Heads up, friends: this post has affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. I separate the items I use from the ones I am considering. 💛
Hey friends, it's Lizzie! Golf has a reputation for being expensive, and that reputation stops a lot of women from ever hitting a bucket. I'm a beginner, fully in my driving-range era, with a first eighteen on the calendar, so this is a look at what I have bought, borrowed and skipped so far, what I've deliberately not bought yet, and where I'd put money first if you're starting from zero.
The short version
You do not need to buy a full kit before checking what your local range offers. My money has gone to range buckets, one glove, and clothes I already owned. That's it. The expensive version of golf is the one where you buy shoes, a bag and a full set before you know whether you like it.
Where the money actually goes at the start
- Range buckets. Check the price of a small bucket, whether clubs are included or rented separately, and any lesson fee. Prices vary by range, so ask before planning your first visit.
- Clubs, borrowed or rented. Ask your range whether it rents clubs and what they cost. You can learn plenty with a wedge and a short iron, and you do not need your own set to find out whether you love it.
- A lesson. Usually the best money a beginner can spend. A coach who watches you swing fixes things a hundred videos can't. If you can only afford one thing beyond buckets, make it this.
- One glove. The only golf item I bought myself, on Amazon. A friend gave me my first set of clubs, a pink RAM Axial women's set, and pink balls.
- Clothes from your closet. Matching sets I already wore, regular sneakers or my Tory Burch ones, a visor or a hair bow. The range has never cared what I wear.
What I deliberately haven't bought
Golf shoes. I play in regular sneakers and I'm not buying shoes until I know I want the grip on a real course. A full set of clubs. Rent first, borrow if you can, and buy used later once you know what you like. A golf bag, a rangefinder, a cart. All lovely. All for a version of golf I'm not playing yet. The beginner trap is buying for the golfer you plan to be instead of the one hitting a small bucket on a Saturday.
Where the cost jumps
The course. Green fees, cart fees, the dress code, the tees and balls you lose. A first eighteen costs real money and it's worth doing once you've had enough range time that the day is fun instead of humiliating. That's my plan: a few more buckets, my first lessons, then the round. Pay for the range until the course is worth paying for.
How I'd spend the first bit of money, in order
- A small bucket at a range near you, with rented clubs. Find out if you like hitting a ball.
- A second and third small bucket. Find out if you still like it when it's frustrating.
- A lesson. Learn what your swing actually looks like from someone who can see it.
- A glove, once your lead hand starts rubbing. That's when you'll want it, not before.
- Clubs, used, once a coach has told you what to look for.
- Shoes and everything else, after your first round, if the course was fun.
The mistakes that cost beginners money
- Buying a big bucket and hitting half of it tired and annoyed.
- Buying a full set from a big-box store before a lesson, then finding out it doesn't fit.
- Booking a course before the range feels comfortable, and spending the whole round embarrassed.
- Buying golf clothes when the sets in your closet work perfectly at the range.
What it's cost me so far, in categories
Range buckets, which is where I've chosen to put money on purpose. One glove. Zero shoes, zero rounds yet, and a pink set of clubs and balls that a friend gave me, so the clubs cost me nothing. Golf has been one of the cheaper things on my hobby list so far, and I'm keeping it that way until the course earns the spend. Everything I actually take to the range is in my golf list below, and it's a short list.
Golf vs kickboxing: which was cheaper to start?
Golf, so far, and it isn't close, because I've refused to buy the kit. Kickboxing needed a membership and gloves; golf has needed buckets and a glove. The day I book the course that changes, which is exactly why I'm waiting until the course is worth it. If you're choosing a hobby on cost alone, the range is one of the cheapest doors in sport.
Where the Amazon list fits
Everything cheap and useful lives there: tees, ball markers, a towel with a clip, the glove, the sets I actually swing in. The expensive things on the list, like the shoes and a club set of my own choosing, are shortlisted for future me, not bought by current me, and I say so on the list itself. Use it the way I'd suggest: buy the small stuff now, and let the big stuff wait for a round that earns it.
The takeaway before you spend
If I add up buckets and one glove, since a friend gave me my first clubs and balls, my first few months of golf have cost less than one pair of the quality boxing gloves I train in. That will change. Your own total will depend on local fees and whether you can borrow gear. Check those costs against your budget before booking.
The question under the question
When people ask what golf costs, they usually mean “am I allowed to try this without committing to it?” Yes. The range exists for exactly that. Nobody at the counter cares that you are renting clubs and buying the small bucket, and nobody on the mats behind you is checking your shoes. Try it cheaply, try it a few times, and let the sport earn every dollar after that.
🛍️ My Amazon list: Golf
The small items I use, plus shoes and a club set I am considering. The shortlist is not a shopping requirement.
Your Questions, Answered
How much does it cost to start golf as a beginner? Check your local range's ball, rental and lesson fees for a useful total. This post describes what I bought, borrowed and skipped; it is not a verified price guide for your area.
Do you need your own clubs to learn golf? Not necessarily. Ask your range about rentals or borrow suitable clubs if you can. Consider buying once you have advice on what fits you.
Is a golf lesson worth it for a beginner? It is usually the best money a beginner can spend. A coach who watches your swing fixes things a hundred videos cannot, because they can see your grip and your feet.
