Been away from golf for awhile, but, seriously...
 

New Callaway Epic Driver is $529 at Dicks? Fairways woods are $299?

WOW!

I imagine it's like acoustic guitars, bicycles, autos, watches etc. - if you are passionate about something and want to spend big bucks, manufacturers will be glad to accommodate you...

Wait until you pay greens fees at a nice country club. The overall cost is on par (yuk, yuk) with downhill skiing.

In 1979 or 1980, I "played" (perhaps "died on but enjoyed the view") Pebble Beach. I had my $100 set of clubs, a few sleeves of balls. The greens fees were $50, which included a cart. I thought that was OUTRAGEOUS but I was on a business trip and I wasn't paying. I was used to paying $3.75-4.00 for 18 holes on our local municipal course, and 75 cents if you played during the day in the summer. This was Southern Arizona so courses were pretty empty during the day in the summer, so if you could handle it, you could pretty much play for free, and we were young and stupid. I don't think we were Englishmen but we may well have been mad dogs.

Today to play Pebble Beach I'd have to take out a second mortgage, if I could even find a way to get a tee time. And I'm not at all sure our condo is worth that much... BTW, I haven't played golf since the early 90s and plan to not start again real soon now.

...and yet most of you will plop down thousands for a new guitar without batting an eye.

I would if I could. I have a grand total of less than about $4000 in my three electrics and one acoustic, most of it in the acoustic. I spent a fair amount on bicycles when I was into them, on cameras, and on guitars. But once you buy the gear, you don't have to pay every time you want to use it. With golf and downhill skiing, the user fees are almost more than the gear.

My wife and I were talking the other day about things we'd like to do together once I am retired. She said she could learn to play golf and I could take it back up. We looked online and saw we could get low-end club sets, bag and all, from Dicks Sporting goods for about $150 each. Then she learned about green fees and cart fees for every time we wanted to play a round and she decided we could do something else! LOL.

And next year there will be a new one, that gets you more/less spin, and 5 more yards, for $545. lol

Our local courses are about $45, which includes a cart, and that's pretty good. And they're pretty nice courses. I'd call the greens excellent. As usual, last time out, I hit a few good shots. We don't mention the others. :D

Agreed. :)

Where we are moving the green/cart fees would be $50. That still makes $200 a month to play 4 rounds. She balked at the cost.

Buy the cheapest clubs you can find. That way, if you play well you will look twice as good and if you play badly you'll have something to blame it on.

People are just downright crazy...

I play M-F during the season here in MI. I shoot around and under 80 most days.....Here's what's in my bag:

20 year old Callaway Hawkeye driver (actually have 3 - two 7 degrees and a 6)
8-10 year old Callaway Diablo 3-5-7 wood
10-12 year old Nike 4 hybrid
10 year old Wilson Fat Shaft Deep Red 6-PW
5-6 year old Powerbilt SX wedge set 52-56-60
15 year old Taylor Rossa Daytona putter

All of these clubs were purchased used or at deep discounts new on Ebay. For 529 I could buy all of them twice at what I paid and still have money left over for a bag and shoes!;)

I haven't bought a golf ball in about 15 years - but have sold enough (thanks to those who leave them behind!) to help pay for my 900.00 yearly membership, which, since I play 140-150 round a year costs me a little over 6 bucks a round!

So, golf does NOT have to be a rich mans game as it's always said......when I divide my output by the hours of enjoyment, it's actually pretty darn cheap!

Bought a $1000 set 0f Calloway irons last year, then discovered the sport of pickleball. Clubs stay mostly untouched in the garage and am now on my 3rd pickleball paddle. Play almost everyday for 2-3 hours free somewhere here in San Diego, but keep promising myself to get out and play golf again sometime soon. Maybe tomorrow...

Check out clubs made in Japan!

Honma's are incredibly expensive. A friend had a driver from them almost 20 years ago now that was over 900.00. Didn't go any farther than the 15.00 3 wood I was hitting at the time:D