Professional golfers are sponsored by numerous companies such as Nike, TaylorMade and even Ralph Lauren Polo to wear their latest trends completely free of charge. For the average golfer, however, this privilege does not exist. For those of us like myself who like to dress nicely but don’t have the budget to buy a new Nike polo or pair of Chaps slacks for every round, there are many alternatives we can turn for a much better deal.

1. Hats: Let’s start from the top down with hats. Many PGA Tour players wear hats with specific brands on them because they are sponsored. These hats come at no charge to them because manufacturers hope that the product’s exposure with the player will cause more consumers to want to buy it. This works more often than not as amateurs tend to purchase hats based on the brand of club that they play with or the hat with which their favorite professional plays.

Alternatives

• Not wearing a hat is indeed an option. This not only saves you money but will not cause you to worry about purchasing a hat of a specific color so that it goes with the rest of your golfing outfits.
• Any hat will do. Just because a favorite hat of yours is not golf-oriented does not mean that it is inappropriate for the course. The purpose of hats in the first place is to shade your eyes and face from the sun, so if you have any type of hat with a brim you don’t necessarily need to spend money on something with a brand or logo.
• There are excellent deals available online if one is inclined to purchase a hat with a logo. A hat that may cost $25 in the Pro Shop or on a manufacturer’s website costs about half as much if you know where to look.

2. Polo Shirts: Polo shirts are definitely a staple of any proper golf outfit. However, just like hats, professionals are given free polos with a manufacturer logo on it to promote the product.

Alternatives

• Kohl’s has been where I’ve bought every polo I own. Even though they don’t have a specific logo like the professionals, they still look excellent and sharp. The colors and patterns are similar to those worn on the PGA Tour and can easily fool others into thinking you paid almost $35 more for a polo from a manufacturer.
• Target and Wal-Mart also have polo tees available for purchase that won’t hurt the wallet too much. While these may look less professional than those available at Kohl’s or perhaps Old Navy, they are still polos and will be acceptable on the course.
• Again, if one must get a shirt just like their favorite players, there are great deals available all over golf apparel websites so you don’t spend the big bucks ordering directly from the manufacturer.

3. Pants: Until the late 20th Century, it was considered unseemly for a golfer to wear anything but slacks on the course. However, this now only applies to professionals and shorts are widely accepted at almost every golf club around the country.

• You don’t have to buy a whole new set of pants if you’re just beginning to golf. Almost any pair of shorts or slacks that you own will be acceptable on the course as long as they match your polo. However, anything with rips or that looks like you might have worn it to a concert the night before would be something to leave in the dresser drawer.
• Target, Kohl’s and JCPenny all have their own brand of shorts specifically designed for golf. I prefer Chaps Golf, which can be found at Kohl’s, but all of these stores have relatively the same prices. That may sound vague, but the last pair of shorts I bought there cost me $12, while a similar pair elsewhere costs almost three times as much.
• If you are indeed a golf purist, I have found that JCPenny has the nicest looking and cheapest slacks available. A word to the wise, however. I have found that golfing in slacks tends to get hot by the end of the round if you’re walking. If you want to finish the last few holes strong, the last thing you want is feeling uncomfortable.

4. Shoes: Unfortunately, Puma, Nike and FootJoy hold the primary market over the golf shoe market. This makes cheap alternatives to these brands fairly hard to come by.

Alternatives

• Not all golf courses require golf shoes in order to play. Call ahead before you set up a tee time to check. Tennis shoes won’t give you the same footing or grip as a pair of golf shoes, but it definitely keeps a little cash in the pocket.
• Budget Golf is probably the one place I would suggest when trying to find a deal on golf shoes. Most quality shoes don’t go under $40 or $50 but it is definitely worth it to scrounge for a deal.

An old golf saying is that “when you look and feel good, you play good.” Just remember, looking and feeling good doesn’t have to kill your budget. After all, we play the game to play. However you’re dressed, just go out and enjoy yourself!

Does this really give golfers an advantage on the greens, or is this just another golf fad like Ian Poulter’s plaid pants or Rickie Fowler’s one color outfits? Steve DiMeglio wrote a great article for USA today on the positives and negatives of the belly putter including its legality. It wasn’t that long ago that many golfers hesitated towards switching to a metal driver and that is all that’s around on the PGA Tour today.

My Pros:

• For those with shaky hands, it provides good balance so that the wrists don’t rotate through the putting stroke.
• It forces you into putting in a natural motion rather than the forward press formerly used by Mickelson or something else you might have learned growing up.
• It honestly looks pretty cool.

Negatives:

• For me, it’s hard to get used to putting with a belly or long putter after spending my entire life learning to putt traditionally.
• Using a long putter requires one to use a claw grip which again, personally, feels uncomfortable.
• If you’re traveling with your clubs and you happen to have a long putter, it generally exceeds the length of a travel golf bag. This means you must either ship it separately or attempt trying to fit it in the travel bag but outside your normal golf bag. This increases the risk of breaking the putter.
• If you’re trying to golf on a budget like myself, $150 or more (which is the going rate for such a putter) is a lot of money to spend on a new club.

I absolutely see the future of the game and PGA Tour headed towards longer putters. It allows for a much more natural motion without really having to change much in the personal stroke. In the Nationwide Tour, where players are constantly a stroke or two away from getting their PGA Tour card, a long putter could mean the difference between making or missing a crucial putt.

Even if you’re not a pro, you’re probably trying to slash a few strokes off your scorecard or drain that forty footer so you can boast about it in the clubhouse after the round. If you have the money to spend on one and you think your game needs it, I highly recommend getting one. Personally, I learned how to putt from my dad on an old school flat blade Tommy Armour putter. The best part of my game is my short game and I love putting traditionally the way he taught me.

However, you have to do what’s best for your game. If that means that a switch to a long putter is necessary then I say go for it.

• Small: $4
• Medium: $6
• Large: $8

Features of the driving range:

• They have a huge bin of range balls you grab yourself, so to get your money’s worth I would recommend trying to pack as many balls as possible into whatever size bucket you purchase.
• The range is roughly 275 yards long, has well-displayed yardage markers up to 200 yards and even has some helpful aiming tools such as small nets 50, 75 and 100 yards away.
• Small greens with actual flags located approximately 80, 105 and 150 yards away depending on where the driving range tees are located that day.

I’ve included a link to the actual rates for greens fees at Encanto for those who are interested in playing a full round. Twilight rates at my home course begin at 4:30 PM so its very difficult to get 18 holes in while trying to save money by playing at that time but at Encanto it starts at 11 in the morning. I’m planning on playing this Friday around 3 to take advantage of the twilight rate while avoiding as much of the heat as I can. I’ll post my review of the course with some pictures to let everyone know if it is worth braving the heat for.