How is it not expensive? You need clubs to play which cost hundreds of dollars, even for beginner clubs. Sure you can buy some used clubs for less, but it's still going to be much more expensive than bowling. You even have to bring your own balls. Have you seen the cost of golf balls? It's atrocious. Unless you buy some used or recycled balls.
Yep. If you got rid of all the country clubs you'd still have a healthy (no, scratch that, significantly healthier) golf culture.
Only filthy poors use the loaner shoes and balls!
Right there is an initial cost with golf, sure.
My local golf course costs £2.50 per round. Also golf clubs do not cost hundreds of dollars. I got a full set for like £30. They're shit but then so am I.
Wow, golf is cheap in the UK. It's multiple times more expensive here in the states. And the cheapest set of clubs I could find through googling was still over $200. I guess you could just buy a driver, an iron and a putter piecemeal for cheap. Ehhhh
These are municipal courses run by local councils to be fair.
No, looked it up and it's closer to $10 without any cart rental.
Yup. As long as it fits into their "hate the rich" agenda.
It's pretty much the same in the US but people like to post on forums regardless of whether they have any knowledge on the subject.
I mean, you kind of hit on the answer. Golf tends to be popular in wealthier locations where lower population density allows the space for courses. Why is basketball so popular in China while Tennis and Golf fall to the wayside or are otherwise the domains of the wealthy? Space.
I don't really get the waste of space angle either. If the land is readily available it's a lot more beautiful waste of space than a few more strip malls or another half-dozen churches and banks.
Low population density isn't necessarily about wealth. I'm originally from a midwest 'country' town of only 20k people and there were several public courses and a country club. The people I saw at the public courses on the regular were not 'high society' folks in any sense, except maybe weed.
I dunno if this logic follows through as Korea is a hotbed for golf and its quite dense and not very large of a country.
In general, spend a couple hundred bucks on a set of clubs at Dicks and maybe buy some special shoes. Of course you can garage sale/Craigslist these things or spend thousands if desired.
Some more thoughts, echoing some things other folks have said here:
Yep. When I was in high school, I had a job as a caddy at an exclusive club....let’s call it Pine Valley. There were a COUPLE of cool members there who I wouldn’t mind having a beer or three with, but there was certainly a lot of snobbery, and clearly a good bit of just in your face racism.
Just like some hobbies the upfront cost can be expensive but if you look right you can get used sets for a good price. When my dad was still alive he bought a mesh bag of golf balls for like $15 and had like maybe 50 in the bag. Look for Wilson, Taylor Made, and maybe Callaway sets.
A couple of bucks to get a bucket of balls at the driving range and just pocket four or five of em.
Thank you.
That’s just not true, it’s a perfectly affordable hobby for the middle class.
