In this video, Neil Tappin offers some tips on how to save money on golf.
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00:00 For many people, golf can feel like a really expensive sport to play.
00:04 Just getting out onto the golf course will require either a golf club membership or an
00:08 expensive green fee, and then you have things like your equipment that you need and potentially
00:12 lessons as well.
00:13 But in our experience at Golf Monthly, the sport doesn't have to be quite as expensive
00:18 as many people think it does, especially if you're smart about the way in which you spend
00:23 your money.
00:24 So with the current cost of living crisis that we're all going through and the squeeze
00:27 on disposable incomes, we thought it was about time to produce a video looking at some of
00:32 the smart ways that you can save money if you're looking to play golf.
00:36 Okay, so I'm going to start by looking at golf club memberships and green fees.
00:41 And when it comes to club memberships, the thing to look out for is a flexible option,
00:46 and it's something many golf clubs offer.
00:48 And the basic idea is that you pay a smaller amount upfront, but then you would either
00:53 pay each time you play, or there would be some kind of credit system, which would mean
00:58 that you'd pay more when you're playing at peak times and less when you're playing at
01:03 quiet times.
01:04 So you could play in club medals on a Saturday morning, and that's going to require more
01:08 credits than if you play late on a Monday afternoon, that sort of thing.
01:13 It can be a really good cost-effective way to play more golf.
01:17 Now on the green fee side of things, there's a similar idea here, which is that golf clubs
01:22 are often quietest after 4pm.
01:24 And so look out on the websites of different golf clubs for twilight green fee rates.
01:29 They tend to be a little bit discounted, and it's a fantastic way, especially in the summer,
01:33 to get out there, see different golf courses, and then play them at times, which are often
01:39 really quiet and a really good way of playing different golf courses at a discounted rate.
01:44 So hopefully that's two ways in which you can play a little bit more golf without paying
01:48 too much more.
01:49 Now, for me, one of the biggest misconceptions around golf is that it costs an absolute fortune
01:54 to kit yourself out.
01:55 Now, of course, golf can be really expensive in this department, but it doesn't have to
02:00 be.
02:01 And in my experience, there are a whole host of brands that offer really good quality golf
02:05 clubs and balls accessories at affordable prices.
02:09 I'm thinking off the top of my head about Innessis, which is sold through Decathlon,
02:13 McGregor, Ben Ross, Kirkland, and then probably slightly more expensive, but sitting below
02:20 some of those top premium brands would be brands like Wilson and Tor Edge.
02:25 It pays to do your homework in this regard, but there is definitely some options out there
02:30 when it comes to price.
02:31 And I think what they all do really well is they provide golf clubs that are simple and
02:36 classic.
02:37 They look good in the bag and behind the ball.
02:39 And then when it comes to the performance, they're sort of solid all-rounders.
02:41 If you make a good swing, you'll get a good result.
02:44 If you don't make a good swing, they will forgive the odd mis-hit.
02:48 So just keep an eye out for some of these other brands.
02:51 They can unlock more in terms of performance at a slightly less expensive price.
02:56 Now, another way to buy golf equipment is to go secondhand.
02:59 Obviously, you've got Facebook and eBay, but then you've also got some golf-specific secondhand
03:04 retailers.
03:05 My advice here would be to really have a very close think about what you need, think about
03:09 your specs, and then go in search of those specs and try and do it in an affordable way.
03:14 If you do your homework and you do enough research, you can uncover some real hidden
03:17 gems that can unlock higher levels of performance without having to spend too much doing it.
03:22 Another one that relates to getting out and playing more golf is to keep your eyes peeled
03:27 for golf club open competitions.
03:29 So most golf clubs will have, at some point during their season, an open competition where
03:33 anyone with a handicap could come along and play in the competition.
03:37 And often, they're really, really good value for money.
03:40 So you might play two rounds in a day, so it might even be 36 holes.
03:45 They usually throw in some food as well.
03:47 And when you look at the price, you might think, "Well, that's a really good way of
03:50 playing a great golf course for a bit less."
03:52 I know that for some people, this is the way in which they like to spend their visiting
03:56 money playing golf.
03:58 It doesn't cost too much, and it can mean that you get a little bit more for your money.
04:02 Now, my next one relates to tech in golf.
04:04 And as you can imagine, there's an awful lot of tech in golf, things that relate to
04:07 some shot tracking, through to GPS watches, laser rangefinders, launch monitors.
04:13 And if you want to get involved with the tech that's surrounding golf but don't want to
04:17 pay a fortune, then there are some really good free apps that you can use.
04:21 Apps that will offer you yardages while you're out on the golf course, the ability to keep
04:25 your score, the chance that often they'll sync up with an Apple Watch, for instance,
04:30 to give you all of that on your wrist as well.
04:32 So keep an eye out for some of these free apps.
04:34 One that I've used, that I've enjoyed in the past, is called Hole 19.
04:37 It has that functionality that I was just talking about there.
04:40 And it's particularly good if you're playing courses that you don't know very well.
04:43 Those hole maps, overhead hole views, can be really useful.
04:47 So look out for some of the free golf apps.
04:49 It can be a good way of using new tech without having to pay for it.
04:52 Now, if you're watching this video, not only do you want to play more golf, but you probably
04:56 want to play a bit better as well.
04:58 And this is where lessons come in.
04:59 And of course, it pays to invest in lessons with a good quality coach where that coach
05:04 can have a look at you individually and see what you're doing.
05:07 But there are some other ways you could do it as well.
05:10 Obviously, there's a whole host of free resources out there.
05:13 YouTube, Golf Monthly website, where you've got really high level coaches offering advice,
05:18 insight into the golf swing so that you can understand it a little bit better.
05:21 And then particularly around things like strategy, where you can find out how really good players
05:26 think on the golf course to get the ball around the course in as few shots as possible.
05:30 That can really help.
05:32 And then if you're looking for lessons specifically, but don't want to pay a premium for one-on-one
05:38 lessons, then maybe think about group lessons.
05:39 Lots of golf clubs will offer it.
05:41 Lots of driving ranges will offer you the chance to join a group where you'll get access
05:45 to a PGA Pro, but for a little bit less money.
05:48 Now, the last one on my list is about the resale value of your golf equipment.
05:52 Now, for some people, when they buy golf clubs, they do have one eye on the resale value later
05:56 down the line of their equipment.
05:57 There's a few things you can do to retain that value.
06:01 Obviously, keep your clubs in as good a condition as possible.
06:04 They're not for everyone, but iron head covers might be a good way to go.
06:07 Make sure you've got good quality head covers on all of your woods.
06:11 And then just things like keep the wrenches, if you've got adjustable woods, make sure
06:14 you don't lose those.
06:15 And keep your grips in really good condition.
06:19 Something that a lot of golfers don't do is clean their grips.
06:22 If you think about all of the grime and the grease and the dirt that gets caught up in
06:26 your golf grips over the course of a season, give them a clean fairly regularly, and you'll
06:31 find just how much this improves the quality of the performance of the grip and traction
06:35 that you get from those grips.
06:36 So, just a few things you can do there to help improve the resale value of your golf
06:40 clubs.
06:41 Okay, so there you have it.
06:43 That's my look at how you can play golf in the sort of most affordable way possible.
06:48 Hopefully you found that useful.
06:49 If you have any other thoughts, ideas on this, please leave some comments below.
06:53 But that's it for now.
06:54 Thanks for watching.
06:55 We'll see you next time.
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