A golfer is always faced with a constant barrage of things that he can possibly spend his money on. These things range from the necessary things like golf clubs, to completely unnecessary things like trophy cases for hole-in-one balls. It would seem that a golfer’s money could constantly be thrown away on the many things that are available for purchase. However, one of the most expensive things that a golfer has to spend money on is not what you would expect.

Golf balls are perhaps the most irritating thing that a golfer buys. He seems to buy them over and over, as they disappear into bushes, lakes, or sand traps. Rates for golf balls can seem fairly ridiculous too, with some selling for over $25 for a pack of 12. If you want to save money on golf balls or even get them for free, read on for a few tips on how you can do just this.

While you are in the middle of a golf game, there are usually many opportunities to find golf balls that have been left behind by golfers before you. It isn’t a good idea to constantly interrupt your game in search of golf balls, but if you happen to walk right by a cluster of bushes or a small water hazard, you might as well take a moment to look for golf balls that have been left behind.

If you don’t mind getting your arm wet, usually you can find multiple balls just by reaching into a water pool. Bushes and other similar obstructions are also good places to look. Other golfers may find you strange when you are rooting around for golf balls, but it is definitely worth it in the end when you don’t need to pay insane amounts for golf balls every week. All you have to do is shove them into a bag you carry with you, then wash them off as soon as you get home for golf balls that are like new.

You can also buy used golf balls from many different sources, including sporting good stores in your local area. These are sold at a huge discount off of the original price, and you can usually not even tell that they have been used thanks to the cleaning processes. Usually they are not sold in matching brands or colors, so if uniformity is your thing you may be disappointed. Unless you are more than just a casual golfer, used or second-hand balls will probably work just fine.

 It takes a very trained hand to be able to tell the difference between a new ball and a used ball, or between an expensive ball and a cheap ball. The spin and the hardness of the balls are usually varying, but probably not enough for you to notice. Try two contrasting balls in a row and see if you notice anything, and if not then you can be happy that you are able to stick with the cheaper balls.

It may not seem like much of a money saver to get all of your golf balls for free or for a discounted rate, but the money you save could surely add up. Whether it’s just a few dollars a week or whether you notice a significantly large saving, it’s still money in your pocket that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.

Therefore, you should remember the golf ball savings techniques that have been discussed so far: first of all, you should always take whatever chance you get to search for golf balls that have been left behind by previous golfers in areas that they are likely to have lost them. Secondly, buy used golf balls from sporting good stores in order to save money. If you follow these two guidelines, you are sure to experience the benefits of being free from paying full price for golf balls.

Happy Shopping,

Jake -

Continued…

Sometimes when used enough, even golf clubs will wear out and become nearly unusable. Before any money exchanges hands, take the clubs out for a test game. If you are a good friend with the person who you would like to buy from, they might even let you use the clubs for a longer period of time.

So where do you find older models of clubs, or used clubs? Auctions and pawn shops are two of the best places to go for golf clubs of this type. Golf clubs are almost a staple of auctions, and you are likely to have at least one choice. If you spend a lot of time at auctions, you will be able to have quite a few different choices for golf clubs. You will simply have to learn to recognize golf clubs and judge whether they are a worthy investment.

The same goes with pawn shops. If you are able to recognize the features that you desire in a golf club, you will have endless opportunities to check for these in various venues. If you end up finding clubs that fit with what you are looking for, they will likely be much cheaper than if you had bought them at a retail store.

Cheap golf clubs are very possible to come by, but they are very risky at the same time. If you know enough about what you’re looking for, you can look at a golf club and immediately tell if it is something that is worth your time. But if you are inexperienced in buying golf clubs, you are not likely to have this knowledge.

Therefore you need to carefully plan out all of the things that you are going to look for in your future golf clubs, and bring this list with you when you go to scout out for possibilities.

This will help you in every way, allowing you to recognize what you need and weed out what you don’t. This way you won’t waste your money on buying something that does not suit your needs -

Hope it helps,

Jake -

As all golfers know, golf clubs can be very expensive. However, there is no reason why they should be this way. Expensive golf clubs usually have more technology and more features, but for the average golfer it is a complete waste of money.

It is possible to get clubs at a reasonable rate. The surprising thing is that most of the time these clubs will be even better for you than the more expensive ones. Read on to find out about some of the reasons why you should stick with cheaper clubs, as well as some of the places that you can buy them.

For a beginning golfer, the temptation to buy more expensive clubs comes from the illusion that they will improve the skill as if by magic. The truth is that an amazing golf club requires an amazing technique in order to make it work as desired. Expensive golf clubs are designed so that they are more efficient and less forgiving.

With the slightest wrong move, you will throw the trajectory of the ball so far off track that your stroke will be laughable. If you stick with beginners golf clubs (as you should), the heads of the clubs will be much more forgiving and you will be able to practice your technique without completely embarrassing yourself in the process.

