Golf clubs: $50
Dozen golf balls: $3
9-hole green fee: $10
Many college students feel that the expensive nature of golf can sometimes drive a 'wedge' between them and the sport. But with just a little bit of 'drive' and 'fore'-sight, students can 'chip' away at the cost of golf this summer.
All punning aside, golf can be a very pricey sport. Purchasing quality golf clubs can be especially daunting. New, name-brand clubs can be priced anywhere from $200 - $2,000 and more. However, students on a budget can acquire previously used clubs for just a fraction of that price. On eBay, an online auctioning site, users can bid on and purchase used clubs for $100 or less. Additionally, KSL’s website has a classified section with over 1,000 listings for used clubs for affordable prices.
New golf balls can also be extremely expensive, $15-$30 per dozen. But once again, through eBay, KSL and other classifieds, golf balls can be bought for less than 50 cents a ball.
Unlike most sports, golf requires players to pay each time they play. This payment, known as a green fee, can be very pricey depending on the quality of the golf course. While most green fees in Utah range from $15-$30 dollars, many BYU students are resourceful in finding green fees at a reduced price.
“You can golf almost any course if you just do some research on when they offer a discounted deal,” Spencer Snyder, an exercise science major from Alpine, Utah said. “It may be early in the morning, late at night, or in the killer heat, but the deals are out there. If you’re paying more than $15 for nine holes and a cart, you are paying too much.”
Thanksgiving Point Golf Course is one of the premier and most expensive courses in Utah County, with green fees priced over $50. However, after 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, KSL sponsors a discount golf day at Thanksgiving Point with green fees only costing $15. This price includes a cart rental as well.
Spanish Oaks golf course in Spanish Fork offers $10 green fees Monday through Friday for golfers starting before 9 a.m. This price also includes a cart rental.
East Bay golf course, just five miles south of campus, has an affordable “executive” course. While this course has only seven holes with no par-fives, it only costs a paltry $8.
Regardless of the costs, many college students feel that they can't afford not to golf.
'I'll admit, golfing is expensive regardless of how hard I try to bargain hunt,' Caden Rhoton, an advertising major from Alpine, Utah said. 'But once you have hit a perfect drive 300 yards into a sunset, there is just no going back. That feeling, well, you just cant put a price on it.'