You may have often heard golf is an expensive sport. But why is that so? PGA Tour rookie Lanto Griffin has now broken down the expense of a golfer during a tournament which might answer the question. He took to TikTok to explain that the average expense for a golfer ranges from player to player.
Griffin revealed that the travel expenses range from $500 to $1,500, whereas the hotel stay ranges from five to seven days costing between $1,200 and $4,000. Food and meals, on the other hand, cost around $500 to $700 per event.
However, the PGA Tour Rookie also stated that there is some free stuff whose benefits a player does enjoy during an event. He underlined them to be equipment, transportation, and courtesy cars required at the golf course. As quoted by Mirror, he said,
“I want to preface this by saying my expenses are definitely on the lower end out of all the players. Let’s start with the free stuff. The majority of players are signed with an equipment manager, but even if you aren’t, all equipment is going to be free. On top of that, transportation, courtesy cars, all transportation from the airport to the golf course is going to be free.”
Lanto Griffin also revealed that the travel cost of big players can go higher too. They might spend over $100,000 on private jets. Also, he emphasized that golfers do not travel alone and instead have their family with them which increases the average expense as well.
“Also, private jets. Top guys can probably spend upwards of $100,000 (£79,489) any given week to fly private. Lastly, most golfers don’t travel by themselves every week. We travel a lot and it would be impossible to have a family without them being there with you.”
Is Travel And Hotel Accommodations The Only Expenses Incurred By Golfers? PGA Tour Rookie Lanto Reveals Coach And Caddie Budget
The World No. 94 also revealed that there are other expenses for a golfer to take care of. He stated that his caddie, Alex Ritthamel, receives $2,000 as his fees per week and also has an undisclosed percentage of Griffin’s winnings. Apart from this, there are locker room tips that drain around $4,000 from a golfer.
Lanto Griffin reveals that having a coach can be expensive. Their charges range from “$15,000 to $20,000 to hundreds of thousands” a year. The PGA Tour rookie also revealed that trainer fees are slightly less than that of a coach.
“Coach fees, this can be pretty expensive. Some guys have retainers, others pay based on how many sessions they have. Coach fees are going to range from $15,000 to $20,000 to hundreds of thousands per year. Trainer fees are going to be similar, probably a little bit less,” Griffin said.
Well, Lanto Griffin gave the average expense of a normal Tour golfer. But for a player like Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods, the average expenses are much much higher. After all, they are the leading earners on the Tour.