Secondhand clubs are also a good way to save money and still get some nice clubs. If you golf with people who like to stay on the cutting edge of technology, they are likely to have older clubs that are still of a very high quality level.

Speak with them about purchasing the used golf clubs. With used golf clubs you need to be particularly careful, and look for anything that would compromise the quality of the clubs.

End pt.1

As a golfer and golf writer, I’m constantly asked where to buy “golf gifts” for people.  I’m not talking golf equipment here; this is simply golf related items for your house, car, or just for fun.  Sometimes, gifts like this are in the last place you look.

I came across a company that sells just about everything from Dining Tables to Golf Toilet Seat Covers (I’m not kidding) and after doing my due diligence, I figured it’s something worth sharing with my readers.  The company is CSN Stores, and they have over 200 online shops.  When you first look at it, you don’t think it has anything golf related but just do a search  on their site for “golf” and you will find over 700 golf related items.  They vary in price (and I’m going to help someone pay for something below), size, and functionality.  Personally, I like monogrammed gifts and they have these.  Here are a some of my favorites:

Let’s face it the majority of the world is designed for right-handed people, with the lefties, or southpaws, they’re virtually ignored. If a right-handed person wants to take up the game of golf, getting equipment is simple. They can go virtually anywhere to find clubs. The same can’t be said for the left-handed golfer who wants to play from his or her natural position.

There are, however, those lefties who can, and do, play from the right side. This is fine for those people who can accomplish this . But for the majority of southpaws, the only real option is to play from the left side. (Actually, this is a misnomer as the leftie will be on the right side of the ball, while the right-handers are on the left side. Left and right, in this instance, is being used in terms of a person’s dominant side.)

Purchasing golf clubs for those who play left-handed can be a challenge. Unless he or she lives in a reasonably large city with a good, hopefully, national golf supply store, he or she will most likely wind up having to order his or her clubs, whereas the right-handed person can walk in off the streets, make his or her selection and be on their way.

Many golf stores, however, carry a selection of left-handed sets of clubs, with some left-handed putters (this is important as well, because it is as difficult to putt from the subordinate side as it is to hit from there. Basically, it does not feel natural to the player, and this will result in poor putting.)

That having been said, should the southpaw want to upgrade individual clubs, say go from a metal shaft to a graphite shaft, he or she will most likely have to order the club. The right-hander, though, will simply be able to walk in, select the club he or she wants and leave, unless he or she is looking for custom clubs and has to get measured, in which case the club will have to be ordered.

Because the majority of people in the world – 90 percent at last count – are right-handed, it only makes sense that golfing equipment would be designed for them. After all, this is where the money is, and golf is an industry as well as a game. But there are companies who realize the lefties of the world want and deserve quality equipment, and quality golf equipment for the left-handed player is available.

When on the golf course, the lefty can expect to be razzed by his or her right-handed counterparts and be told he or she is playing on the wrong side of the ball. There will likely be other jokes made about the person’s left-handedness as well.

However, golf is a game that makes no exceptions as to a person’s dominant side. Courses are designed to be challenging, and challenging they are to both right-handers and left-handers.

There are those  would argue right-handed golfers are better players, but this has no bearing factually speaking. A good golfer is a good golfer regardless whether he or she plays from the right or left side. Statistics, however, will show right-handers to be better, simply because there are more of them and the statistics are weighted accordingly.

(maybe it’s because of the extra ease given)      ; )

Go Lefties….

Jake -

If you are fortunate enough to own a golf cart, chances are that you spend quite a bit of time at the golf course. Therefore you would probably like to get your golf cart to be as useful as possible. When you first buy a golf cart they are usually very basic as far as features and extras go. However, you can make upgrades in the future in order to enhance the golf cart and make it into a generally better experience.

This might be something to make the golfing trip easier, or maybe just something that personalizes your golf cart. Either way, golf carts are a lot like cars in that they can be changed and improved as much as long as you can imagine new modifications to make.

The first step to creating a truly deluxe golf cart is to personalize all of the regular components. Do you feel that the seats are not as comfortable as they could be? Perhaps you should consider re-upholstering them with a nicer leather finish. All of the components on a stock golf cart can likely be replaced with something more luxurious and more stylish.

This is everything from the rims of the wheels to the bumpers or the steering wheel. It is best to decide on some sort of theme, such as chrome or even a dark varnished wood. Replacing everything may be expensive and it might require lots of grunt work, but it will be worth it when you are driving a golf cart that is 100% unique.

If you have a very extravagant and intricate plan that involves essentially rebuilding the entire golf cart, you should get in touch with a professional that will help you to plan out the entire thing, step by step. This could be the most expensive option of all, but if you establish a good contact who can get the job done well, then you will most likely be happy with the final product.

To find a professional like this, you may try asking in some of the local car body shops to see if they are open to doing customized golf cart work. Otherwise you could look for help online on a site like CraigsList.com, where you can post a help wanted ad and wait for people to get in touch with you.

Jake -