I know what you’re thinking – golf on a budget! Can there be such a thing? Well, it is possible, if you take a balanced, objective look at the strategies used in marketing golf products.

Case in point – I just interviewed a local golf shop owner today. We were talking about the new golf balls, and he was telling me that representatives from different companies send him golf balls to use, hoping that he’ll recommend them to his customers.

Well, he said he’s tried just about everything, and in his opinion, they all play about the same now. Picking up a box of 12 Titleist balls, he said, “This one is probably the best.” They cost $24.99 for the dozen. Then he laughed and picked up another box. “But this one is our best seller.”

The box was priced $44.99 for the dozen. I looked surprised. He shook his head and said, “It’s all hype. People think that if the balls cost double, they’re bound to play better.”

Now we have the new hybrid ironwoods. Are they really going to change your game that much? Or is it all a part of the marketing pitch?

I heard one marketer say that since the golf market was so saturated, he priced his clubs at three times the price of anyone else’s. And he sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth. The clubs weren’t any more expensive to make than other clubs. It was just a “market test”. And folks bought like crazy.

Since no two people play golf the same - and everyone has an individual physique and swing – a product that adds distance for one player may not help another player at all.

Think about something you do very well that requires a piece of equipment. You’re the expert in this area. Should everyone who attempts your job then buy the exact same equipment as you have? Will that mean they’ll be able to do the job better or as well as you?

Food for thought, isn’t it? I enjoy gardening, and have a lovely flower garden. But I only have one or two garden tools that are considered the best. The other things I use because that’s what I’ve always used.

So just because one golf pro buys one kind of ball or club doesn’t mean that it’s the best for you.

The sales pitches that swear you’re going to add 30 yards and never hit another slice entice us to shell out the big bucks. But if you’re careful and have a healthy dose of skepticism, you’ll save both time and money in the long run.

Remember, in the golf world, just because a product is more expensive, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily any better.