"Best Money" Spent on Golf of Varying Levels

I got fairly decent at golf (11/12 ish handicap thru my own goofing around over the years without ever getting serious about it.  Once I did get serious about it - about 2 1/2 years ago - I've started making much more rapid strides towards improvement, so most of my answers are things I've discovered very recently)

$0-$35 - Lowest Score Wins golf book.  It is a gold mine, and nothing else really comes close as far as helping you score better immediately.

Other books that have helped me along the way:  Jack's Golf My Way book, and all of the Harvey Penick books.

Honorable mention:  TST ... because you can get a boatload of helpful information here and it's FREE!!!!! (Example: this thread has helped my putting almost as much as Aimpoint and my Edel putter)

$35-$75 - Evolvr online lessons . It's actually $39/month and you're probably not going to do it for only one month, but even if you did, in the 2-3 (you could actually get 4) lessons you'd likely get in one month, you'll get some really helpful info.

$75-125 - Lesson (in-person) from a good teacher. I've even been fortunate enough to get a deal on a half-day clinic from some 5SK guys for close to this price as well.  Learned how to pitch during that lesson!

$125-$200 - Aimpoint class .  Not even close.  A 2-3 hour class where I can learn to read greens properly (and quickly) AND have a system that gives me an exact target for every putt, not just a random guesstimation?  Yes, please.

$200-$300 - If you can find a driver that fits you in this price range, I might go with that ... but since my last couple were free (and if I paid for them, they wouldn't fit in this category anyway), I'm going to say a laser rangefinder .  Others prefer a GPS, and those are great, but for me, the peace of mind and confidence that came with knowing the exact number to the target boosted confidence, which has lowered scores.

$300-$500 - my Edel putter .  Yup, it was pricey, no question.  However, I can aim it with pinpoint accuracy and control my speed, both because it was fitted to my eye and stroke.  AND it becomes a lot less pricey when you consider that I will basically never have to buy another putter, ever.

$500+ - My Ping i20s . :)  They are also fitted to me, and that means no questioning whether or not they are causing any of my poor shots.  That breeds confidence.  Plus, I'm pretty sure a set of irons is the only thing that I've ever spent more than $500 on, so the Pings win by default.

Here is what I think!

$0-$35: Lowest Score Wins!

$35-$75: Evolvr Membership

$75-125: 1-2 hour lessons with a qualified instructor.

$125-$200: Aimpoint, will transform how you read greens.

$200-$300: Half day lesson with a 5 keys certified instructor, which may include SAM Putting analysis.

$300-$500: Edel Putter and/or Edel Wedges, includes fitting.

$500+: Fitted for a whole set of clubs

Lets see;

$500> Maybe gas (again) a 1300 mile road trip, playing at various golf courses as I found them.

All of the above would help my golf scores to some degree.

I don't need any clubs. I have enough golf books. Finding a "quality" instructor who could teach me at my (lower) level of play is not likely. I suppose I could just take the whole $1735 and throw it down on the black jack table in Vegas.

Just a little "t ongue -in- cheek" on my part.

$0-$35 LSW, TST Supporter Membership

$35-$75 Evolver to have someone take a look every month, dz urethane balls

$75-125 Callaway/Titleist/Ping or other Preowned Driver - yes, it's 2 yrs old and TM has driven your price down

$125-$200 Aimpoint Express Class with some background on Midpoint (leads to greater understanding)

$200-$300 GameGolf (stats, score, weakness, strengths)

$300-$500 Package of Lessons with an Instructor who is Trackman and Video Based

$500+ Edel Irons, Wedges, and Putter - package deal, custom fit for all aspects of the club ($2k)

Do you have one yet?

Just got GG, took it to Utah, used it the first time for one round and kept on forgetting to tap it as the round continued ... editing that many strokes was too time consuming for me.

Lost focus as I've only played 3X this summer ... lots of range time and lessons. Time to play this Fall as the lessons are getting ingrained. Haven't had one in a month and going back Tuesday.

Got to play to gain focus and mental endurance ... the game takes a toll.

I was also with my 22 yr old son, and we were laughing much of the time. I also (don't laugh) had to give him a few tips -- his SS is about 116, and he was using the driver he played in high school on the team. Well, he finally began lifting weights  over the last 3 years (he is now 5'11" and 158 lbs ), and his Tour Burner 9.5/Devotion 65 X flex spins like heck. I think he could gain 30-40 yards with a fitting.

So I asked him to shorten his swing slightly (put a little too much at the end of it), and then get his right elbow unstuck - that worked. But when I asked him to go at 80%, he said "eff that, I'm 100% all the way."

Youth is wasted on the young.

Utah is nice, 6k feet, and cool. I think the 60-70's weather cancelled out the distance gains.

Back to GG ... will use it on all rounds as I get to play - goal is at least 1X per week.