Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Regarding this blog headline:  All about money in two ways.

• First, how much the top players make in golf tournaments.
• Second, how much they pay out week-by-week to support their entourages that help them succeed.

We’ve often heard about the first – huge prize money for the winners and those that finish in the top 10, tournament-by-tournament.

According to Google:

• Majors:  The largest prize fund resides at The Masters with a $22.5 million total purse and a $4.5 million winner’s share.
• The PGA Championship:  A $20.5 million purse, awarding $3.69 million to the champion.
• Signature Events:  These limited-field tournaments feature $20 million purses, routinely paying about $4 million to the winner.
• The Players Championship:  This flagship tournament offers a massive $25 million total purse.
• The FedEx Cup:  The Tour Championship now counts as official money rather than an end-of-year bonus, sporting an overall pool of $40 million with $10 million going to the winner.

But, with these huge prizes, what often gets lost in the shuffle is how much top players fork out each week to those who help them as they ride on their coattails. 

Golf Digest came up with answers to help understand the context.  It did so by turning to one top PGA Tour players, Ben Griffin, contending that his outlay would be duplicated by many other players.

The story appeared under this headline:  “The astonishing amount of money PGA Tour players pay out during the season.”

Astonishing?  Yes.

Here’s how.

“From hotels to caddie fees, the costs of competing on the PGA Tour are far higher than fans think.

“Ben Griffin has lifted the lid on the enormous costs that come with life on the PGA Tour, revealing he spends around $50,000 per event week just to compete.

“The 30-year-old American, who enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2025 with three PGA Tour victories and a debut on the United States Ryder Cup team, has revealed the financial demands of elite professional golf are far greater than many fans realize.”

Although Griffin earned roughly $2.5 million during the 2026 PGA Tour season, a significant portion of that money went straight into his expenses.

Speaking to Golf Digest, Griffin explained how quickly the costs pile up once travel, accommodation and support staff are factored in.

“There are definitely going to be some base fees that you’re going to have to pay when you get to a tournament.

“So, obviously travel costs, all hotel costs are on the players or Airbnb’s, rental homes, those costs, everyone has a caddie.  The caddie needs a base, and also a percentage based on performance.  So that can range significantly per tournament, especially depending on how you play.

“Additionally, coaches will come to events, trainers, physios, all of these costs come out of the pocket of the PGA Tour player.

“So, my average spend is probably very high, because I just had a really good season, and I pay my caddie, my coach, and my trainer based on my performance, as well as base salaries.

“You could argue my average spend per week this year was probably $50,000.”

Based on Griffin’s estimate, his expenses for the season are already approaching $750,000.

From me, no sympathy.  Players like Griffin make enough to pay expenses and have a lot left over. 

It also would be possible to bemoan have far sports – including golf – have descended into a financial abyss.  No information on how deep it is.