LushDollar.com
Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

How to Make Money from Playing Golf (100% Legit)

Some of the links may be from a sponsor. Advertising Disclosure

Who says you need to be a professional golfer in order to make money?

While it would be nice to become the next Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, it’s just not quite possible for 99.9% of us.

However, even though you can’t become a professional, it doesn’t mean you can’t make a few dollars doing what you love.

In today’s post, I wanted to talk about the many ways you can make money playing golf in your free time.  While it probably won’t cover your full-time income, it could bring in a few bucks.

If you feel you’re good enough to beat the people in your town, let’s take a look at what you can do to make money today.

How to Make Money from Playing Golf

Join a Local Golf Tournament

To make good money in golf, you need to be good.  No, not as good as the top 100, but good enough to beat the locals in your area.

If you feel you have the talent to compete, consider joining a local golf tournament to win some pretty big prizes.  They won’t be as large as the PGA Tours, but it could pocket you as much as $1,000+ in some cases.

One of my favorite ways to find tournaments is via EventBrite.com, but a quick Google search, such as “golf tournaments near me” or “skins tournaments” can yield some decent results as well.   Also, consider joining local Facebook golfing groups to see if anyone knows of any tournaments coming up.  There are many ways to do it, and the results will depend on your geographical area.

As a fair warning, though, you will have to pay an entry fee 99% of the time, so you’re technically gambling, but again, if you feel you can compete, it’s at least worth a shot.



Mystery Shop as a Golfer (My Favorite Option)

In the past, I have talked about the many ways you can make money mystery shopping.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s basically a way to “shop” undercover and get paid in doing so.  You will shop as you normally would and will answer questions during your trip to help companies improve their service.  In this case, you will golf as you would.

So, you’re probably wondering what the heck this has to do with golf?

Let me explain.

A lot of the companies I mentioned on my mystery shopping companies list often work with local golf courses, where you may be asked to come in as a normal golfer and golf as you normally would.  However, as you do so, you may be asked to judge the course conditions, customer service as well as answer any other questions related to the trip, etc.  After your round is over, you will answer some questions, submit your report online and get paid for your time, sometimes as much as $50+, plus a refund for your course fees.

So, not only are you going to get paid for your time, but you will also get a free round of golf for helping the mystery shopping company as well.

These jobs are quite rare, let me warn you right now, but they do pop up.  For now, I would sign up for two of the largest mystery shopping companies that often have golf course audits, BARE International and Intelli-Shop.

You Could Become a Golf Influencer

This one could take a pinch of work as you will need to build a following before you start to see some benefits.  However, if you’re passionate about playing golf, it could be quite fun.

I wrote about the many ways you can make money on social media, and you can apply many of these tips to eventually land some free golfing opportunities.  Not only that, but you could also score some free golf gear or even cold-hard cash that you could then use to golf from your sponsorships.

From Instagram to your very own YouTube channel, there are thousands of people out there who may want to view your content.  As long it’s something of quality and unique, it may grow faster than you think.

Building a social media following can take some time and won’t happen overnight, but it could be worth it if you’re willing to put the work into it.

Get a Job in the Golf Industry

This one is probably obvious, but I want to include it here as I try to include every option in every single one of my guides.

While you won’t be playing golf while on the job, you will at least be around golfers for the time on the clock.  Plus, some courses may throw free golf in as a perk.

If you have the time to work a part-time or even a full-time job, then consider the following opportunities:

  • golf caddy
  • pro shop attendant
  • golf teacher
  • golf course maintenance
  • golf course superintendent

To find these jobs, I would recommend using Indeed or visit a local golf course website to see if they have a careers section.  Even if they don’t, you can always send them an email to see if they are hiring at the time and/or can offer more information.

Final Thoughts

Most of the methods I mention above will pay $30, $50, maybe $100+.

You’re not going to get rich, but it’s a way to make money all while playing golf.

If you know of any ideas I’m missing or even want to sound off, then, as always, you’re more than welcome to sound off in the comment section below.

In the meantime, start testing out a few of the options mentioned above to see if you can make a few bucks the next time you hit the greens.

Want $5 free?



Try out Swagbucks, the most popular reward program I make the most money with. Simply answer survey questions and get paid!

Join Now to Get $5!

Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

Add comment