max of $100.00 per family).
Wee Level -$25.00
As a parent of five kids, all under the age of 12, golf for them doesn’t cost as much as their other sports. They play basketball, baseball and soccer each of these after league and camps fees and gear run about $175.00 to $250.00 per sport per kid.
My kids usually like to tag along with me at our public city owned course and hit just a few shots. They have the most fun when we play in Parent Child alternate shot tournaments where parents tee off on all odd numbered holes and kids “tee it forward” on evens.
Willie
May 5, 2013 at 12:00 pm
That’s great info to have, and defiantly helps to explain why the First tee is so loved!
Mat
May 3, 2013 at 12:28 am
We need to stop making golf hard. Everyone without a handicap should be playing from a forward tee. Until your handicap is below 20, go forward. Emphasize that difference. PGA and tournaments are long, but most experiences should not be longer than 5,000 yds. Until this happens, you have people playing from the tips frustrating everyone.
If courses are able to emphasize the correct difficulties / tees, everyone will enjoy more.
CPOMustang
May 3, 2013 at 8:14 am
In the last 6 months I moved up to the “senior” tees. I had always played the standard men’s tees (never the Tips). I decided I am too old to let my ego get in the way and never cared what other people thought anyway so I moved up. Best decision I made. I still stink up the joint now and again but its a lot more fun hitting a long iron on my second shot vs. a fairway (which I still cant hit for s#*)
fairway fitter
May 3, 2013 at 12:19 am
I grew up in NYC in the 70’s and used to cut thru a hole in the fence at the local public course. The hole was located in the middle of the fourteenth hole. I could wait for a group to play thru, jump in and play as many holes as possible before dark. The key to my success was that I was respectful of the course and the other players. I never made waves or held anyone up. I was a kid with a love of golf and respect for other people, so nobody ever complained that I hadn’t paid.
If I had to fork over the kind of coin I pay now (even super twilight rates) as an 11 year old I’d probably be a half way decent tennis player instead.
dakota jones
May 2, 2013 at 10:15 pm
Really great article, as a freshman in college our local course in high school did not even acknowledge us as juniors we had to pay the adult rate to play and because of this (I paid for everything golf related my parents want nothing to do with the game) we could not get kids to come out for the team because they didn’t have the money to pay for it I was lucky as I mowed yards throughout high school to fund golf, but rebuilding golf ABSOLUTELY has to start at the junior level.
george
May 2, 2013 at 9:47 pm
golf is expensive but not as expensive as many of my other habits
free
May 4, 2013 at 7:59 pm
it can be…Youch, I just realized my annual club budget is about what the super expensive option is…better not to think about the cost…
Edward Kennedy
May 5, 2013 at 4:10 am
Are you in a “Private” or a public course? Here in Ireland there is very dew publics, and their terrible!
Edward Kennedy
May 5, 2013 at 4:09 am
What’s the Handicap George? I could definetly see myself spending a couple of grand over a couple of seasons. Golf is expensive, but I can’t see how anything else you do could cost more. And if it does, its probably killing you!
KCCO
May 5, 2013 at 9:26 pm
Whether I like it or not, it’s my obsession…. My wife spends on her habits, (which are very close to a private course and witb (meaning clothes bags etc over a year), but I also don’t spend at the local bar, gamble, or have any other habits….I did cut smoking out of my unnecessary spending as an agreement with myself to get a private course membership. But with that being said, golf is cheap compared to boat hobbies (cleaning, storing, maintenance) and race cars which lots of my friends have tens of thousands every few months dumped into a 1350 foot sprint down the track that could cost them astronomical figures pending outcome. To each is own on how you want to spend your money. I feel like I work hard for my hobby, but have no regrets, it’s what I love. I do like having latest greatest gear, when its feasible, I buy… But you get to a point where you know when you have enough, or have made enough connects by spending time at the course to find equipment through friends who are reps, guys who constantly buy/sell etc, u can keep up with whats latest on shelves or off the van;) Regardless of price, and an 8 index, I do what I have to to continue to play the game I love. That extra day of work each week pays off when I come home at 3:30, and can play 9 every weekday, or hit the range, and have my weekend crew of guys that all do the same to make it happen playing 18 holes of my favorite thing to do. To each is own, do what makes you happy, and you will figure out a way to make it happen. When the bill comes you will figure it out if you love it that much.