How much, exactly, do you spend on the game we all love? The beauty of golf is that there’s no one way to do it. You can use new clubs or old clubs, play affordable munis or belong to the most lavish country club in your state. Maybe your annual golf trip is in Ireland, while your neighbor’s is just two towns over. What are we getting at? There’s no one way to spend your hard-earned golf cash. But, we at GOLF.com wanted to get a better understanding of how golfers spend their money. That’s where this survey comes in.
Looking for insight, we hired a company that surveyed 2,817 random golfers in October and November of 2020. They were asked 23 spending-related questions on things like apparel, equipment, greens fees, golf travel and more. Now, the results are in. Here’s how you, your neighbor, your accountant and more spend their cash when it comes to golf.
The ultimate golfers’ spending survey
1. How much do you spend on golf annually?
$1,000-$5,000 — 63.1%
Less than $1,000 — 19.3%
$5,000-$10,000 — 12.9%
More than $10,000 — 4.7%
2. What percentage of your disposable income is on golf?
Less than 10% — 63.4%
10-30% — 31.9%
30-50% — 3.7%
More than 50% — 1%
5. How much do you spend on golf apparel annually?
$100-$400 — 60.4%
$400-$700 — 20%
Less than $100 — 12.4%
More than $700 — 7.2%
6. How much do you spend on golf equipment annually?
$500-$1,000 — 43.8%
Less than $500 — 40.1%
$1,000-$2,000 — 13.4%
More than $2,000 — 2.7%
7. What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a golf vacation?
Less than $1,500 — 43.9%
$1,500-$2,500 — 28.7%
$2,500-$4,000 — 15.6%
More than $4,000 — 11.9%
8. The last golf shoes you bought cost…
$50-$100 — 43.4%
$100-$150 — 37.3%
More than $150 — 13.3%
Less than $50 — 5.9%
11. What do you consider the fairest price for green fees and a cart at a very good 18-hole public course?
$75 — 47.7%
$50 — 33.5%
$100 — 15.4%
$125 — 3.4%
12. The most you would consider paying for green fees and a cart at such a course is…
$100 — 30.6%
$75 — 28.9%
$125 — 20.9%
$150+ — 19.5%
15. If you were given $1,000 to spend on anything golf-related, it would be on…
Clubs — 49.4%
Travel — 23%
Lessons — 22.9%
Apparel — 5.6%
19. For the married among us, who controls the household golf budget?
You alone — 56.6%
We ham-and-egg it — 41.2%
Your spouse alone — 2.2%
20. The most you could comfortably spend on an initiation fee to a private club you wanted to join is…
$5,000 — 80.4%
$15,000 — 11.9%
$25,000 — 4.2%
More than $25,000 — 3.4%
23. Congratulations, you’ve won the Powerball lottery! You use your newfound wealth and connections for one, and only one, of the following:
Join the best, fanciest private club near you — 43.5%
Build your own course — 25.3%
Join Augusta National — 23.2%
Join Cypress Point — 8%
Ready to overhaul your game? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf.
