Elite amateur golfers travel across the United States, and often internationally, to compete in tournaments with no prize money on the line.
Some of those amateurs are competing in junior, collegiate or other prestigious amateur events as a steppingstone to potential scholarships, sponsorships and tour status. Recent rule changes allow amateurs to earn money based on their name, image and likeness, so the top players can often cover basic expenses to sustain themselves. Even for those who aren’t earning money through NIL, they regularly receive considerable help from their college programs or parents with the means to provide for them.
But for the best mid-amateurs (25 and older) or senior amateurs (55-plus) competing on a national stage, there is no pursuit of monetary gain. All they can hope for in that regard is a few hundred dollars of golf shop credit awarded to the top finishers. Events are rarely televised and there are no sponsorships.
These are amateurs who pay for the thrill of competition. And while most of them say that it’s money well spent, they all concede that the cost can add up quickly.
According to the players with whom we spoke, a five-day trip to compete in a prominent mid-am or senior amateur event costs $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the location. It’s common for the top players, especially in the senior amateur game, to tee it up in 15-25 of these tournaments each year. For example, Rusty Strawn, the Global Golf Post Men’s Amateur of the Year for 2022, played in 24 events last year.
Some of the costs are self-explanatory. The price of airfare, car rentals, hotels and eating out have all been on the rise in the past two years. Just getting to a destination and finding accommodations, which can run as high as $400 a night, is the largest chunk of the expense. And, of course, there is also tip money for tournament and club staff.
“We’re playing for the love of the competition. That’s what drives most of us to leave our homes, go stay in a Fairfield Inn for four nights, rent a car, deal with air travel. It’s an expensive hobby, that’s for sure.” – Allen Peake
However, it goes beyond that. Tournament entry fees for these premier events are typically between $500 and $900. This often includes a practice round, certain meals and a tournament gift – but it’s undoubtedly a large expenditure to make on a recurring basis. Some events at elite clubs often require the use of a caddie, who can get paid upwards of $125 per round for three or four rounds of golf.
There are also other costs associated with being a golfer at this level, such as equipment upkeep, private course memberships, swing coaches, fitness gurus or combining international amateur events with longer vacations. A few of the top players told us they use all of the above – and that it’s normal for others to do so, as well.
Allen Peake, a senior amateur from Macon, Georgia, played in 20 tournaments last year and plans on taking on a similar schedule once again. The former Georgia state representative and franchise restaurant executive/owner sold his business in 2017. With his three children now adults, he was able to invest time and money into competitive golf.
If the tournament is being played less than a four-hour drive from his home, Peake will drive. If it’s not, he’ll fly.
“It would blow you away,” Peake said of the cumulative cost for his travel. “We’re playing for the love of the competition. That’s what drives most of us to leave our homes, go stay in a Fairfield Inn for four nights, rent a car, deal with air travel. It’s an expensive hobby, that’s for sure.”
Yet, for as expensive as senior amateur golf can be, the mid-amateur game brings its own set of challenges. For one, players are often fathers of young children. For another, they are also in prime work years and don’t have the luxury of being retired.
Because of those variables, mid-amateurs tend to be more selective when it comes to playing national events. Evan Beck, a leading candidate to be the mid-am representative on the U.S. Walker Cup team, competed in just 11 events last year – four of them were local tournaments in the Virginia State Golf Association. That would be considered on the high end for mid-am travel.
While the tournament schedule may be lighter compared to senior amateurs, mid-am competitive play is still costly on other fronts. Many USGA championships are held in far-flung, expensive locations. One player who asked not to be named told us that missing the cut in the 2021 U.S. Mid-Am at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Nantucket, Massachusetts, saved him about $6,000 because he brought his whole family – including someone who was caddying for him – to the event.
That is a common sentiment for many mid-ams.
“When you get destination places, your family wants to come,” said Nathan Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Am winner and the 2025 U.S. Walker Cup captain, who makes his living in the investment business. “Numbers are increased. It’s worth it. Those are great memories. I wouldn’t trade any of it.
“They’re incredible places that the game and the USGA and all these amateur events take you, and it was great. I’m glad I did it all. But yeah, there absolutely is a cost that adds up.”
If a player lasts through the final day of the U.S. Mid-Am, he will have spent six competition days on site. Adding in practice rounds and travel, it’s possible for some of the top players to be at an event for more than a week.
When asking one of the players whether it’s realistic that a mid-am or senior am could rack up more than $100,000 in travel expenses for a given year, his response was “absolutely.” If you are playing enough national events, you could get there without trying too hard.
A lot of mid-am competitors are used to this push-and-pull of deciding where to spend their money because they formerly played professional golf.
“I think my experience playing mini tours comes in handy when playing mid-amateur golf,” another prominent mid-am said. “I learned how to pinch a penny pretty well. I would say a lot of (the cost) depends on the location of the event. And the longer you last in the tournament, the more expensive it gets.
“If I can drive to the event or get host housing, I’m probably more likely to play, as that can greatly reduce the cost of the week. With that said, if you get into a USGA championship, it’s going to be worth the cost.”
When asking one of the players whether it’s realistic that a mid-am or senior am could rack up more than $100,000 in travel expenses for a given year, his response was “absolutely.” If you are playing enough national events, you could get there without trying too hard.
It’s a remarkable number considering the efforts are almost exclusively for the love of the game.
“You really have to watch it because you can spend a lot of money,” Smith said. “But those are memories and pictures – win, lose or draw – I would do it all over again.”